Coming Soon...A New Book on Social Media for the AEC Industry

Coming soon...a new book on social media in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Building Business with Social Media: A guide to results oriented social media marketing will soon be available on Amazon.com. Brian Gallagher and Kimberly Kayler take a deep dive into social media marketing for the AEC industry.

Technology continues to revolutionize how companies in the architectural, engineering, construction (AEC) and manufacturing industries do business. In response to this trend, these firms need to leverage social media to establish and maintain a competitive marketing advantage. Building Business with Social Media is an introductory level book geared towards leaders, principles, and marketers for business-to-business companies and organizations.

Social media presents interesting opportunities for business-to-business firms to engage in authentic dialogue and conversation with customers, position themselves as thought leaders, leverage marketing content, amplify and spread their message, generate leads and compliment marketing activities. This book will help you understand how the Internet has changed the way people seek and find information, communicate, collaborate, and engage.

Building Business with Social Media is designed to provide AEC, manufacturing and other business-to-business marketers with a basic understanding of social media tools, while providing ideas to enhance your firm’s online presence, build brand awareness and generate demand through the strategic application of social media tools.

Effectively Managing a Crisis With Social Media

Effectively managing a crisis in the construction industry requires strategy, planning and communications expertise. And, the media has a large role in how the crisis is communicated. This webinar will share insight from several perspectives-journalist, public relations professional, industry association manager as well as a marketer for a construction company. Each speaker will share real-world experiences and tips for effectively communicating in a crisis situation.  Limited tickets-register now. By attending this program, you will learn: 1) Gain a methodology of how your organization should handle a crisis from a media perspective. 2) Learn how social media has impacted crisis communications. 3) Understand how to effectively work with the media during a crisis. This is a 60-minute interactive program.

Register for the Webinar

Presenters:

Jim Baty, Technical Director, Tilt-Up Concrete Association and Concrete Foundations       Association Baty is a frequent industry educator on topics ranging from best construction practices to cold weather concrete performance, energy performance guidelines to architectural creativity and everything in between. His real-world experience handling crisis situations on behalf of both Associations will provide an industry perspective to the panel. Aileen Cho, Senior Editor, Engineering News-Record Cho is the senior editor for all things transportation at Engineering News-Record. She has been on several award-winning editorial teams covering such crises as the I-35W bridge collapse, Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. She has won Neal Awards for Best Feature and Best Technical Article in 2011 and 2012, Best Journalist in 2006 from the American Association of Engineering Societies and Honorable Mention from CW for her article on airports in 2004.   Brian Gallagher, Director of Marketing, O'Neal, Inc. Gallagher has served in executive level marketing positions with industry leading engineering, construction and manufacturing organizations, and in each of these roles, he has had to effectively lead his organization through a variety of crisis. His extensive background and knowledge of the construction industry enables innovative and effective marketing programs. Wendy Ward, Senior Vice President, Constructive Communication, Inc.   Ward has more than a decade of experience handling crisis communications for associations, product suppliers, engineering and architecture firms as well as contractors. Her proven method for creating crisis plans before the crisis has effectively helped numerous organizations effectively manage their communications efforts when disaster has struck.

AEC Marketing Veterans to Speak at SMPS

Brian Gallagher and Kimberly Kayler, CPSM, both long-time architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry veterans, will discuss the importance of leadership in the marketing function at the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) annual conference.

Their session, entitled “Leading with Marketing,” will be held from 1:30-2:45 on Thursday, Aug. 25 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers at part of SMPS’ Build Business: The Bottom Line.

The presentation will highlight many of the themes in the book Gallagher and Kayler co-authored, Leading with Marketing. Published by AuthorHouse and available from amazon.com, the American Concrete Institute as well as through Hanley Wood at the World of Concrete, the book is a comprehensive resource for creating, building and managing successful AEC marketing programs.

According to Gallagher, investing in marketing initiatives can be a key driver for profitable growth for AEC firms. These marketing initiatives ultimately lead to a constant flow of new business opportunities.

“We have seen first-hand the impact marketing can have on growing AEC firms,” said Gallagher. “Our presentation is designed to provide an overview and a roadmap for all involved in marketing and sales in the AEC industry.”

According to Kayler, Leading with Marketing embodies how a company approaches their business, their marketplace, and their customers.

“Whether it is handled by a department or an individual, marketing is a leadership function in every AEC firm,” said Kayler. “When companies lead with marketing, they choose which markets to target, what services to offer, how to differentiate, how to communicate, and how to win.”

Based on years of actual experience with a diverse variety of companies and associations in the AEC industry, the authors wrote this book with the intent of bridging the gap between traditional marketing concepts and emerging marketing trends, while providing a contextual link to the construction business. The authors note that this is not another book about how to write a marketing plan. Rather, the mission of this book is to help change the way those in the industry think about marketing, so firms can select the right target audiences, communicate with them effectively, and create profitable opportunities. It is designed specifically as a tool for professionals in the AEC fields that are providing leadership to the marketing efforts, with a complete overview of marketing process, tools, systems and best practices. Companies that market services such as architecture, engineering and construction services; as well as companies that sell products, such as materials, systems, and other products used in construction, will find the marketing principles outlined in this book to be beneficial.

Gallagher has served in executive level marketing positions with industry leading engineering, construction and manufacturing organizations. In his roles with O’Neal, Inc, Structural Group and Williams Scotsman, he has provided strategic leadership to the sales and marketing teams. His extensive background and knowledge of the construction industry enables innovative and effective marketing programs. He frequently writes and speaks on marketing topics. In addition, he has co-founded a marketing and sales consultancy, GBM Marketing, and launched several industry-specific web portals.

Gallagher holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Towson University and an M.B.A. from Loyola College. He also has served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Marketing at Loyola College. He has served in leadership roles for various committees with the American Concrete Institute, the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Post-Tensioning Institute, the Concrete Industry Management Program, the SC Solar Business Alliance, and other organizations. He also is a member of the Society of Marketing Professional Services.

With a journalism degree and a decade of high-level experience serving engineering, architecture and construction firms as a corporate marketing executive, as well as experience working for a full-service advertising/marketing communications agency, Kayler started Constructive Communication, Inc. in 2001 to serve the needs of technical and professional service firms. Clients include five international concrete associations; a variety of general contractors, engineers and architects from around the country; as well as firms in the aerospace, chemical and industrial sectors. Services provided by the growing Constructive Communication, Inc. team include technical writing, proposal development, public and media relations, social media and marketing/communications.

The author of more than 1,250 published articles on a variety of concrete, construction, design, marketing and other technical subjects, Kayler was the first to earn the Certified Professional Services Marketer designation in the state of Ohio from the Society of Marketing Professional Services. She is a frequent speaker on technical marketing and public relations and is a registered provider through the American Institute of Architects. Although she is a graduate of the University of Arizona, she now calls Columbus, Ohio home. She has a M.S. in Organizational Management with an emphasis in Leadership from Capella University and she is a member of SMPS and the Construction Specifications Institute. She is a volunteer with the Junior Achievement program and she serves on the Board of Directors for the Dublin Foundation, the Dublin Convention & Visitors Bureau. Further, she is co-founder of the Women in Concrete Alliance (WomenInConcrete.org).

To find out more about the conference, visit BuildBusiness.org. Those interested in learning more about the book, its contents and how to order it should visit LeadingWithMarketing.com.

LinkedIn Announces Company Pages

Today LinkedIn announced plans to add Company Pages to the popular social networking site for business contacts. The new tool will be a tool for companies to promoted their products, services and associated recommendations.

According to a press release on the LinkedIn site, the Company Pages will be a place where companies can “attract new customers” by showcasing products, services and recommendations. Once recommendations and endorsements are posted, they become visable to all of the poster's contacts.

“Company Pages take product and service recommendations to another level, allowing professionals to benefit from the considered perspectives of those whom they trust and relate to the most – the people they know,” said Jeff Weiner, chief executive officer of LinkedIn. “By displaying their strongest recommendations to prospective customers and employees on LinkedIn, businesses can use Company Pages to accelerate growth and trust in their brands.”

The Company Pages feature seems to be very similar to Facebook Pages and Twitter. Site members can choose to “follow” any company they wish, by adding that company’s updates to their main feed.


The Company Pages will offically be introduced tomorrow at “LinkedIn Connect: 10″ in New York City. Ina dvance of the event tomorrow, 40companies have already developed Company Pages on LinkedIn, including Microsoft, HP, Volkswagen, and Dell.

According to HP’s Chief Marketing Officer Michael Mendenhall: “LinkedIn is a pioneer in harnessing the power of social media and brands can benefit tremendously from participating in this networking of leading professionals.”

With over 80 million users, LinkedIn is the largest business focused social networking site. For all of us in the AEC industry, the Company Pages will become another tool for our So Me marketing efforts.


LinkedIn Company Pages Announcement
LinkedIn Company Pages Learning Center

Engineering firms, DOTs, and professionals are using Twitter to better their businesses

By Brian Gallagher and Kimberly Kayler, CPSM
Civil Engineering News, October 2010

While movie stars and athletes have made Twitter famous, it isn’t simply a pastime for the young, rich, and famous. In the AEC industry, the “micro-blogging” site has made great inroads. In fact, many of the departments of transportation and other public entities throughout the United States are using Twitter as a means to update the public about roadway and bridge projects, road closures, and even traffic and snow removal.
Twitter crosses the line between social networking and blogs. The web-based social messaging network originated as a means for users to answer, in 140 characters or less, the question, “What are you doing?” However, the use of Twitter as a business marketing tool for engineering firms has grown significantly.

Like other social networking tools, Twitter began as a way for people to keep up with each other. Today, there is an estimated 100 million people using Twitter. As a social networking tool, Twitter ranks just behind Facebook and MySpace. Known as “tweets,” Twitter postings typically are short messages and conversations about topics, products, and companies. These messages can be sent to a large group of people or to individuals publicly or privately. People can sign up to be “followers” of people and companies.

What is significant from a marketer’s perspective is the fact that Twitter has quickly gained acceptance as a marketing tool. While this doesn’t seem cutting-edge, it is an easy and effective way for marketers to reach their target audiences and engage their customers. However, it’s important to remember that social-networking tools such as Twitter are ways to help build and enhance relationships, not just another vehicle for press releases.

In business-to-business marketing, there is a misconception that businesses buy from businesses. However, it is the people in those businesses who are making decisions — thus, people at one business buy from people at another business. Tools such as Twitter can be effective methods to engage prospective customers and current clients, and offer information, resources, and advice. Twitter can have even more value in the business-to-business world than in the business-to-consumer world because it allows users to tweet very specific, and sometimes very technical, messages about their products or services.

As a professional services firm, you are selling your firm’s expertise and experience. Twitter can be a great tool to expand your thought leadership by communicating information about your firm’s white papers, blog posts, podcasts, and other news. Twitter can also be an effective way to share relevant or interesting information and trends impacting the markets you serve.

Another part of the Twitter strategy is to engage the community. For AEC firms, this involves gaining followers in your relevant target audiences by posting content relevant to them. “Twitter is like trying to yell at someone traveling past you on a bullet train,” said Jeff Anderson, president of Anderson Consulting Engineers as well as California Stormwater Advisors, Inc., who has been tweeting about his company since May 2009 under the name www.twitter.com/ExpertCivl “To circumvent this, I started by selecting a couple of key people to follow and then tweeted them specifically to say ‘Thought you’d like to see this news item,’ or ‘Have you heard this news?’ If they respond positively, usually they will follow, and that leads to a ton of people.”

Twitter can be a very effective tool for building the personal brands of your partners or practice leaders. For the most part, design firms have partners that are active in the business. They typically are the face of the firm, and are also the key thought leaders. Consider setting up separate Twitter accounts for key partners and practice leaders so they can share information and news.

Twitter is also a great tool for public relations. Because of its level of immediacy, Twitter can be an ideal way to deliver messages to writers and editors. You can start this process by following key trade publications and their editors and writers (see “CE News Twitter handles” below). By following their tweets, you gain a good sense of what is important to them. Many editors have started to tweet about editorial opportunities. Sending a direct message to an editor through Twitter is a more casual approach than a call or e-mail.

Twitter in practice
Civil engineer M. Damon Weiss, P.E., of Pennoni Associates Inc., a Philadelphia-based firm that specializes in civil engineering and infrastructure management, started using Twitter (www.twitter.com/damonweiss) in February 2009. Today, 380 followers later, he is using Twitter to help market his expertise in advanced infrastructure systems — an exciting discipline that combines civil engineering with information technology, sensors, databases, and machine learning as a way to help create more sustainable, “smart” infrastructure.
“In order to promote this new way of thinking, I started a blog (http://advanced-infrastructure.com) and used Twitter and other social media outlets to help distribute content and other information related to advanced infrastructure,” Weiss said. “It has been a very successful marketing tool, in my opinion. Social media has allowed me to broaden my audience considerably more than had I relied entirely on word-of-mouth and search engine hits on my blog.”

Weiss said that for the first month, he tried to tweet about whatever conventional civil engineering projects he was working on, in addition to the advanced infrastructure topics featured in his blog. However, he quickly realized that this was watering down his base message.

“I like to think that people follow me because they appreciate the stream of information about cutting-edge breakthroughs and trends in civil engineering, not because they want to hear about the conventional highway culvert or detention pond I am designing,” he said. “Eventually, I may start posting again about specific projects, perhaps as a way to broaden my audience. For now, however, I am content to stick with the industry topic of advanced infrastructure.”

However, he has always stayed away from one topic on Twitter: his personal life.

“With Twitter and other social media tools, you really are selling yourself in many ways. However, I don’t think it furthers my particular goals to tweet about what I’m having for dinner tonight or where I’m going tomorrow, unless it is related to my purpose,” Weiss said. “I also try not to mix topics too much. In addition to advanced infrastructure, for example, I am also a big proponent of green infrastructure. If I someday decide to start tweeting regularly about that topic, it may very well be under a different Twitter account, so as to better tailor the content to the audience.”

In addition to Weiss’ efforts, the engineering company he works for, Pennoni Associates, has its own Twitter account (www.twitter.com/pennoni) and posts regular tweets about various accomplishments and projects. The firm’s is a team-based direct marketing strategy intended to help bring in new clients.

Moody Nolan, a national architecture, civil engineering, and interior design firm (www.twitter.com/MoodyNolan), also has its marketing department run the company’s Twitter feed, which has been going since October 2009. However, according to Marketing Director Lindsey Grant, “Engineers and architects often send suggestions for tweets if they come across an article or piece of information that they think may be of interest to others in the industry.”

Most of Moody Nolan’s tweets, Grant said, are geared toward key topics in the industry, rather than promotion of the company. “We tend to tweet about trends we know a great deal about, such as sustainable design or BIM,” she said. “Some tweets are company-oriented, but even then, we try not to be overly self-promotional. Our project tweets may be case studies, or we may include an article authored by one of our employees that we think others may find beneficial. In order to truly benefit from Twitter, it is important to engage your followers, post interesting content, and not focus solely on self-promotion.”

Weiss echoed the need for businesses to give their Twitter correspondence a personal touch. “A brief direct message or tweet to new followers to thank them for noticing you can go a long way,” he said. “If you are tactful about it, you can even send them a quick link to your website — almost like a business card — and engage them in back and forth discussions. These are the basics of conventional business networking — tweets can be a lot like small talk, in that respect.”

John Kissinger, P.E., COO for GRAEF, an engineering consulting and planning design firm that tweets as www.twitter.com/_GRAEF_, said approximately 80 percent of their tweets are focused on relevant trends and articles in the industry, with the balance comprised of activities from the firm itself. Kissinger tweets under www.twitter.com/johnkissinger.

“Like most firms, we are waiting for Twitter to gain wider acceptance within our industry. When it does, we believe it has the potential to be a vital part of any firm’s marketing plan,” Kissinger said. “Twitter is a useful tool to build relationships. We’ve gotten to know our clients better and vice versa and it has allowed us to share our insights, which supports our reputation as a trusted advisor.”

In the simplest terms, Twitter is just a new way to connect with potential customers. “Unlike a website or our other marketing materials, Twitter allows for two-way communication and interaction,” Grant said, “and creates a unique opportunity to connect with peers and clients in an informal environment.”

In this respect, Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool — but a thorough understanding of its ebbs and flows is essential to making it work for your business. “It’s not about finding new clients,” Anderson observed. “It’s about finding peers who will help you find clients or key information. Getting potential clients is a bonus.”

AEC firms can use Twitter to: Promote a company or brand Have a dialogue with your customer base Position your firm as thought leaders Promote partners or practice leaders Monitor what people are saying about your company and brand Promote events Celebrate completed projects and successes Leverage and create PR opportunities Provide a liaison to the industry Offer updates on current projects or applications Share technical information Re-tweet industry articles of interest to your followers Engage clients

Twitter Tips Before you start, figure out your strategy and goals. What are you trying to accomplish? Who are you trying to reach? Make sure that you have filled out your bio, uploaded a picture, and shared a URL after creating your account. Keep in mind that you can change your name, username, e-mail, URL, bio, location, background, and picture at any time by clicking on Settings in the top right of the page. You only have 140 characters, so write in headlines and use TinyURL.com to shorten long URLs. Tweet often about exciting news, how-to pieces, FAQs, products, and events, and share articles of interest. Use search.twitter.com to follow new people, monitor your company, as well as see what your target audience is talking about. Also, if you want to see if people have re-tweeted or asked you a question, search your own username. Follow publications and key leaders in the industries you serve. Another way to add followers is to see who your followers are following. To re-tweet, use RT @username then copy and paste what the original user said. By following this process, you give proper credit where credit is due. Remember, on Twitter, a re-tweet is a compliment! @reply is when someone asks you a question. Use @username and then answer the question. Since your followers might not know what the original question was, re-phrase it and then answer it. Facilitate a hash tag to allow users to tweet about a specific topic and have real-time conversations. Hash tags are # followed by a keyword. They are used to discuss specific topics and facilitate better searches within search.twitter.com. For example: #civilengineering. Add value, be positive, and have fun! Treat Twitter like a dinner party — don’t just constantly talk about yourself. Answer and ask questions, reply to concerns or complaints, and re-tweet often! Remain transparent and do what is appropriate for your audience. If you think something is questionable, don’t say it. Tweets are permanent. Consider using other websites such as TweetDeck, Twitpic, and HootSuite to personalize Twitter and make it easier to use based on your needs. Twitpic allows you to upload and share photos; HootSuite allows you to tweet to many accounts; TweetDeck is an added tool to monitor mentions, @replys, and tweets. Avoid getting in a “Twitter war” when addressing a complaint. Take the conversation off Twitter and discuss concerns over the phone, e-mail, or in person. To implement this step, send the user a direct message (DM) asking for their contact information. To send a DM, go to the user’s page. In the mid-right part of the page, there is an option to message the person; click on this. Or you can click on “direct messages” on your home page and select any users on your list to DM. Market your tweets! Add your Twitter feed to your website and business cards to get more exposure, and be sure to include your Twitter handle in your other marketing communications efforts.

Kimberly Kayler, CPSM, CSI, and Brian Gallagher are co-authors of Leading with Marketing (visit www.leadingwithmarketing.com for more information). Follow Kayler at www.twitter.com/kimberlykayler, and Gallagher at www.twitter.com/bgallagher13. For marketing tips, follow www.twitter.com/leadwithmktg.

Social Media Presentation at Concrete Works

On Monday, October 11, 2010, I will be delivering a presentation on Social Media Strategies for the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA) Concrete Works in Charlotte, NC. For more information on the Concrete Works event, visit www.nrmca.org.

If you are unable to attend and would like a copy of my presentation, please email me at bgallagher@leadingwithmarketing.com.

Social Marketing Requires An Integrated Approach

A recent article posted by MarketingShepra indicates reinforces the point that use of specific social media tactics must be a result of an overall approach to social media. As I've stressed in previous posts, specific tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn must be part of your overall marketing communications strategy.

MarketingShepra has been running a series of articles regarding a the development of a Social Media ROAD Map. This chart below shows the average percentage of organizations using each of the social platforms listed above for tactical purposes. As MarketingShepra advocates, social media tactics should be social brand agnostic when creating your organization’s social marketing plan.

An example of an enduring tactic would be to "build and participate in a network populated by our targeted audience," not "build and participate in a Facebook fan page." To take this even further, defining participation and engagement goals will help in aligning social media efforts with specific goals and objectives.

While social media is still an emerging medium in the AEC industry, many firms lack a cohesive and integrated approach to social media. Social media requires a well-planned approach to achieve social marketing goals and truly deliver a return on marketing investment. An Executive Summary of MarketingShepra's Social Media Benchmarking report is available for download.

Integrating Social Media and Marketing Communications

I will be presenting "Integrating Social Media and Marketing Communication" at the ABC Carolina's Construction Conference in Wilmington, NC on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 10 am. If you are interested in attending the ABC Conference, please visit: ABC Carolinas.

The Conference will be held at the Riverside Hilton in Wilmington, NC. If you cannot make the conference and are interested in the PowerPoint, you can e-mail me at bgallagher@LeadingWithMarketing.com.

NBA Latest To Develop Social Media Policy

The NBA released details on their social media policy. The new policy prohibits social media activities and Tweeting during NBA games, and also restricts what players can say through social media. The NBA also said it will treat comments made through social media as it treats comments in other media.

For the major sports leagues, social media is a tricky subject. The leagues invest so much in marketing their individual stars and players. Social media can be a great tool for connecting with fans and marketing their product. However, it is a delicate balance the leagues face. The recent examples of athlete's Tweets clearly demonstrates the need for social media guideline, but league executives must be careful not to go too far.

NBA teams received the memo on Wednesday telling them that cell phones and other communication devices can't be used from 45 minutes before game time until after players have finished their responsibilities after games. The ban also includes halftime. The NBA follows the NFL in announcing a social media policy.

ESPN, NFL and the Marines Address Social Media

ESPN, the NFL, and the Marines are the latest to being focusing on how its employees and player are using Twitter and social networking sites. Yesterday, ESPN implemented a policy which restricts how it's on-air talent and staff can use social sites.

The new policy from ESPN is rumored to have stemmed from ESPN’s management’s frustration with the fact that its on-air talent have been using Twitter to break news.

While it does not have a league-wide policy, the NFL has encouraged all teams to adopt social media policies. "Ultimately, it's up to the individual teams to set policy," Greg Aiello, the NFL’s Senior VP of Media Relations. The Green Bay Packers have gone as far as fining players for Tweeting during team events. In recent weeks, NFL player have been tweeting during training camps. Tweets have ranged from comments on training camp food to comments on other players contract statuses.

According to CNN, the new marine Corp policy cites the high risks and exposure the social networking sites as the driver for the policy. "These internet sites in general are a proven haven for malicious actors and content and are particularly high risk due to information exposure, user generated content and targeting by adversaries.” While Twitter and Facebook are great tools for Marines to communicate with their family and friends, the security and well being of all military personal are paramount.

The ESPN policy doesn’t ban its people from using Twitter or social networking sites, but restricts them from representing themselves as ESPN employees in their updates and postings.

Exept from the ESPN policy:

“ESPN understands that employees may maintain or contribute to personal blogs, message boards, conversation pages and other forms of social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) outside of their job function and may periodically post information about their job or ESPN's activities on these outlets. If an employee posts ESPN or job-related information, they are required to exercise good judgment, abide by ESPN policy, and take the following into consideration. ESPN employees are obligated to be aware of and comply with any applicable provisions set forth in ESPN's Employee Handbook and The Walt Disney Company's Standards of Business Conduct. Employees may not disclose confidential or proprietary company information or similar information of third parties who have shared such information with ESPN. ESPN's intellectual property, logos, trademarks, and copyrights may not be used in any manner.”

Social media has clearly impacted how the media covers sports, and I’m not sure how it will evolve. Like ESPN, the NFL and the Marines, companies must move toward a social media policy that sets expectations and guidelines that protects their company’s assets, intellectual property and interests. For information on social media policies, click here.

Developing A Social Media Policy

Social Media Policies are a must for AEC Firms
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that leaks of sensitive information were increasingly leaking from top corporations. See: Leaks Grow in the World of Blogs. The article specifically described how information about pending layoffs were leaked by employees before they were announced. There are also countless examples of sensitive company information being leaked to competitors, customers and the public. The main source of the leaks was their own employees social networking habits.

Social media is a tremendous tool and resource, but without proper guidelines and expectations, there are risks. Every AEC firm needs to have a social media policy in place to protect company information and ensure worker productivity.

Evolution of Policies. In general, social media policies have evolved as the medium has evolved. Many firms first started by putting blog policies and guidelines in place a few years ago. As Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and other sites have exploded, these policies have transformed into Social Media Policies.

Getting Started. Great, you know you need a policy, but how do you get started? Start introducing social media, outline your views of social media should be used in your organization, then set expectations for what employees can and can’t do through social media. Depending on your depth of experience with social media, I think it is important to get multiple perspectives for multiple people in your firm, including human resources, marketing, IT and operations.

Do your homework. There are countless examples of Social Media Policies available. Many are modeled after IBM's or Intel's Policies. See: IBM Social Computing Guidelines, Intel Social Media Policy. Your policy should clearly outline your expectations, but not be overly restrictive. Remember, you want to encourage communication, learning, collaboration and engagement.

Protecting Company Information. An essential point of your social media policy is to ensure that all employees fully understand that they have an obligation to protect and safeguard confidential, sensitive, and proprietary company information.

What Does The Future Hold For Magazines In Construction?

The publishing industry has been hit particularly hard with this recession. Drops in subscriptions and advertisers have hit construction publications particularly hard. McGraw Hill, publisher of several construction related publications, reported 2nd quarter earnings were down 23%. McGraw Hill's media unit, which includes Engineering News Record and its Regional Construction publications saw a drop in profit of 42%. Just two weeks ago, the company announce 125 positions were being eliminated from its media unit.

Just a few months ago, Reed Publications shut down all of its regional construction publications. They also recently announced they were putting several assets on the block and their CEO resigned. So what does the future hold for construction media? In a world where people want news and information instantaneously, the future is bleak for traditional print publications serving construction. Their business model is broken. They have been slow to embrace the change and technology that has swept across the publishing industry. I believe there will be a continued shift to digital publications and eNews products, with specialty and association-related publications being the remaining print assets. For marketers in construction, this also represents a shift in media and public relations strategies to digital and social media. Construction firms will have to focus on alternative means of disseminating their news and influencing their target audiences.

Web 2.0 Opportunities For Construction

The term Web 2.0 refers to the second generation web services and communities that enable communication and collaboration. The evolution of these tools and services offers unique opportunities for firms in the construction industry. A planned approach to embrace and leverage these tools can lead to enhanced communication flow and business efficiency.

In a traditional marketing framework, marketers would define the four P’s of marketing: price, place, promotions, and product. Companies would work with ad agencies and PR firms to develop and deliver a marketing message through a variety of controlled marketing mediums, such as advertising, direct mail, trade shows, collateral, etc. However, Web 2.0, or social media marketing, dramatically changes the marketing landscape. The essence of Web 2.0 is peer to peer communication and collaboration. The use of the 2.0 desigation is similar to number designations use by software firms.

Web 2.0 harnesses the the power of the internet to connect people to communicate and collaborate. As this technology evolves, successful marketers will need to market the way the Internet works. Web 2.0 tools provide an excellent forum for engaging customers by involving them.

Specific examples of new or improved technologies on the web include social and professional networking, RSS feeds or syndication, weblogs (blogs), wikis, podcasts, and other methods of enhancing communication. These advancements allow users of the Internet to do more than just retrieve information. Users can now participate and contribute to the information. Thus the evolution from Web 1.0 of an information source to Web 2.0 as being a participatory web. In the recent Web 1.0 model, a company’s website was another, yet different, marketing vehicle. Marketers controlled the message. With the new Web 2.0 tools, create, edit, shape and control the messages.

Social Networking- Social networking site have exploded over the last few years. Sites such as MySpace.com and FaceBook.com have become extremely popular with all generations. On the business-side, professional sites such as Linkedin.com offer the same features in a professional context. A social network consists of individuals that are tied together based on common interests, affiliations, values or other relationship. These web-based forums provide opportunities for communication, sharing and networking. Building social/business networks, networking, recruiting.

Syndication- sharing or content from multiple sources across multiple sites. RSS (which stands for Really Simple Syndication) allows publishers or information providers to syndicate information and push it out to other sites, RSS readers, or aggregators. RSS readers are tools that allow to view the content. Users can subscribe to the feeds by entering the link feed into their readers on their desktop. Most RSS feeds utilize XML. Increasingly, RSS content is helping web pages with search engine rankings. Syndicate everything that might be useful, interesting or informative. Such as project reports, technical articles, project updates, technology, product news.

Blogs- Blog is short for weblog, blogs are essentially online journals. Bloggers typically provide information, primarily text, although images, videos and web links can be added about certain subjects or topics. A key feature of blogs is the ability of a reader to post a comment. While blogs have been around since the 1990’s, the popularity of blogs has increased significantly. More and more search engine results pages (SERP) are returning blog posts. Create newsfeeds for your blogs. Set-up a blog to post and distribute press releases. Set-up a blog for current employees to talk about your company- recruiting tool. Allow customers to share feedback and insight about your company, product or service. Blogs are not void of risks, as there maybe negative comments and posts. Blogs can also be used for internal communication. For example, blogs can be used for communication from leaders on important topics such as, safety, project status, financial updates, and other company news.

Wikis- the term “wiki” refers to software or a webpage that allows users to create, edit and link content. Essentially, wikis allow for content to be written collaboratively. The most popular wiki is wikipedia.com, which contains millions of entries in dozens of language. Wikis have also become popular for collaboration and knowledge management inside of companies. Like other Web 2.0 tools, wiki entries are returning in SERPs. Take a proactive approach to adding non-commercial, relevant content to entries that are informative. While wikipedia posts are policed and monitored, they can include references to projects, technology, and other information.

PodCasts/On-Line Video- Consider developing Podcasts and videos about your company. Broadcasts can include broadcasts about product applications, completed projects, your safety philosophy, and interviews with employees and customers. Consider developing a regular program or establishing a YouTube channel.

So what are the implications of web 2.0 on the construction business? Companies that can embrace the power of communication and participation to create value will be the winners.

Getting started
Different rules apply for web 2.0. community has different rules, community users typically don’t respond to marketing or advertising messages. Strong editorial content that promotes a product or service can be highly valued, where as overt advertisement are rejected. Authenticity is highly valued in the web 2.0 world. Developing and implementing a web 2.0 strategy take diligence, commitment and effort. Content needs to be consistently created and managed. Social marketing is a form of viral marketing. Interesting things spread more quickly.

Creating a Web 2.0 Marketing Plan- Developing a plan along with your traditional marketing plan. Consider working with a expert or consultant to get started. To get started, participate in social networking as a consumer. By participating you can learn and understand how it works.

With Web 2.0 different metrics also apply. Traditional marketing metrics included circulation, reach, response rates, hits, click thoughts. In Web 2.0, metrics and measurement focus on the number of blog readers, comment posts, SERP, bookmarks, references, contributions to blogs, and others. As with anything, want can’t be measured, can be managed.

Web 2.0 is continuing to evolve as a marketing tool. Develop a plan, monitor activity and results, be creative, and try different things. See what is working in other industries, even consumer marketing and see how it applies to your business.