Matrix Group International

Category: Blog

  • Getting Started with a Facebook Page For Your Organization – Part 1

    Getting Started with a Facebook Page For Your Organization – Part 1

    facebookAfter last week’s webinar on “Creating a Social Networking Strategy For Your Organization,” clients and attendees asked me how they should get started with social networking. It can be a daunting task when you consider all the platforms, and the additional work needed to keep the pages populated.  A simple way to get started is to create a Facebook for your organization or company.

    • They’re called Business Pages on Facebook and they need to be connected to an individual profile.  Click on Create a Page for My Business at the bottom of a company page.  I recommend selecting Category = Brand or Product, then select Professional Service.  Choosing this category will let you enter the year the organization was founded, as well as provide an overview, mission and product information.  If you choose other categories, you are likely to only be able to enter the hours of operation and a URL.  And once you choose a category, you can’t undo it!  Thankfully, if you make a mistake, you can just not publish the page or delete it.
    • I recommend uploading a company logo to dress up your page. Gif images don’t display properly, so upload a jpg instead.  The logo on the Matrix Group Facebook page is 720 x 720 pixels.
    • Facebook lets you write on your wall, enter notes, post events, upload photos and videos, even host discussions.  But here’s the challenge: chances are, you’re probably already entering this same information elsewhere (e.g., on your Web site, on YouTube, etc.).  So the trick  is to use one of the zillions of Facebook apps to integrate your Facebook page with other sites. For example, we use MyFlickr to automatically bring in photos from the Matrix Group Flickr page into our Facebook page.  Just know that these third party apps can be a little flaky and there is little support should you run into trouble. (more…)
  • Your Social Networking Strategy Doesn’t Have to Include the Kitchen Sink

    Your Social Networking Strategy Doesn’t Have to Include the Kitchen Sink

    Social NetworksBy popular demand and client request, I conducted a webinar on Tuesday with esteemed Project Manager Cat Lee from Matrix Group on “Creating a Social Networking Strategy (SN) for Your Organization.” Why do a webinar on a topic that is already getting a lot of coverage?  Our reasons:  Clients are looking for help, they want to know why and how to set up their social networking toolbox, and they’re looking for best practices on ways to use SN to help them achieve their overall goals.

    The key take aways from the webinar were the following:

    • The social networking services (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) complement the social networking that non-profits and associations have been offering to their members for years through meetings, e-mail discussions and bulletin boards.
    • It’s no longer enough to have a communications strategy that includes a Web site, e-mail, direct mail and newsletters. Customers, members and staff alike are craving, indeed demanding, engagement and conversation.
    • Every organization needs, at the very least, a listening strategy so that you know what is being said about you, your organization and industry; you are aware of the conversations taking place between members; and you get a sense of the most pressing issues of the day for your field.
    • We organize the SN universe into the following platforms: networking sites; friend networks; broadcasting (with conversation); rating and recommender sytems; sharing systems; and SN community platforms.
    • Social networks are reaching close to 50% of all active Web users and 3 of the top 5 sites in the US (MySpace, YouTube and Facebook) are SN sites.
    • You can use SN to recruit staff, raise money, provide thought leadership, engage members in conversation, provide customer service, promote meetings and events, and extend the learning and networking of events.

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  • Keeping Track of Company Mentions on the Web

    When I’m researching a product, I go to the Web. When I’m looking to hire a candidate, I go to the Web. All day long, I’m running searches in Google and other search engines. So it only stands to reason that customers, prospective customers and prospective staff are likely running Google searches on my company, Matrix Group. And when they do, what do they find?

    Some call it ORM – Online Reputation Management – or the art of managing how you and your company are perceived online.  ORM starts with tracking mentions of your company on the Web, anywhere on the Web, in every nook and cranny.  So how do you that?  There are tools and services, but I like:

    • Google Alerts.  Google lets you create e-mail alerts for keywords and phrases.  Every time Google indexes a new page with your keyword or phrase, you get an e-mail.
    • Of course, you should also be checking how your company shows up in the main Google search and the Google blog search.
    • Twitter search.  This is a real-time search of Twitter posts that Google doesn’t necessarily index and certainly not fast enough.  You can even create an RSS feed out of specific searches.

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  • Stalking Chris Sacca (Formerly of Google) via FriendFeed

    Stalking Chris Sacca (Formerly of Google) via FriendFeed

    friendfeedLast week, I had the pleasure of attending a keynote session by Chris Sacca, former Head of Special Initiatives at Google, during the ASAE Technology Conference.  Boy was it fun to hear about what it’s like to work at Google, Google’s core values, the perks, and the future of search.  I was so inspired by Chris’ words that I decided to follow him on FriendFeed.  I’m relatively new to FriendFeed, but it feels like I’m stalking Chris Sacca. I can now follow this guy’s tracks as he views, posts, comments, and bookmarks across the Web.  Do I really want all this information about one person?  Even for me, this is starting to feel like TMI (too much information).

    But first, let me tell you about Chris’ speech, which was terrific.  Among the things he talked about:

    • What is Google’s secret sauce? Chris says that Google has become a powerhouse because they take really talented engineers, present them with really big problems, and then give them lots of computing power to solve those problems.
    • The 20% Rule. Evidently, everyone at Google can allocate 20% of their time to whatever they want, so long as: they log their actiivities in the projects database and they present their work to their peers every few weeks.  If a project is deemed worthy, the responsible staff will be given more staff time and computers.
    • You only get laughed at when your ideas are too small. Google leaders Eric Schmidt, Sergey Brin and Larry Page want all Google staff to think big and use their brains and computers to solve really big problems.
    • The 150 feet rule. In addition to having over a dozen cafes on the Google campus, there are snacks every 150 feet to feed the body, feed the mind, and encourage socializing and networking.
    • Search is going to get a whole lot better soon. Although the Google home page looks the same, the search technology behind it is getting better every day.  Google now tracks what we click on when we search; in the future, the search results for the same keywod may be different for you and me, based on our individual preferences and past history.
    • Google Trends is not only cool, it’s surprising what we can learn from search patterns. Chris says that Google Trends can predict the box office success of a movie and where the flu will hit.

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  • Oh Where, Oh Where Can My Bookmarks Be? Magnolia Suffers Huge Outage!

    Oh Where, Oh Where Can My Bookmarks Be? Magnolia Suffers Huge Outage!

    Magnolia logoEvery morning, when I boot up my computer and open a browser, I have 4 tabs open to the Matrix Group intranet, Twitter, Facebook and Magnolia. Magnolia is a popular social bookmarking site that I have come to rely on to store and organize my bookmarks.

    Imagine my horror when I clicked on the Magnolia home page this morning and found this message:

    Dear Ma.gnolia Community Members or Visitor,

    Early on the West-coast morning of Friday, January 30th, Ma.gnolia experienced every web service’s worst nightmare: data corruption and loss. For Ma.gnolia, this means that the service is offline and members’ bookmarks are unavailable, both through the website itself and the API. As I evaluate recovery options, I can’t provide a certain timeline or prognosis as to to when or to what degree Ma.gnolia or your bookmarks will return; only that this process will take days, not hours.

    Magnolia has been down for most of the day and I’m devastated.  It’s not unusual for me to add one or more bookmarks each day to my Magnolia account.  And I refer to my bookmarks constantly.  For example, while preparing for my presentation on tech trends and their impact on small associations, I scoured my bookmarks under the tags of statistics and tech trends. (more…)

  • Conversation and the Zen Tech Warrior

    Conversation and the Zen Tech Warrior

    ASAE Technology ConferenceI had the pleasure of speaking at the ASAE Technology Conference, taking place until tomorrow at the DC Convention Center.  My topic? Dealing With Big Trends in a Small Staff Organization. Here are the 5 big trends I discussed:

    1. Your Browser as the New Operating System. The Web browser is increasingly the platform for mission critical applications, like association management systems, intranets, document management systems and e-mail.
    2. Conversation is King. We used to talk about creating a communications strategy.  Today, we need to create a conversation strategy because customers are interested in engagement, in two-way conversations.
    3. Unified, Integrated Data. I call this the Amazon Effect.  Our customers expect us to know who they are, communicate with them in a personalized way, and give them personalized offerings.  We can’t do this unless we have a unified view of their activities and interactions.
    4. Zen Tech Warrior. These warriors want information on specific topics, when they want it, on the device(s) of their choice.  Take me, for example.  I might want my magazine in print, news via e-mail, and alerts via text.  Can your database handle these preferences and can you execute on this information?
    5. Green Computing. We all know that we need to do our part to reduce energy consumption and save the planet.  Data centers represent 1.5% of the electricity demand in the US.  Think green when you buy computers and peripherals.

      6. (more…)

  • Now You Can Attend Church Online!

    Now You Can Attend Church Online!

    Pastor giving a sermonI was trying to schedule a time for my new biz team to come to the office on Sunday to finish a proposal. We were trying to work around church services when Jeniece said, “don’t worry about me, I go online. My favorite church is in Atlanta.”  Online? She attends church online?

    It turns out that even churches have adopted new media, and in a big way (why am I surprised by this?). After doing a bunch of Google searches, I realized that not only have many churches created extensive Web sites, many now have sermons and readings online, and yes, many now stream services live. (more…)

  • What Customer Experiences Are Core To Your Business?

    What Customer Experiences Are Core To Your Business?

    Customer Service SurveyDuring the last couple of weeks, I made presentations to a couple of clients. The first client thinks we’re good but they’re not raving fans. The second client thinks Matrix Group is fantastic, we are a solid partner and we have contributed greatly to their success. I asked my Client Services Directors: why is there a difference in how these two clients perceive us, our work and our value to them?

    The ensuing discussion was an interesting one. We decided that all talk of what we actually do aside (Web design, integration, content management, hosting, yada, yada), what ultimately makes a client a raving fan is whether or not they have certain experiences with us. Regardless of how much money they spend or the type of work they ask us to do, there are core customer experiences that are critical to a client’s happiness.

    Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking non-stop about what constitutes an organization’s core customer experiences.  I analyzed my membership in the CEO organization Vistage.  Vistage offers members a number of services and benefits but the core experiences are: one on one coaching, world class speakers and issue processing with peers.  Ultimately, if I don’t feel satisfied that I am getting my money’s worth in all three areas, I’m probably not going to keep my membership.  In other words, no matter how good the Web site or the social events, if I am not supremely satisfied with my core experiences, I am going to bail.

    I’ve been huddling with my team and working to define our core customer experiences.  (We must assume that clients want a fair price for our work, excellent work, and on time results.)  So far, we’ve come up with: (more…)

  • Obama Inauguration: Warm and Intimate on the Web, Totally Locked Out in the Cold in VA

    Obama Inauguration: Warm and Intimate on the Web, Totally Locked Out in the Cold in VA

    US Capitol BuildingI’m excited and fascinated by next week’s Inauguration. And I’m relying on the Web to keep me up to date with the festivities.

    • I’m following the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) (@obamainaugural) and loving the YouTube contest, the news about the inaugural activities, and the updates about various balls.
    • I’m following the DC Government on Twitter (@Inauguration_DC) and appreciating the news about road closures, tips from the National Park Service, etc.
    • I’m impressed with the Web site of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, especially the blog.    I have enjoyed reading about the rehearsal and the stand-ins, the concert at Lincoln Memorial is going to be fabulous, and the videos from Barack and Michelle Obama were a nice touch.
    • The PIC’s Flickr account is full of beautiful photos of DC and the preparations for next week’s events.
    • I plan to be part of the Facebook crowd watching the inauguration live and updating my status when the new President is sworn in.

    For the first time ever, I feel like I’m getting an insider’s view of what goes into an inauguration and know about a lot of the activities.  The blog and photos especially are creating an intimacy to the event that I did not think possible, considering that hundreds of thousands (millions?) are going to be here next week. (more…)

  • What Business Are You In?

    What Business Are You In?

    blueskyAt a meeting of my Vistage CEO group, I sat through a captivating presentation by Max Carey, CEO of CRD, a marketing and sales consulting firm. He asked each of us to describe what our companies do, which we did. Then he asked us a question that shook me: What business do your clients and prospects think you are in?

    Max days that it doesn’t matter what business you think you’re in, what matters is what business your prospects and clients think you’re in.  So I got to thinking.  I say that the Matrix Group’s mission is to use the latest Web technologies to help our clients “be better.” When I pitch clients and prospects, I sell them a solution and an outcome.  I want clients to tell us their goals and then we’ll work collaboratively with them to figure out what mix of products and services will let them achieve those goals in the fastest and least expensive way.

    But what would my top 10 clients say if I asked them what Matrix Group does? I hope that on a good day, my best clients would say that we helped them:  reach more members, sell more products, run a better organization, educate more people about their issues, save time, save money, yada, yada.  But I bet a bunch would say that we are a Web design shop, some would say we’re a Web development firm, and still others probably see us a membership database company.  Is this is the brand identity that I want?  No, so what can I do about it? (more…)