Diane Hessan - The Role of Community in the Social Media Landscape

Thursday, March 26, 2009

With traditional marketing under siege because of the increased influence of social media, businesses are rightly scratching their heads trying to de-mystify the landscape. Leveraging social media for marketing is not for the faint at heart. There are real complexities to creating a meaningful customer experience and building customer communities that have the right mix of members to cultivate high levels of engagement. And no matter what you hear, it’s not simply a matter of getting on Twitter.

On March 26, Diane Hessan shared her experiences building purposeful networks—networks that go beyond the high-gloss buzz of social media, that bridge across geographies, cultures, and topical areas to help companies really listen to their customers. How do you find the right social glue among community members from varying backgrounds/perspectives, to engage them in meaningful activities and dialog? How do you successfully build a community that fosters strong relationships and generates deep insights for innovation? Diane answered these questions and more.