Community Evangelism isn’t just about Marketing, and LinkedIn takes the second step
LinkedIn has started the online manifestations of it’s community outreach, they’ve launched a blog with friendly pictures of the staff. For a company that’s so widely known and used, it’s an interesting perspective to see them step out into the conversation and join the community. Of course, it’s lead by my bud Mario Sundar who’s doing a fantastic job taking in feedback from the community (including mine) and is helping to lead the charge.
My focus is on how corporations use the web, and I’ve started to meet more and more community folks (as a ‘media guy’ that’s part of my job) and have noticed a wide variety of skills and approaches demonstrated. To me, Community Marketing (A term I’ve been using before many knew what it was) is not just about ‘yet-another-marketing’ tool, but a belief in putting the community (customers and prospects) before the company. It’s also more than just marketing, it’s also about product development, product support, and just being human.
LinkedIn is one of the early social networks (I evangelized it heavily when people were getting laid off at Exodus) so I know they will harness these tools to build a better experience. This is certainly a second step in the right direction, the first, of course, was hiring Mario.
BTW, if you’re seeking a career as a Community Manager, Juniper Networks (one of our clients) has an opening, email me if you want a direct introduction. I’m also glad to see that EMC is realizing the new influentials! Did you see my strategies for organizing your Corporate Social Media Program (Starting internally first).
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Well I guess that would make me more of a community manager/web strategist/evangelist then I thought, yeah!!
Which is good, since most of the actual Community Manager/Web Strategist jobs are oddly centered in in the Valley and not in Seattle….and I don’t think anyone will pay me enough to move to half moon bay…
Thanks, buddy!
We’ll continue listening to users and a blog is a step in that direction. Keep sending me your feedback.
The blog is also a great way to check out what’s the latest and greatest happening within LinkedIn. Stay tuned.
Good luck at the Customer Reference Forum today. Given the blog launch I may not be able to join you guys, but I’ll check out the archived video stream (if there’s going to be one?).
I just wrote an entry on CEO as Community Evangelist.
http://blog.dogster.com/2007/04/18/ceo-as-customer-evangelist/
All in all, I think it would behove you and every reading this to separate community support/management even further from planned business marketing goals. While a happy thriving community is exceptional marketing, if you approach community support/management with *any* direct marketing expectation, you will likely undercut the task community support/management is striving to do.
From all I’ve seen, community management should be done out of a love of your customers. They can smell anything less from 300 yards away.
Blog looks cool & glad that LI decided to move more into their community of users. Congrats to Mario!
Thanks, Damon!
Bon Voyage! I look forward to our conversations once you get to Thailand…
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