Communications – Make Technology Work for You

I have always thought of myself as a ‘modern’ businessman, someone who kept up with the latest technologies and trends. But, admittedly, I resisted such trends as Facebook and Twitter. I just didn’t see how they were applicable to business or academia. Then, while attending a seminar in Dallas, those of us in the audience were encouraged to use Twitter to send comments and questions to the speaker, as he or she was presenting. Before leaving the stage, each speaker would answer questions that had been compiled during the presentation. More recently, I read an article in Time entitled, How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live¹, in which the author discussed the use of Twitter in an academic setting where each ‘tweet,’ or post, was displayed on the overhead during the presentation. The Twitter conversation ended up reaching people outside the lecture hall and continued on for weeks after the actual presentation ended. I was sold.

We saw last year how social networking sights like Facebook and MySpace helped, then Candidate Obama, build a grassroots movement and win an election. We’ve seen news agencies such as CNN, Fox, or MSNBC use blogs to deliver information and gather viewer opinions. They even rely on pictures and videos from viewers’ cell phones to report information. And recently, the world has been following the social unrest in Iran, through YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

These various technologies can be used for very practical business purposes, even though they were originally intended for other purposes. So the question is “How will you use technology to strengthen your business?”

The answer will vary based on your type of business, but I have a few suggestions listed below:

1. Create an online ‘social’ network within your company.

An online network will help your employees communicate across various departments and locations. They can post best practices to share with fellow employees or ask questions on the network to which others can respond. They can even post pictures of work-related events to boost moral. If your network has audio or video, you can post recordings of staff meetings in addition to meeting notes.

2. Send alerts to your team via Text Messaging.

Text messaging can be a quick and easy way to let your employees know that a staff meeting has been rescheduled or that the CEO is making a surprise visit to the office.

3. Create a series of YouTube videos demonstrating the use of your product.

This will provide instruction for those who already own your product and it may also generate interest among those who happen to stumble upon your video. Which leads to my next point…

4. Use the Internet to promote your product.

Tools such as stumbleupon.com or digg.com are great resources to promote your product. They scan the Internet and present users with recommended websites based on their interests. If a user finds your website interesting, they may recommend it to others. With millions of users each, stumbleupon.com and digg.com reach a lot of potential customers.

5. Use the Internet to promote yourself.

LinkedIn is an online networking service that allows members to connect with colleagues, classmates and friends. It is focused on professionals and provides access to professional communities and alumni associations. It is also a great way to list your accomplishments and promote yourself.

Almost any technology can provide a great advantage, even if it seems geared to personal use. Like me, you may not see it at first, but I’m sure that once you’ve tried Twitter to enhance your meetings or created an inner-office social network, you’ll be sold.

Final Thought

I’ve included hyperlinks to the various resources discussed above. I encourage you to click on a few and explore them for yourself. Chances are that you will find one or two that will help make your company more StrategyDriven.

Reference

1. Johnson, Steve. “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live.” Time. 5 June 2009. 20 June 2009

Lucas D. Ives is a training consultant at Verizon Wireless and a StrategyDriven contributor. A dynamic facilitator, he excels at creating and delivering captivating training focused on the business professional. To read Lucas’s complete biography, click here.

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