Two Questions most commonly asked to a Social Media Marketer.

Many new people I am meeting these days, are talking to me about social media and wondering "Truly how big is this industry?" And - "Yeah, but what exactly is it that you do?"

These are the two questions I will discuss with you in this article - and these are the basis of the book that I am currently writing - titled "6 Steps to a successful social media campaign"

A) "How big is this industry?" - Huge! let me tell you - HUGE!!! This is something like the next "big bang" for the internet world.

I have just finished compiling some data on the history of the internet and how it came about. Comparing the information on the history of the internet and the birth and growth of social media - you see some major similarities. Not to mention the kind of money this industry is currently making - considering the fact that the social media industry is very much in its infancy stage and still has some major room for growth (which we'll discuss in a little bit - but back to the current state...).

If we are to look at Facebook alone, we'll see that it is earning over $11.5 Billion in revenue, it has already attracted over 700 million users (that would mean that if it were a country it would be 3-4 largest!!!) and has an average of 6.25 minutes per person signing on on average 19 times a month! So what is so special about Facebook that attracts all this kind of attention? Getting people to spend so much time on this website? And earning this kind of revenue? What is Facebook's business model and why is it so successful?

This is all answered in a simple phrase - people have the need to socialize, they feel more open and free to talk to people they enjoy talking to and share common interests. Everyone loves to share information - sharing mean giving and getting in return. If someone is interacting with you on Facebook and you don't interact back - eventually that person will delete you, or even worse - block you!

Now here is why social media has so much room to grow. Since the need for people to socialize, interact and feel a part of something is becoming more and more evident. Businesses and entertainers are starting to realize what they need to do in order to attract new clientele or to retain the current ones. The more people get use to socializing, the less people are going to be interested in those "cold calls" or "sales pitches."

These days - in our day and age - people are more likely to do business with people they can trust and/or conduct business with people they or their friends know or recommend.

This is the growth of social media - it's the growth of Word of Mouth/Mouse (WOM), it is the growth of friendship, and it's the growth of much greater, longer lasting, and loyal business relationship.

Businesses are starting to realize that it is important to interact with their clientele and offer these clientele something they really want and need. These clientele only need things that have value to them. These values are created by the client's preferences of what is deemed interesting or important to him/her.

B) Now what is it that I do all day? - I build relationships with people. I talk to them, and listen to what they have to say. I am interested in finding out, what interests them the most, what do they enjoy talking about? and what do they do for fun? as well as try to figure out how to make their jobs less boring and more interesting. Finally this enables me to talk to businesses and share with them my findings on what people are enjoying and doing for fun, what these potential clientele are spending money on, and what they perceive is important or of value to them.

With sharing this kind of information (for free) with these businesses or entertainers - it allows me to come up with interactive and creative ideas on how to create some kind of interesting experience for targeted audiences and try to attract them to become potential clients.

This is becoming more and more common in the marketing industry. Gone are the days of outbound marketing and cold calling (to a certain degree). Coming are the days of more inbound and organic marketing - and when I say organic, I mean that business is becoming more personal, marketers are trying to get more personal with targeted audiences and clientele.

On the audiences' side - they are seeking for more interaction, something new, something cool, something they can get a kick out of... This will attract them to come to the website or location of this attraction, this will encourage them to spend some kind of money on what they perceive is of worth and value. People's tendencies are to get bored of the same old suff, they look for innovation. If it were up to me - I would base currency on levels of innovation (but that would have to be a whole article of its own.)

This is why KolBaKol has developed a very innovative and interesting platform that is personalized to businesses and entertainers in order to help them interact with their clientele one on one - on their own websites with their own branding image - causing them to have some inbound marketing and SEO benefits (since more people are spending more time on their website and are converting to become clientele). If you would like to have more information about this platform and opportunity, or would like to request a brochure feel free to visit KolBaKol's website at www.kolbakol.com.

You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or follow this blog to find out more about our projects and how we can take your business or services to a whole new level.

Looking forward to interacting with you!

Please leave a comment on what you think of social media? What can businesses or entertainers do to interact with you on a more personal level? What might attract you to spend money and have fun doing so?

Leadership - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Part 1

Are leaders born or made?

Let us consider a situation.

The CEO of a company is about to retire, tension is now growing as to who will be the next leader of this company? Will it be the reliable assistant who all ways gets his work done on time, is charismatic and everyone loves him? Or will it be the CEO’s son or relative, who doesn’t really have the best communication or leadership skills, may not have as much experience as the assistant and not everyone likes this relative too much for various reasons.

This may depend on the type of ownership, or decision-making process the company takes. But would it be a good thing or a bad thing if either gets the job? What are the pros and cons and what are the considerations a successful company should take into consideration?

Some people might like to argue, give the job to the assistant since he has more experience and everyone already likes him. But what happens if this is a family owned business? Or can the assistant handle this type of position, whereas, if the relative gets the job, people will perceive it to be protectionism. On the other hand, if the relative gets the position and empowers the assistant to continue in the position he has, who guarantees that the relative will do a good job like his predecessor?

Now with all that in mind let's reconsider the opening question - are leaders born or made?

If the son was born into a leadership position - does that make him the right candidate for the job?

Just because the reliable assistant performs well on his current tasks, does that mean he will perform well as a leader in such a high position?

On the other hand, Let's consider if the relative is put in such a position would he have the chance or would he learn and adapt into becoming an effective leader?

The point:

There is no definite answer to any of the above questions. There is however considerations that must be taken into account.

A leader can be made, some are born - the only real question is - what kind of leader is he? And is he maintaining a successful and meaningful leadership?

There are four main types of leadership styles. The directional leader, the charismatic leader, the situational leader, and the leader that just hands over the job and lets his subordinates do the job with minimal involvement of his own.

Directional leader, is the leader that dictates the tasks, imposes deadlines and threatens that they better be met or else negative consequences will be faced. This type of leadership does not consider the parties involved, the situation, nor the possible inputs the subordinates involved may have. This type focuses mainly on the task at hand and may focus on the leader himself, providing him with seniority, power and control.

The charismatic leader, is sort of the opposite to the directional leader, where he reasons with his subordinates, encourages them, and tries all sorts of motivational and encouragement methods to get the parties involved and meet a desired deadline. This style focuses mainly on the subordinates believing that as long as they are happy and feel good they will in turn work properly. The leader is perceived to be a nice positive individual that would do anything to motivate his employees, to avoid conflict and to make the environment as friendly as possible.

The loose leadership style, is one where the leader hands over a task to his subordinates, devises the tasks amongst the group members, gives them a deadline and lets the birds loose. Closer to the deadline the loose leader reminds everyone that there is one or two weeks left and that they should start handing in their parts. This type of leadership focuses only on the task and its deadline. The leader shows very minimal involvement, offers minimal support and assistance. The subordinates are simply expected to perform on their own initiative and motivation. They are simply expected to have their parts of their tasks ready on time for the deadline.

Finally the situational leader, who hands over a task, identifies the strength and interests of each individual in the group, and according to the results of his findings, he hands over specific tasks to individuals that would best fit the job. Along the project, the leader every so often would touch base with every individual and would inquire about his personal life as well as the progress of his part of the task, reminding the group that his door is always open to their needs, questions, concerns and any other need that requires support. This leadership style focuses on many different aspects; the group as a whole, the task, the individuals in the group, the situations surrounding the subordinates including their personal and work lives - offering them support, assistance (when possible) and reassurance.



Which style do you think is the most effective? Please leave your comments and your thesis on this subject. Based on the discussion below a part 2 will be posted shortly containing the benefits and negatives of each leadership, the best ways to go about choosing the right type of leadership and answers or comments to any of your questions or pointers.

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“Eat Here and Get Gas!” - The Effects of Proper Communication in Leadership

A personal review and critique on Leadership in Action Papers – Communication (Lusthaus, C. Class Notes: Communication 2004)

About the Author: Dr. Charles Lusthaus; was an associate professor in the Department of Administration and Policy Studies in McGill University, and a partner in Universalia Management Group which is a Montreal-based management consulting firm. Dr Lusthaus is also faculty advisor to the Centre for Educational Leadership, McGill University.

Main Idea: The leader’s job is, to use all the tools needed in communicating well to his subordinates. If the leader fails to properly manage these tools and use them to their maximum capabilities, maybe the answer to the poor performance shown by the subordinates.

Points of the article: A leader is a person who monitors, makes decisions and distributes information. The leader spends 80% of his time communicating.

“Leadership, in a word, is impossible without communication” (Page 231)

Communication has some key elements. A) Sender; one who encodes a message. B) Channel; the means used to send the message, C) Receiver; the one who then decodes the message (not always decoded the way the sender has hoped), and finally D) Feedback: what the receiver has understood from the sender, which frequently differ.

“Eat here and get gas!” (Page 232)



There are three major sources to “noise:”
1. Improper choice of words or their usage: i.e. politically incorrect, racial sensitive.
2. No Feedback: One-way feedback, (which is done by memos, written reports etc.)
3. Communication Channels: The leader must choose them properly in order for them to be affective and advantageous.


There are differences between oral and written communication. Written communication is effective in many different ways especially when it is paired with oral communication.
Non-verbal communication includes; body language and gestures, voice intonation and physical appearance. Non-verbal communication is a very powerful mean in the transmission of a message. A good leader knows how to observe and pick up quickly on these little signs. These cues are done unconsciously and quite rapidly; it is just a matter of picking them up! It is very important to be aware of cultural differences. For they cause a communication breakdown.

There is a difference between formal and informal communication. According to the best selling book in Search of Excellence. “The excellent companies are a vast network of informal, open communications. The patterns and intensity cultivate the right people’s getting into contact with each other.” (Robert H Waterman Jr. (Author), Thomas J Peters (Author), later printing edition (August 15, 1988), In search of Excellence, Publisher: Grand Central Publishing;)

In order to become an effective communicator one must be an “active listener.” Which is a term used by Carl Rogers and other counselors and therapists.

To be an active listener there are five guidelines.
1. Listen for content. Hear exactly what is said.
2. Pay attention to feelings. Try to identify how the sender feels in terms of the message content.
3. Respond to that feeling. Let the sender know that you recognize their feelings
4. Note all the cues. Be sensitive to them.
5. Restate in your own words what you understood from the sender.

This will also provide feedback to the sender confirming that his message is getting across, or at least the receiver is trying to understand the message properly.
An organization with a high consensus will have fewer quarrels. This is when the information is flowing in a form of upward and downward, inward and outward. This is elaborated more in Chester Barnard’s book called, The Functions of the Executive. (Chester I. Barnard (Author), (January 1, 1971), The Functions of the Executive - Publisher: Harvard University Press; 30 Anv edition)

It is very important for the leader to know, that in order to avoid mistakes and errors in the future. He must consult the people who will carry out the objective. This ties in very well with “repairing interrupted communication.” When the leader will ask for the subordinates’ advice, he will find any crossovers or breakdowns in the communication and jobs done. This will encourage the subordinate to work properly because they are feeling more useful and part of the job, as well as not “knocking their heads together.” (Page 238)

Effective communication is a two-way process where there is a sender and receiver. The leader will play either one of these roles, it requires good interpersonal skills where he will have to understand the situation and where the other is coming from, and he has to recognize where personal biases may interfere with what is taking place.
The American Management Association published “The Ten Commandments of Good Communication.” Which is meant to give the reader a good foundation for building and maintaining a good set of interpersonal communication skills. (American Management Association (1955). The Ten Commandments of good communication. New York: American Management Association.)

Conflict is very upsetting and disturbing to some people in an organization. There are several ways how to manage these conflicts. A) Lose-Lose conflict, B) Avoidance (not such a good option), C) Win-Lose conflict, and D) Win-Win conflict (which is the ideal and most effective way.)

A personal Evaluation and Critique
The article is a very well written and informative. Many of these theories and advice have been found and proven to work. They are constantly used in many case studies our company conducts, where the feedback from our clientele is positive.

There are, however, some minor details that the author left out in his article.
Matters like; Leadership styles, the expectancy and perception of the subordinates from their leader, as well as some matters on diversity. These are some important factors to consider.

In the portion of the article where the author is talking about, the effective leader choosing the proper channels for communicating in a given situation. Some information was missing. It needs to be understood that sometimes the subordinates expect a certain type of leadership from their superiors, whereas others expect a different kind of leadership. This a great challenge a lot of leaders face.
This is where Robert House’s Path-Goal Theory kicks in. The theory says; that the leader must cater his behaviour according to the situation and in various leadership styles/behaviours that are expected from him by his subordinates.
This little detail may have played a large role in this article and may have given a little more of insight as to a true effective leader.


In regards to Diversity, this is now a growing concern with the population growth in Canada mainly dependent on immigration. More and more diverse people from different backgrounds, cultures and upbringings, are finding their way into the workforce. Therefore the Leader must accustom himself, to their needs, expectancies, and form of communication. Women may also be a factor in this diversity; the birth rate is decreasing due to women in the workforce. Therefore one must pay attention to these important factors to communication barriers and methods.



Summery
In order to be an effective leader today, in our society, it is important to remember that communications is both ways. The effective leader must consider who is the second or third party involved. He must recognize the situation, the other party’s position and expectancies, and he must recognize where he stands with his biases and perceptions. Once the leader has identified these three criterions, the outcome of the communication will be better understood, effectively executed and beneficial to all parties involved.

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