Make It Seven Groundswell

It is pretty awesome how Jim Balsillie and his crew are creating a groundswell of support in their efforts to bring the Phoenix Coyotes NHL hockey team to Hamilton. There are over 22,000 fans on their Facebook page, 3000+ folks following each breath on Twitter and I think over 150,000 folks who have registered on their site.

I wonder whether this support will have any impact on the judge who will be rendering a decision this week. I suspect it could. The legal team can point to the fact that there is pent up demand and support for another hockey team in Southern Ontario. The proof is the number of fans, followers and registrants! He can see the vigilant commitment of hockey fans, sponsors and Balsillie himself to the City of Hamilton. In fact, he can enjoy watching a music video too!

I'm sure social media is creating an impact on Balsillies' chances, err...our chances of having a team in Hamilton. By the way mark June 19th on your calendar because that's Make It Seven Day across Canada.

Using Linkedin to listen and conduct research

Too Much Social Media?

In my journey to find things that matter when it comes to B2B marketing I find myself stretched thin when it comes to social media. I use Delicious, Twitter, Friendfeed and Facebook (a little). I get overwhelmed by the amount of noise but enamored with the potential social media represents. A vicious cycle no doubt. Having said that I'm starting to realize what matters to me.

First, social media starts with People and making meaningful connections with them

I do get a kick out of using these tools and connecting with people. These people, by the way you're one of them, are opening my mind and helping me see how social media can be used for business reasons.

Second, social media leverages online groups

This is the most interesting part of social media to me. In an earlier post I talked about how SBBUZZ is using Twitter to group people together to chat about small business and technology.

Another way that social media is "grouping" people is through the conducting of polls. On May 1st, a Linkedin Poll asked the question: "What is the most important new platform for brands to master?" To date over 2300 people have responded and 73 comments have been posted.

This is powerful! In Chapter 5 of Groundswell the authors talk about how social media can displace market research companies. Here's an example where that is taking place!

In summary

For me, social media is about connecting with people, learning from each other & sharing. It also can group people with similar interests to converse (like SSBUZZ is doing), vote and debate.

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Nine – Embracing the Groundswell

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part two (chapters 4-9) focus on tapping the groundswell. The authors provide advice and a strategic framework on how to do this.

Chapter 9: Embracing the groundswell

• CASE: Snausages (woof, woof)
• CASE: Credit Mutuel
• CASE:Salesforce.com
• CASE: Dell Ideastorm
• CASE: Loblaw

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Nine reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Video: Procter & Gamble VP Patrick Arlequeeuw talking about using innovation and embracing crowds to create the next $23B brand

This video is from September 2007 and it’s called “Blogging for Business”. This is a very interesting case study on how P&G is transforming itself from being a slow gigantic corporation to an innovative, responsive and collaborative organization.

What I learned:

1) If you reach a level where you can embrace your customers do it! You have willing participants who want to help you shape your company and your products and services.

2) Culture kills Groundswell initiatives and it will kill innovation. If you don’t encourage open communication, sharing and taking risk by putting your ideas “out there” then embracing is not for you.

3) That companies must have succession mechanisms in place in order to ensure their Groundswell program is sustainable. Your management team must be a “groundswell team” and champion all efforts. Don’t leave it to one person to champion. I’m starting to see that some of the companies case studied in the book haven’t continued with their Groundswell initiatives. Loblaws, Credit Mutael and Snausages are three examples in particular. This appears to be because the key Groundswell leader left.

4) Embrace people within your company as well as from the outside.

5) You will start to see interesting ideas evolve and natural cross collaboration begin to take place. People will start to connect the dots with ideas and thoughts that you’d never dreamed of seeing. This is where innovation really starts to come to life.

6) Make sure your online groundswell activities are tied to in real life ones. Case in point. I can rank Presidents Choice products online but when I go to their stores I don’t see any signage identifying their products as “Consumers Top Choice”. What I see instead is “Even Lower Prices”. What exactly is Loblaw positioning their Presidents Choice Product Line as?

Crowdsourced Ad

This 2007 Super Bowl video is mentioned in Groundswell. Doritos had a contest where the public could submit their ads in a contest. The winner would have their ad aired during the Super Bowl.

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Eight – Helping the groundswell support itself

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part two (chapters 4-9) focus on tapping the groundswell. The authors provide advice and a strategic framework on how to do this.

Chapter 8: Helping the groundswell support itself

• People supporting each other to cut costs
• CASE: Massachusetts General Hospital’s patient CarePages
• CASE: Dell saves with a support forum
• BOX: ROI of support forums
• CASE: BearingPoint’s MIKE2.0 wiki

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Eight reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Video: Dell: Answering Questions with Support Forums, Josh Bernoff

How one “critic” (using the Social Technographics Ladder) saved Dell $1M in support costs.

Feature Presentation: Augmenting your Technical Documentation with User-Generated Content, The Content Wrangler

Augmenting your Technical Documentation with User-Generated Content

View more presentations from Scott Abel.

Slides 18-21: Lesson 1-There’s no one best way to organization information
Slides 22-25: Lesson 2-Users don’t care where they get help from
Slides 26-27: Lesson 3-Users are not a homogeneous group of clones
Slides 28-33: Lesson 4-Users are talking about you right now!
Slides 34-39: Lesson 5-Consumers love video and increasingly expect it
Slides 40-44: Required reading

What I learned:
1) People care, want to connect and help
For you hard nosed right brained people who think that “feelings” and “emotion” have nothing to do with business….think again! Hard nosed analytics and logic are still needed but the human side of business relationships are no different then personal ones. There are people who want to help solve problems because it makes them feel good. Emotions matter and creating a community that cares not only helps your customers it can impact your bottom line.

If your Social Technographic Profile over indexes in the area of joiners and critics and you have a complex product/solution then it is quite possible people are already helping each other out in forums, groups and on message boards. You should find this out and decide how you want to participate.

2) Your company needs to invest resources
First you need to determine whether people are supporting themselves through various social media tools and services. This takes patience, time and money. You need to dedicate a person or group of people to find this out.

Second, once you’ve decided how you want to help the groundswell you need to make sure the community grows and is active. It CANNOT be left alone to run on auto pilot. If someone asks a question they expect it to be answered. Figure out ways to make sure comments get answered within a reasonable timeframe.

Don’t think the technology and community will look after itself. If you want comments on each product page for example and you have 6000 products that means you could have 6000 different pages with questions on them. Think it through. Scale is not just about technology it's also about resources (people, time and money) and your ability to deliver.

3) Make it easy for top reviewers/answer providers to be found
These folks are amazing! Reward them by thanking them for their contributions. Get to know them as people and as potential employees. Make it so they can be found through search on your site.

4) It’s about solving problems, creating connections and institutional intelligence
Whether you use forums, wikis or reviews the purpose is to provide a mechanism that solves customer problems while reducing your support costs. In doing so you are creating direct connections with people who use your products and services.

People who will contribute answers and value add content which is now accessible to all people inside and outside of your organization. Tacit intelligence is what’s in our heads. The greatest fear companies have today is when their talent leaves so does the intelligence they’ve gathered that's in their heads.

Institutional intelligence is different. Forums, wikis and other tools generate intelligence which can be stored and searched. It becomes your company’s brain so to speak. Now when talent leave you have less to worry about.

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Seven-Energizing the groundswell

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part two (chapters 4-9) focus on tapping the groundswell. The authors provide advice and a strategic framework on how to do this.

Chapter 7: Energizing the groundswell

• Helping your customers sell each other
• CASE: eBags creates luggage evangelists with ratings and reviews
• BOX: ROI of ratings and reviews
• CASE: Constant Contact drives referrals
• CASE: LEGO’s brand ambassador program and additional posts of interest

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Seven reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Video: Constant Contact: Creating B2B Communities, Josh Bernoff

Feature Presentation: Online Community Best Practices, Jeremiah K. Owyang

Online Community Best Practices Final

View more presentations from jeremiah_owyang. (tags: community online)

Slides 5-11: Start with an objective
Slides 12-20: Developing a plan
Slides 21-25: Getting your company ready
Slides 26-28: Staff you will need
Slides 29-31: How to pick a vendor
Slides 32-34: Kick-starting
Slides 35-41: Growing and maintaining
Slides 42-47: Widgets and Open Social
Slide 48: Recommendations

What I learned:
1) Word of mouth/mouse is critical when it comes to energizing your groundswell. If your customer base’s Social Technographics Profile over-indexes in the critics segment then you have a base of people who are high potential energizers. Remember, if you want to an energized base you’re going to have to let the chips fall where they may. So, if someone says your product sucks then swallow your pride and find out why IN THE community. Others may come to your rescue with other points of view. Reach out to people, especially the Jim Noble’s of the world who will provide you with authentic feedback and ideas. Hey, and they love to help and be heard.

2) Use energizing to help buyers reduce purchase risk and cognitive dissonance. eBags uses reviews as a way to get around a consumer not being able to touch and feel the bag in a retail store. This is essentially how eBay works in some respects.

3) B2B markets are fertile ground to establish a community and then as Captain Kirk would say “Energize” it. Why is that?

First, b2b buyers (especially those who evaluate and buy technology) have taken social media like a duck to water. They are using social media in their professional and personal lives.

Second, b2b buyers have a lot in common and they look for people who are in the same boat as they are. They need a place to bump into people who are and who have experienced the problems they are experiencing in their business. Online communities are a great place to bring these people with common interests together. If you’re a vendor selling stuff to these folks get involved but don’t be fake, don’t spam and don’t sell. Engage, encourage, listen, learn and figure out where and how to belong.

Third, if your a technology manufacturer or systems integrator, your buyers are looking for relevant content. The problem is that 58% of the time they can’t find it. Social media can help fill those gaps.

4) Whatever stage you are at in building your groundswell you must have commitment from the senior leaders in your company. They should take a long term view and realize that as you progress through the groundswell objectives (listening, talking, energizing, supporting and embracing) your potential risk increases as does the level of commitment. But, the potential reward does too!

How To Screencast: Using a blog and friendfeed for my Blook Report

I've produced this screencast to show you how I'm using this blog and friendfeed for my Blook Report on Groundswell. This is my first screencast so it isn't the quality I would like. I hope it is useful for you. Suggestions on improvement? Feel free to provide your feedback.

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Six-Talking with the groundswell

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part two (chapters 4-9) focus on tapping the groundswell. The authors provide advice and a strategic framework on how to do this.

Chapter 6: Talking with the groundswell

• Marketing is shouting; talking is a conversation
• CASE: Blendtec’s viral video
• CASE: Ernst & Young recruits with Facebook
• CASE: HP blogs tame marketing complexity
• ROI of blogging
• CASE: Procter & Gamble reaches out to young girls with beinggirl.com

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Six reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Video: How to have profitable conversations - blogging for business, yourBusinessChannel



0:20 Blogging creates conversations, creates credibility, content varies. Don't shout, don't tow the company line.
1:17 New to blogging? Learn from these "gurus". Lot's of good tips here. Don't shout. Tell a story and create conversations. Create content that is meaningful.
3:44 Importance engagement, being authentic and responsive.

What I learned:
1) The power of YouTube!
No experience in consumer marketing? No experience in producing television commercials? Neither did George Wright from Blendtec. When he saw how they tested their product by blending pieces of wood he knew that people had to see this! He thought, let's put the owner of the company in a lab coat and show him blending wood, dictionaries, iPhones, GPS devices etc. Let's make it a bit "campy" and throw it up on YouTube! Tom, the owner, embraced this idea! He didn't run from it. That's probably the most amazing part of this story. The leader got involved and embraced the idea.

2) Shouting vs. Talking
Broadcasting your message as loud as you can and to as many people as possible is shouting. Talking creates conversation. Conversations, at the least the good ones, are meaningful exchanges of information. You're not on a stage blurting out rhetoric. You're amongst a group of people engaging in dialogue. The key, is to create and share content through social media and participate in open and honest conversations.

3) Committment
If you want to engage in conversation through social media you must be committed for the long term. Your company must be committed to it. What does this mean? It means committing resources (people, money and time) permanently. It means culturally and strategically embracing social media as a channel to communicate, share and converse. And be open.

4) You may be surprised!
Be prepared to experiment and accept that as you begin talking and the groundswell begins to grow it will likely evolve into something you never expected. This is a good thing! Let it happen. Remain open, honest AND committed to making your social media experience rewarding for you and your customers.

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Five-Listening to the groundswell

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part two (chapters 4-9) focus on tapping the groundswell. The authors provide advice and a strategic framework on how to do this.

Chapter 5: Listening to the groundswell

• Market research vs. groundswell insights
• CASE: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center listens to cancer patients in a private community
• CASE: MINI USA uses brand monitoring, then markets to owners

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Five reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Presentation: The Conversation-An Introduction to Social Media, Tactica Interactive Communications

The Conversation: An Introduction to Social Media

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Slides 1-16: Social media defined, some Canadian Demographics (these folks are from wintery Winnipeg)
Slides 17-28: Ten keys to Social Media Success
Slides 29-60: Social Media Tools and Do's and Don'ts for each (great content)
Slides 61-76: Social Media Myths
Slides 77-78: Three take away messages (not sure I agree with this them, do you?)
Slides 79-81: Useful resources and credits

Feature Video: Groundswell Business Objectives-Listening, Josh Beroff
More Groundswell videos here.


:14 What is listening in the Groundswell and how do you do this?
2:30 What Cancer Treatment Centers learned from patient community. Not something they expected to hear...family doctors matter when it comes to referrals.

What I learned:
1) This may sound repetitive, but know where there are potential and existing groundswells for your industry and company.
Don't rush into things until you've got a handle on where and how people are talking about your industry and your company. Determine what the Social Technographics Profile is for your product, company and industry (This is covered in Chapter Three of the book and here).

2) Listening is a new and maybe better way to conduct market research
This could be controversial! For those companies spending money on traditional market research (focus groups, qualitative and quantitative surveys and interviews, polls etc.) social media may be a viable alternative. For those small to medium sized businesses that conduct little to no research (there are many), social media can be a cost effective (no, not free) way to listen and learn from your market.

3) Listening is about insight and learning
Listening is not about collecting data! It is about gaining an in-depth understanding and knowledge about your market, your customers and whoever else chooses to use and talk (or not talk) about your brand. People may not be directly talking about you or your brand, but it is probable they are talking about things that are relevant to your market.

4) Listening is the first step to change
The group that champions listening and social media in your organization should be listened to and supported by the leaders (at the very least) within it. Take them seriously! This team of listeners will bring insight, ideas and recommendations that will likely influence strategic direction and decisions. If the leadership team is not prepared to listen and take this seriously then don't bother starting. Tell them to put their heads in the sand and pretend that everything will go away.


5) Monitoring and Communities are the two primary ways to listen
The social media demographics for your industry, geography and the age of your buyers will help determine where and how you should listen. Monitoring is one option where you use tools and/or services to collect and rank conversations that matter. Communities of special interest can help you understand and converse with key people with similar interests, problems and needs. This can be useful where there is some void or barrier for people to connect.

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Four-Strategies for tapping the groundswell

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part two (chapters 4-9) focus on tapping the groundswell. The authors provide advice and a strategic framework on how to do this.

Chapter 4: Strategies for tapping the groundswell

• The POST method: people, objectives, strategy, technologies
  
• The five objectives: listening, talking, energizing, supporting, embracing

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Four reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Presentation: Presentation on Groundswell POST Process, Barbara Nixon

Groundswell POST Process

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Slide 2: Corporate adoption of Web 2.0 technologies, 2008
Slide 3: Web 2.0 Approach-Avoidance syndrome symptons
Slide 10: The POST framework or four step approach to the groundswell
Slide 12: Functional roles in your company and how they align with five groundswell objectives
Slides 13-23: Case studies
Slide 24: ROI of an Executive Blog
Slide 25: Keys to success

Feature Video: Groundswell Business Strategies, Josh Beroff
More Groundswell videos here.


:25 It is time for companies to get involved in the groundswell
:55 Four step approach to getting involved. Key is to do these steps in the right order. Don't start with technology.
2:00 Josh sounds a bit like a pirate (argh)
2:15 A long moment of silence. Not knowing objectives is a sign you're not ready
2:40 Five objectives. Josh covers the "Listening" objective with a real world case study about MD Anderson

What I learned:
1) Follow the four step planning process
Don't rush into things because your competition has started a blog, a Facebook fan page or a product ratings site. Follow the POST process and stay curious about what customers are ready to do online and what objectives you want to accomplish for your company. On page 67 the authors walk you through the POST process in detail providing you with key questions to ask yourself to help you shape your groundswell initiative.
2) Your Groundswell objectives must align with your corporate objectives
Review the five primary groundswell objectives currently being used by companies. Understand what each objective can do for your company and consider the following. You'll need executive sponsorhip and buyin from the key business leader(s) within the company. They'll need to see that the groundswell objective align with the broader company objectives and most likely its culture (mission and values). Create integration points with key business functional areas (sales, marketing, admin, operations etc) and processes.
3) Start small, do it fast, listen, learn and be prepared to adjust...but stay committed
Wow! Once objectives have been established try something that is simple, that can be measured and be patient. Be prepared to make mistakes, listen, learn and adjust. Remain committed to the groundswell process and recognize that it is hard to predict what will happen. Remain open minded and see where the groundswell will take you. Remain authentic, honest and involved in the groundswell.

Additional Articles that may be of interest:
Groundswell strategy and the social media, Businessworld Online (Dec 2008)
Latest Forrester Report Provides A POST Up Strategy For Firms To Tap Into Social Media (B2B focus), Demand Generation Report (Dec 2008)

Groundswell Blook Report:Chapter Three-The Social Technographics Profile

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part one (chapters 1-3) focuses on understanding the groundswell.
Chapter 3. The Social Technographics® Profile

• Defines a data tool for analyzing social behavior of any group of customers
• CASE: A community for alpha moms
• Data and analysis for six examples: Gen Y, Japan/PC, politics, retail, seniors, health care

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Three reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Presentation: Social Technographics Explained, Josh Bernoff

Social Technographics Explained

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Feature Video: Social Technologies-Your Customers Are Revolting, Charlene Li




1:10 - People move up and down the ladder and assume various roles in the Groundswell. They perform multiple roles depending on things like topic, interest and industry.
1:45 - Roles in the Groundswell: Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners, Spectators and Inactives.
3:25 - Why classifications?
3:50 - Case study: Alpha Moms. Using POST strategy to determine how best to engage with Alpha Moms. The key is to look to see where they over index. Target Critics, Collectors and Spectators.
7:15 - Embracing customers when they are revolting against your brand. What you can do. The "GM Insiders" example.
8:42 - Customers ignoring your messages. The GoDaddy example.

What I learned:
1) Know what your customers do online.
Find out how your customers are participating in the groundswell. Understand the roles they play in groundswell. Where are they on the Social Technographics ladder? What percentage are creators vs. critics? Joiners vs. spectators? Understand this because it tells you where to play in the groundswell.

2) Look for the "Over Index"
The Social Technographic Profile ladder consists of six different types of groups. Once you find out where your customers are (or aren't) playing in the groundswell focus on where the "swell" is in your market. This is done by looking for the groups that "over index". If more people in your market are joiners then the national average then focus on them... don't create a community where joiners can blog and upload content...because the won't.

3) The Groundswell is about human psychology & sociology
People want to connect with others who have similar problems, goals and ideas. They want to reach and relate with like minded people. Some want to lead, some want to help, some want to share and some want to watch.

Groundswell Blook Report: Chapter Two-Jujitsu and the technologies of the groundswell

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part one (chapters 1-3) focuses on understanding the groundswell. The authors ask and answer the questions why the groundswell and why now?

Chapter 2. Jujitsu and the technologies of the groundswell

• Concentrating on the trend, not the technologies
• Jujitsu: turn the groundswell to your advantage
• Description of all social technologies with data on usage around the world

FriendFeed Room: Chapter Two reference links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Presentation: Marta Z. Kagen's presentation. Here's Marta's profile.

What The F**K is Social Media?

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: socialmediamarketing marketing)

Reason #1: Social Media is Mainstream!
Slide 2 & 3: Social Media defined
Slides 7 to 16: Social media demographics and stats
Slides 17 to 24: Traditional marketing communications isn't working
Reason #2: Trust!
Slides 25 to 30: Trust comes from other consumers in the form of recommendations and dialogue
Reason #3: Brand Talk!
Slides 32 to 34: I'm not sold on these stats. Suffice to say, some brands are being blogged about.
Reason #4 & 5: More adoption/Future customers
Slides 36 to 44: Predicted adoption trends, demographics and buying power of digital natives
What to do?: Slides 45 on.

Top Five Things I learned:
1) Does this Groundswell thing fit with you and your company?
The first thing to think about is whether creating a groundswell is possible or not. There are many things to consider. First, how open is management to the idea of engaging online? Do they understand FULLY what this means? Second, do your customers engage in social media activities now and if so how would it make sense for them to engage with you? Third, can you provide something of meaningful value to your customers that also legitimately ties and relates to what you offer?

2) It takes knowledge, time, skills, experience and commitment.
If you're willing to take the plunge into the groundswell a company needs to realize that "getting into" social media is not a fringe project. It's a conscious decision to change the way you engage with customers, prospects and other stakeholders. The management team of your company need to become engaged themselves in social media (chances are that they are not). Leaders lead by example. They need to become knowledgeable, commit their time, build their own skills and experience social media. One way to do this is find a few 20 something employees and have them teach, mentor and potentially lead management in this area.

3) Start slow and focus first on listening and learning
Don't rush into this. Establish a listening and learning strategy first. Chances are that groundswells already exist or are developing somewhere in your industry and the industries that your customers serve. It could be that your best social media bet is in the industries that your customers are in and not your own. Be sure to invest time and effort focused on learning, listening and sharing. Don't run out and start a blog, a community or a Facebook Fan page tomorrow.

4) This is still very new - we are all learning and there are no experts
We are all new at this and we are learning as we go. We are making mistakes and taking risks. This creates uneasiness with companies that don't like uncertainty, need to justify cost and want to control the message and the brand. There is social media roadkill out there including: Walmart, Motrin & Pepsi. There are social media "successes" that are dubious at best. I thank these companies for taking these risks. They are learning opportunities for all of us.

5) Content, Community, Capacity!
There is an emerging theme I'm starting to notice as I study social media. Content is being created at an accelerated rate. Communities are being formed every minute. People are connecting through Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook etc. The information firehose is starting to gush! We now have inboxes for email, tweets and RSS feeds! There is now an abundent supply of information, access to people who want to help and share. What we now must do is think about how we can use the information, the people and the tools to be productive and deliver value.

Groundswell Blook Report: Chapter One-Why the Groundswell and why now?

Groundswell is broken down into three parts. Part one (chapters 1-3) focuses on understanding the groundswell. The authors ask and answer the questions why the groundswell and why now?

FriendFeed Room: Chapter One references links and case studies from the book. Join the room and start a conversation.

Feature Video: Rodney Rumford of FaceReviews, Interviews Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (note: works in Firefox but not Internet Explorer)



Video Timeshift Timeline
o:39 Why read Groundswell?
1:04 The P.O.S.T framework for creating your Groundswell strategy
1:33 Where the name Groundswell came from
2:42 Eating their own dogfood. Online tools used to support book
4:17 "Hey CMOs and Brand Managers. Wake up you have no control!"
5:50 Are companies listening for and to the groundswell? One example: H&R Block using Twitter to listen
7:30 Execs need to do more then ask what social media and networks are. Get involved!
7:58 Final words of wisdom

Top Five Things I learned:
1) Online communities can be powerful and do create change. Leaders like Kevin Rose, who on May 1/07, bet the farm when faced with legal consequences by putting faith in his community of enthusiasts who felt that Digg (and by extension them) should not be censored by anyone. This "act of community" is just one of many that have and are taking place now. People will talk about your company, the message they deliver will be theirs and they will weigh in on your decisions. In some cases they will influence your decisions..sometimes they will change them!

2) Things are the same AND different. People depend and draw strength from each other. Strength is created in numbers. There is a need to create community but in the real world it is hard to find people with similar interests. The internet, with social media networks and services, is making it cheap and easy for people to find, create and support communities of common interests and causes. The natural need for humans to group and converse is being enabled by the social media and online networks. These online communities are now manifesting themselves into IRL (in real life) events such as "Meetups" and "Twitups".

3) Businesses can be built online using shoestring budgets. Guy Kawasaki's site Truemors cost under $13K to launch. If this is not a positive sign given the recession I don't know what is! Online entrepreneurs can launch businesses fast and economically. Whether you are an independent professional or General Motors take heed and learn how to be this way!

4) The two most unlikely things are happening in the blogosphere! Many, but not all, big companies are ignoring or afraid of social media. Many, but not all, "older folks" just don't get blogging and all that "web 2.0" stuff. Bob Lutz the vice chairman of GM started blogging, in 2005, to establish a human side to GM. Bob is in his seventies! Big business is blogging and us older folks are leading the charge along with the younger folks like Kevin Rose. In fact GM is using their blog to engage with car enthusiasts and from time to time will use it to address erroneous and inaccurate statements made by automobile journalists.

5) Groundswells are or will be created around you. The book defines a groundswell as:

A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from
each other, rather than from institutions like corporations.

The smart companies will embrace this phenomena because people will be sharing stories about their brand whether they be positive or negative. Learn with your customers and from the community.

Blook Report: Groundswell

Over the next few months (may be longer, I'm doing this in my spare time) I'm going to be producing an in-depth blog report on the book "Groundswell" researched and written by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.

The book is broken into three parts:

Part 1: Understanding the Groundswell
Part 2: Tapping the Groundswell
Part 3: The Groundswell Transforms

Here is the table of contents.

I'm an avid reader of business books and love to learn. I read so many books, blogs, magazines and now tweets; I sometimes wonder how much I actually remember and retain! Having access to so much information is a good problem to have. We can now become subject matter experts because there is no shortage of content and people wanting to help educate you.

Yet, the problem remains the same. How can I retain and remember the many things I read each day? When I read "the" business book of the year, how will I remember what I read; let alone apply it to my business?

These questions led me to come up with the idea of producing what I call a "blook report". My goal is to use social media to the extent possible to add life to the text you read in the book. You'll need to buy the book in order to follow along (I'm not being paid to do this blook report or say this).

So what does a blook report include? At this point I focus on three things:

• First, providing a summary blog post for each chapter on the key points that I think are important. I may relate them to personal experiences also

• Each blog post will have a featured picture, video and links that lift the words off of the text to help build context and meaning behind the key concepts being covered in the chapter

• and finally, there will be a series of supportive links located in a Friendfeed room where the the authors have made reference to real world examples, case studies etc

So why am I doing this? First, I am avid learner and will use this blook report as a reference tool when helping companies with their b2b programs. Second, it may help you do the same thing for your clients or your company. Third, it's a social media/groundswell experiment.

Stay tuned to this post for updates.

PART ONE: Understanding the Groundswell
Chapter One: Why the groundswell and why now?
Chapter Two: Jujitsu and the technologies of groundswell
Chapter Three: The social technographics profile

PART TWO: Tapping the groundswell
Chapter Four: Strategies for tapping the groundswell
Chapter Five: Listening to the groundswell
Chapter Six: Talking with the groundswell
Chapter Seven: Energizing the groundswell
Chapter Eight: Helping the groundswell support itself
Chapter Nine: Embracing the groundswell