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News and analysis on sustainability, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder engagement, and Internet and other digital marketing and communications. You'll even get some very practical tips on these topics that you can put to immediate use!

February 1st, 2012

Cultivate Your LinkedIn Network for Best Results

I was at a networking event last year in Manhattan for the Marketing Executives Networking Group, when I started speaking with a former CMO from a mid-size company sitting next to me.

We started talking about different ways he was going about exploring new opportunities, when he mentioned his use of LinkedIn.

To my surprise, he mentioned his disappointment with it. He explained that he had over 200 people in his LinkedIn network to whom he had recently reached out, yet only one to two dozen or so had responded – a 10 percent response or less to people he knew with a simple request for help.

Then, I was even more surprised. I had just reached out to my whole LinkedIn network for the first time since it had gotten sizable (and first time in years). My network was about three times larger than the CMO’s, and received over 200 responses, for roughly a 35 to 40 percent response rate. The response I had gotten had blown me away, but I figured it must be typical for personal networks.

I reached out again another couple of times to more or less my whole network over the last year and got similarly impressive, if smaller response rates. The last time was in October.

There are a lot of factors that affect what percentage of your network would respond to a message you convey – all similar to email marketing generally. These include the message itself, its source, the frequency of messages received from the source and their relevance, the call to action, etc.

Perhaps the biggest though, is cultivation of your network. This starts with who you connect with in the first place; and includes how you keep in touch and add value for each member. I try to LinkIn only with people I’ve met or talked with on the phone – that represents over 95 percent of my LinkedIn network, with over half of those I’ve actually met in person. Then, over time, I provide general information to many, as well as specific information useful to one or a few individuals, along with truly personalized messages when appropriate and relevant.

When I do reach out with a request or call to action, I bake in mutual value with it – an exchange of ideas or other contacts, for example. Thoughtful blog pieces on leading sustainability portals has also helped with credibility and recognition. Recently, I’ve been able to make a number of connections for people in my network that have led to strong opportunities — for new business in one case and a full-time position in another. The grateful response from colleagues has been gratifying.

This approach has led to some new business for me over the years, a job offer I accepted, and dozens of new and high-quality executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals joining my network. I’m sure this would work well for any organized networking – I have simply found LinkedIn to be the best tool for my purposes so far, even though there is still plenty of room for improvement.

I’m counting on my network coming through for me again as I prepare to reach out another time in the next several days.

Posted by perry
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August 19th, 2010

Water, Water, Everywhere… (w/video)

Water… H2O… Agua… Eau… Acqua… Das Wasser… Voda… There are numerous ways in which one can say ‘water’ but they all describe the same unique substance without which human beings can’t live.

Water is something that Americans take for granted every day. The majority of Americans have the luxury to be able to turn on a faucet and get clean drinking water any time they want, or to purchase water for use. Yet every day more than 4,000 children in developing countries die, simply because they don’t have access to clean drinking water (CSDW.org). Unsafe water or lack or basic sanitation causes 80% of all diseases, more than all forms of violence and war (charitywater.org).

Our friends at Changents.com have created a wonderful campaign, partnering with Proctor & Gamble, called the “Clean Water Blogivation.” By utilizing blogging, individuals will be able to make a difference for hundreds of people by providing them clean, drinkable water.

When someone creates a blog post, like this one, describing the importance of being a clean water ‘Change Agent’, they will be eligible for a chance to join a ‘P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program’ and possibly win $15,000 for a favorite charity that’s working in the front lines of the global water crisis. So, if you have a blog, join us in spreading the word!

Perhaps even more importantly, each time a reader votes for a blog post, P&G will donate a day’s worth of clean drinking water (2L) to a person in need in a developing country. This is an amazing step in the right direction by using the power of online communities to touch lives and give life-sustaining water.

P&G is utilizing their ‘Pur Packets’ to transform bacteria and disease ridden water into clean and safe water in a matter of 30 minutes for thousands of people in the developing world. Check out the ‘Pur Packets’ at work here:

On a more personal note the members of SDialogue are doing our best to conserve water in everyday life. For example, both of SDialogue’s founders have made additions to their homes which cut back on their personal water usage. Perry has a 1,100 gallon rainwater collection system in his home which allows him to conserve water naturally. Beth has an outdoor shower which she uses into the winter months, cutting back on the amount of time she and her family spends showering. You can check out her blog on outdoor showers here.

Please vote for SDialogue’s blog post by using the widget posted near the top of this blog. Remember with every vote (one per visitor per day – so come back everyday), you can help us bring a day’s worth of clean drinking water (2L) to those who desperately need it!

Posted by perry
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January 25th, 2010

Haiti Disaster Reveals Social Media as Double-edged Sword

Thanks to the influence of social media, marketers rapidly raised millions of dollars of relief aid – cash and in-kind donations — to earthquake-torn Haiti, which is still reeling from a second quake that hit last week.

As celebrity-packed telethons were launched and Ad Council spots ran 24/7 in support of relief efforts, big brands such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, Wal-Mart and McDonald’s, among many others launched fundraising campaigns via traditional marketing as well as with microsites, Twitter and Facebook. But for some brands, using social media as part of a quick-response CSR tactic was a double-edged sword as this Advertising Age articles notes [http://adage.com/article?article_id=141553]. As companies worked to do good a fog of misinformation arose as quickly as one could tweet.

The story also explains how timing of an initiative worked against AT&T, for example. The telecom giant was first to allow users to text in donations. But because the response by AT&T was so swift, many people missed it. As competitors joined in with similar campaigns, AT&T appeared to be behind the curve. Stepped-up messaging helped fix the problem in the end, and AT&T raised millions in relief aid. All in all, it was revealed that social media tools such as Twitter can be a powerful part of a CSR strategy. In the Advertising Age article, a UPS spokesperson notes that the company was glad to have a social media strategy in place where they were able to effectively communicate with its consumers.

From a sustainability communications perspective, the lessons here reveal the need to have ongoing stakeholder engagement. A steady stream of dialogue with clients, customers, partners and other stakeholders would likely keep clear any misinformation surrounding a company’s good deeds.

For example, stakeholders who are gently reminded of a company’s ongoing CSR and sustainability work through a communications effort that is imbedded in a company’s DNA would likely know that when disaster strikes, the socially responsible company would do the right thing. In fact, stakeholders might even anticipate a company’s good deed as soon as the news hits. So when an initiative is launched, expectations and clarity of intent are already set, allowing for a successful campaign.

For social media specifically, there’s already a desire by stakeholders to be a part of the dialogue. According to a survey of new media users in a 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study (conducted by Opinion Research Corp.), 44 percent of those polled are searching, sharing or discussing the CSR efforts of companies. For companies who don’t use social media and other communication tools as part of an overall CSR strategy it’s not too late to get started.

By SDialogue Staff

Posted by perry
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January 8th, 2010

Sustainability & CSR in 2010: Some Predictions

By Perry Goldschein

We’re only a week into the new year, but already I’ve seen a number of indications of where the year will go. Here are some predictions — please enjoy with a large grain of salt (as you should with all predictions): Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by perry
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CONSCIOUS CLICKS - The Blog

Cultivate Your LinkedIn Network for Best Results

Water, Water, Everywhere… (w/video)

Report Reveals CSR Best Practices

Haiti Disaster Reveals Social Media as Double-edged Sword

Sustainability & CSR in 2010: Some Predictions

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