THE DREAM IN ACTION

A few months back I was engaged in a conversation about how social media (blogs, twitter, facebook, etc.) can really be used to drive tangible changes for a business. As individuals we are able to connect with old friends, stay even more connected with co-workers, and track real time topics, but what do businesses really get out of it all? It’s all kind of fluff right?

Mike Walsh, the CEO of Leverage Software thinks not. Mike is is was an angel investor in Salesforce.com and his company believes that social media can make smart companies even smarter. His business has benefited from actively engaging in the social web and driving benefits out of “intangible” tools. This guest post from Mike gives 10 solid ways that businesses, not just individuals, can increase tangible results like member acquisition, retention, and even drive revenue using these social web tools.

I’ll hand it to Mike…

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Online communities can be incredibly powerful ways to allow association members to meet, share ideas, and connect with one another.

Here are the top 10 ways to begin using social networking and online communities at your organization.

1) Promote peer networking to members.

Networking builds relationships and advances careers. By using an online social network to promote peer networking, your association can provide a unique value to its members, adding an online component to a pre-existing “off-line” capability.

2) Unify members that are geographically diverse.

Since many members may not have the opportunity to connect face-to-face, online social networks enable you to connect members who are distributed across a number of cities in a meaningful way.

3) Increase attendance at conferences and other events.

Events are an excellent way to use online communities to encourage association members to connect with one another. Online communities can help extend the importance of your conferences because members can pre-arrange meetings before the event and follow up with one another easily after the event. In addition, an online community provides an exceptional outlet for idea sharing around event topics.

4) Drive membership renewals.

Because they provide the opportunity for 24/7 peer networking, online communities can make an association more visible and more relevant to your members, making an association “top of mind” to individual members throughout the year.

5) Create “private places” for members to collaborate around new ideas or initiatives.

Advanced social networking tools provide for both “open” and “private” areas within an online community, so that officers, project leaders, and employees might have a space to collaborate with one another.

6) Encourage members to promote themselves to each other.

Many online communities thrive because certain key members of an association – in the online world, these are typically called “community evangelists” – have a mechanism with which they can contribute new ideas, connect with members, and drive their own professional status within an organization. An online community makes it easy for top contributors and influential thought leaders to shine.

7) Be the first to offer a unique social networking application for your industry.

Here is a surprising fact: many of the most successful association online communities thrive because its members do NOT spend a great deal of their time behind a computer. This is because these members are frequently neglected by many technology providers – and thus they have limited communication outlets to utilize. Use online communities to increase the value of what your association offers.

8 ) Use an online community to promote member retention.

In those areas where association members can turn to local organizations, competitive associations, and other venues to network with one another, an online community can be useful in preventing member attrition. Use your online community to encourage engagement among members and as a channel for promoting thought leadership from within your association and with key partners.

9) Develop new offerings to attract and retain valuable sponsors.

Because an online community provides a set of “online spaces” where its members can collaborate and connect, sponsors frequently find these highly used and very visible areas attractive for sponsorship opportunities. In addition, sponsors can review user-generated content to gain added insight into their own products and services.

10) Use social networking to learn more from your association members.

One of the strongest values that an online community can provide is that it offers a communication channel for real-time feedback and member insight – as members will frequently share ideas and suggestions for which aspects of the association are the most important to them. To ensure the greatest success, play an active role in your online communities and be open to what your members have to say.

See how some of your peers are benefiting by enabling a member community.

“Over 2,000 participants from around the globe are already connected and using ToyConnections to network with their peers, build valuable relationships, share ideas, and find new products and services that can help grow their businesses. ToyConnections is quickly becoming an indispensible tool for anyone who wants to keep the pulse of the toy industry.”

- Joan Wyche, Registration and Buyer Relations Manager, Toy Industry Association, Inc.

“HIMSS uses ‘HIMSS Connect,’ to enable members to share insights and knowledge throughout the year. HIMSS Connect is especially helpful to members prior to and during HIMSS’ large national conference and exhibition, which draws over 29,000 attendees. A member may call for a connection with other members who have recently undergone a major software implementation, to share implementation strategies and lessons learned. Others use the tool on site to learn about job opportunities and career trends in other areas of the country.”

- Vish Kalambur, MCP, PMP, Senior Director of Software Applications Development, HIMSS

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There are many “soft” example of how the social web has brought benefits to businesses, but have you experienced solid, tangible benefits? Have you found a strategic partner via Facebook that brought in revenue or have you closed a sale through Twitter? Share you story in the comments.

image  james looker