Making sense of social media: An overview of the 2009 CCM Annual Conference

After Anthony Williams’ excellent presentation on Wednesday night, I heard several people mention it was, “Like drinking from a fire hose.” So I thought it might be helpful to offer some context for CCM members who are wrestling with what social media is and how it might fit into their communication strategies.

Read more…
(Post by John Sawyer, CCM member and Chief Strategy Officer, Grey Matter Group)

Vision from Aspen: Anthony Williams’s keynote address

Anthony Williams led off the 2009 CCM Annual Conference in Aspen with a rousing and eye-opening survey of “Enterprise 2.0″ titled: Enhancing Collaboration in Your Organization. Williams is co-author with Don Tapscott of Wikinomics: Exploring How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything.

I volunteered to Twitter and live blog the opening keynote because way back in 1996-99, when the Internet was still a novel word, I interviewed six gurus including Williams’ co-author, Don Tapscott (read Digital Dad), for The Civilization of Cyberspace series that appeared in IABC’s Communication World magazine.

It was amazing and gratifying to hear Williams recite all the ways the Internet is transforming business, healthcare, education, government, entertainment … everything … just as the six gurus I interviewed had predicted ten years ago.

Read more…

Post by John Gerstner – President, Communitelligence, Inc. and CCM Board member

Are inmates running the asylum?

Ok, I’m being a bit cheeky with this question, but I know you’ve also heard leaders, IT, HR, and communications professionals express their concerns about social media, and you have to wonder if this is their vision. Yesterday I joined fellow senior communication professionals for Shel Holtz’s pre-conference “Social Media for Communication Leaders” workshop. Because it was an intro to social media, Shel ran through the necessary set-up statistics: current user demographics; projected growth of online population; research findings from McKinsey, Forrester, Gartner, and Aberdeen (to name a few). I’m not going to go into these as a little Google leg-work will get you all this information and more. Instead, let’s go to the heart of it—there is no central source for information anymore so forget about controlling the message.

To many, this can induce great gobs of fear. Basically, to digest the idea that it’s an illusion that you control the message requires a big shift in communications thinking. Not that it really should. As Shel pointed out, one root meaning of communication—communicare—means “to make common to many, to share, to participate.” If you can subscribe to this notion, it’s not a stretch to say it’s a communicator’s role to build the frameworks that allow for sharing and participation, not to distribute information.

In my experience, organizations have more readily adopted social media for external use. And frankly, I’m not surprised. The customer is king after all and their feedback and input is deeply-valued. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case with internal customers and our best brand ambassadors, employees. Who hasn’t experienced a leader or client saying they aren’t interested in employee listening because all you hear are “complaints”? We should be jumping at the chance to harness social media internally. Organizations that have see improved productivity, increased retention, higher engagement. As one example, Best Buy saw a drop in turnover from 75% to 8% in those coworkers who participated in their blueshirtnation.com. They also saw a 40% increase in 401(k) enrollment after turning over the communications campaign to employees via an employee video contest on “why I participate.”

With figures like these, I say turn the inmates loose.

Note: Statistics are taken directly from the workshop. Materials will be made available soon.

fran melmed
principal/founder, context communication consulting llc
CCM board member

Twitter and Blogging Commence!

Your blogging and Twitter team is gearing up for a great conference. Look on the right side of this page for links to the entire group on Twitter. If you use Twitter you can follow them all. There is also a link to the stream of Twitter conversation that includes our hashtag #CCM09.

Finally, you’ll see some team members blogging right here about the conference and sessions. Several others are blogging on their own blogs, so we’ve given you links to their blogs too. Watch here for new posts, and use the links to see what everyone’s talking about!

Have a great conference!

Twittering from conference? These resources might help.

If you are new to Twitter, these links can help you quickly get up-to-speed on the what, why, and how! Remember, everything is perspective so use these resources to inform you, not dictate to you. Please add valuable links that you find, and we’ll keep updating our list. If you decide to tweet from conference, please add “#CCM09″ to your tweets. It will help us find one another using Twitter’s search.

1. How to demo Twitter (Guy Kawasaki): http://tinyurl.com/cp65a3. Reasons to Twitter, with links to case study examples from companies and individuals. Also includes applications for using Twitter and other interesting user resources.

2. Getting started on Twitter: A 5-step guide for professional communicators (ION Digital): http://tinyurl.com/dgs7nr. Simple intro that helps you plot your purpose for using Twitter, then get started.

3. The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter (Webdesigner Depot): http://tinyurl.com/djnho6. Just as it sounds, a full guide on everything Twitter.

4. Twitter FAQ (Brent Ozar): http://tinyurl.com/6cula7. Provides info on Twitter terminology, etiquette, and how-tos.

5. 17 ways to use Twitter for business and some not (Duct Tape Marketing): http://tinyurl.com/b9nnsu

6. Web strategy: the evolution of brands on Twitter (Web Strategy, Jeremiah Owyang): http://tinyurl.com/65h88a. Employee of Forrester Research and known expert in field of social media, he walks you through how to think about and implement a Twitter strategy for your brand.

7. The rise of the C-tweet (Advertising Age): http://tinyurl.com/dkpjj3. Tweeting CEOs. Who’s doing it? Why? How to help yours get started.

8. If you’re going to tweet from a conference (Direct Marketing Observations):  http://tinyurl.com/cwjdyf. Tips to consider for live-tweeting during conference.

9. How to present while people are twittering (Pistachio): http://tinyurl.com/ckc493. Benefits of twittering during conference sessions.

10. Twitter (SMUG, Social Media University, Global): http://tinyurl.com/75stml. Everything from an intro to Twitter to how to use different applications and how to listen with Twitter, it’s all here.

Greg Dobbs remembers broadcaster Paul Harvey

Greg Dobbs, one of our speakers remembered legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey’s passing on March 14.  Early in his career, Greg worked with Paul.

You can read Greg’s post at:  http://www.boomercafe.com/

Last Chance for Discounted CCM Conference Registration

Save $200 off the regular price of a 2009 Conference registration if you register and pay before March 16, 2009.

This deal is good for both CCM members and non-members.
• CCM members will receive a rate of $1150 USD per person vs. the standard rate of $1350.
• Non-members will receive a rate of $1450 USD per person vs. the standard rate of $1650.

It only takes a moment to register online with your credit card. Just go to: CCM 2009 Conference Registration

CCM’s 2009 Conference runs April 29 thru May 1, 2009. For more information about our Keynote speaker, Aspen Conference location, and more, go to: CCM 2009 Aspen Conference

See CCMConnection.com for more information about CCM.

Pre-conference workshop April 29 – “Social Media for Communication Leaders”

LIMITED TIME $99 per person

“SOCIAL MEDIA FOR COMMUNICATION LEADERS” workshop

DATE: Wednesday, April 29

WORKSHOP LEADER: Shel Holtz, ABC

TIME: Lunch at the Aspen Institute Cafe, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm; Workshop, 12:30 – 3:00 pm

LOCATION: The Aspen Institute, 1000 North Third Street, Aspen, Colorado
(Just a short walk or bus ride from the St. Regis Resort)

REDUCED ~ FEE: $99 per person
(To cover CCM’s cost for facilities.)

Advance sign-up for the workshop is required. If you have already registered for the conference, you must register for the workshop separately, either online or by contacting Fred Droz at fred.droz@ccmconnection.com. Deadline for the special pricing is March 14.

NEW – Day Rates for residents of Colorado and surrounding states

If you live locally and can’t make it to Aspen for all three days of the Annual Conference…

If you know a communicator in the Denver area who wants to know more about CCM…

Get a taste of CCM’s unique networking and learning programs using our newly introduced Daily Rates. They allow non-members to try CCM on for size by attending a day or two of the 2009 Annual Conference. And it allows members with limited budgets or travel time to attend for a shorter period of time.

Here’s the scoop:
• Daily Rates are available to both CCM members and non-members
• Daily Rates are available only to permanent residents of Colorado and bordering states (Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska, Arizona, Kansas and Oklahoma).

Please share this opportunity with your communications colleagues in the eligible states and let them know about this economical way to discover what CCM can offer!

DAILY RATES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
$250 USD per person
Pre-Conference Workshop “Social Media for Communications Leaders”
Keynote Address
Welcome Reception

THURSDAY, APRIL 30
$450 USD per person
Breakfast
General Sessions: Leading & Influencing Change
Lunch: Recruiters’ Outlook
Dine-Around Participation (meal cost is not included)
Evening Networking

FRIDAY, MAY 1
$450 USD per person
Breakfast
General Sessions: Global Communications
Lunch: Best Practices in Leadership
Farewell Event
Evening Networking

To register for a Daily Rate, please contact the CCM Administration office:
Toll Free:  1-866-463-6226  (9:00am – 5:00pm Pacific, Mon – Fri)
Email:   fred.droz@ccmconnection.com

Airport shuttle service to Aspen

by Beth S, 2009 Conference Chair

Just discovered this information about Colorado Mountain Express shuttles from airports in Colorado to outlying towns, including the Aspen/Snowmass area.

Check their website for more information:

http://www.ridecme.com/

or call toll free: 800-525-6363.

Please post your comments here and let others know what information you find out when you contact this service.