A social opportunity was knocking but it was hard to hear, buried under thick layers of social noise and harder to reach by the right people with the right message. Cisco knew customers wanted to engage and were using social media tools to ask questions and share about products and services. But knowing what people were saying about Cisco and their purpose for saying it, required a strategy that met both needs.
Cisco assembled a team that would listen for and support a customer from their first social media post through the entire engagement. Members of Social Listening, Global Contact Center and Virtual Sales teams all met to discuss what it meant to develop and nurture a social channel.
The team’s initial instincts were right. Customers do use social media to research products and just as critically they use it to purchase. Research from the IBM Institute for Business Value analysis – CRM Study 2011 illustrates the potential and possibility of meeting customer expectations.
As the year is drawing to a close, I like to reflect on the friendships and professional relationships I have built and nurtured over the year. There are many people and organizations that come to mind and it would be too long to list them all. Let’s just say, it’s been a wonderful year and I cherish all of these relationships. For my last blog post of the year, I want to spend a few minutes to introduce you all to a friend whom I met 2 years ago in a professional capacity, and our professional relationship has blossomed into a friendship over the course of this year. Natascha Thomson (@nathomson) is a fellow social media practitioner and a fellow yogini (an added benefit in my book ). How do I know Natascha? Well, we met on Twitter…
Natascha has started several social media groups in the Silicon Valley and you may have seen her passionately giving social media tips in this video collage. Just last month, she published her first book, 42 Rules for B2B Social Media Marketing, she co-authored with other social media practitioners. This book is a collection of hands-on social media marketing tips and real-life examples you can act upon right away. I had a chance to (virtually) sit down with Natascha to learn more about this new book. Read More »
I hear so much lately about innovation with virtually every company claiming that they are innovative. Is that really true, or is it yet another over used buzz word that has no substance? I personally see little true innovation, just claims of being innovative (who would say otherwise, right?). One way to determine if innovative is actually taking place is to ask yourself a few questions:
Are you scared (just a bit)?
Do you have more skeptics than advocates?
If you fail, are there repercussions?
How do you define failure?
How much permission did you need to execute?
I especially like the skeptics vs. advocates question. It directly correlates to a safe zone that is easy to fall into. It’s where little innovation can take place -- a black hole. Some of the best outcomes have occurred when there were few supporters (until it succeeded). Read More »
Here is something fun you can do today with your smart phone or tablet. It’s an app that brings the Internet of Things alive from a newspaper or screen.
How to get it:
1. First, go grab a copy of today’s global Wall Street Journal and find the Cisco TOMORROW Starts Here ad, which is in the center of section A. ( From your computer, you can also print or view a copy of the ad.)
Listening is our “North Star” and here at Cisco we are using insights from social listening to help guide and inform our social media strategy and enable meaningful engagements with our customers.
Thanks to everyone who joined us on October 24th for the launch of our new Social Media Listening Center in the Executive Briefing Center. Here are highlights from that event.
“This is the future of how customers engage with companies
going forward, regardless of your industry”
Blair Christie, CMO
Highlights
We had 60+ attendees that included technology analysts and influencers, 500+ views of the Facebook video stream, and 750+ online conversations related to this event. Attendees learned about the new listening center and how Cisco listens and engages with customers. Read More »
). How do I know Natascha? Well, we met on Twitter…
