Conversational Media Marketing

Paul Dunay

I had an recent email exchange via Facebook with Paul (who looks a little like James Taylor wouldn't you say) where I shared these thoughts:

I've come to believe that one's active participation in the blogosphere and social media circles can, in and of itself, be a form of marketing, especially when that person is, like you, a content creator.

Even though the light shines principally on the person creating the content, there is an "afterglow" reflected on the organization they represent. For instance, I'd never heard of Bearing Point until I started reading your blog.

Also, so long as the content has relevance, substance and provides value to the reader, it does not appear that mention even need to be made of the company itself in order for that associative effect to occur.

Paul's response:

On this topic - and to be totally frank - my need was to build my knowledge of blogging, podcasting and RSS so that I could affect change in the interactive group (which I now run). The personality factor really didn't factor into our thinking at all.

In hindsight it may look that way but really we just wanted to have a 'sandbox' (as I told legal council here at BearingPoint) to practice these techniques and then institutionalize them.

The dialogue continued with me asking the following questions:

While the marketing aspect of your venture into blogging, podcasting, etc. was not necessarily a consideration, do you feel (as I do) that marketing benefits have accrued as a result? If so, what would you say those are?

If Bearing Point is accruing marketing benefit by virtue of your content production, would the same dynamic happen if the content were more "generic?" By that I mean, if it weren't tied to a particular individual? Would marketing benefits come based on the value of the content alone, or does the "personality" factor in?

Paul's response:

Yes I think BearingPoint has benefited from my blog (sandbox) because I keep getting invited to speak and write and publish more now than I did 3 years ago here - so we are getting soft benefits from that which I would have to attribute to "awareness."

As far as the "generic" content approach - I am...pounding the table to get our blog (newthinking.bearingpoint.com) to feature a person BEHIND each post - you may note a podcast of mine on the blog but does it tell you anything about me? No.

So I think the model we need to have is closer to the Forrester blog model.

A MarketingProfs blog post from June 2007 entitled BearingPoint's Paul Dunay: Marketer on a Mission to Demonstrate Differentiation, Positioning, and Branding had this to say:

Since the new millennium, professional service firms have faced increasing pressure to become more effective in differentiation, positioning and branding. I am struck by how hard firms are working to "get it right" in creating unique value for their clients, in positioning themselves for having the most favorable capabilities, and in branding themselves as delivering the most competitively potent attributes.

Here, if anything, is a situation crying out for a "doing things differently" approach. Paul Dunay of BearingPoint is a marketer who embarked on an independent quest to vividly demonstrate differentiation, positioning and branding to his global enterprise. His professional bravery has sent an electric charge throughout his firm.

I've watched as Dunay has steadily ramped up his presence in the field of what he calls "Buzz Marketing." I began tracking his blog, Buzz Marketing for Technology, in which he discusses innovative ideas for B2B technology marketers, specifically how to leverage Web 2.0 tools to create "Buzz."

While this was not Paul's intent, according to his own statement, the effect is the same. By stepping out and building a "personal brand" via his Buzz Marketing for Technology blog, Paul has distinguished himself and BearingPoint in the marketplace among professional service firms.

Chris Brogan

Chris Brogan is the VP of Strategy and Technology for CrossTech Media, but most of us know him as a leading social media strategist and pundit thanks to his blog, ChrisBrogan.com.

Though the light shines most brightly on Chris, CrossTech does receive residual effect I feel certain. It's likely I would never have even heard of CrossTech had it not been for following Chris' blog. Now, my company, Bizzuka, is sponsoring an event they're hosting, the New Marketing Summit. One thing led to the other which led to the other. 

(I've asked Chris to opine on this topic and am awaiting his response.)

Jason Falls

In a phone conversation I had with Jason the other day this subject came up (actually I brought it up) and Jason nailed it with this statement: "In the social media world people associate with personal brands more than with company brands."

Talking about putting things into perspective, Jason capsulized the entire issue in one sentence. People interacting with people on a personal level is what the social web is all about. Of course!

But, what does this mean for you and me?

It's fair to say these guys are "rock stars" in that they've have each achieved a high degree of notoriety and celebrity in their respective fields...and deservedly so.  They are, to a person, knowledgeable, progressive thought-leaders who provide value with every post.

Is theirs a replicable model? I think the answer is "yes," at least to some extent. But, the more articulate and knowledgeable the person in front of the company can be, the better.

In a March 2008 post called Social Media Starter Moves for Freelancers Chris Brogan shares some advice that can help those of us who wish to build a personal brand:

• Start writing posts that cover your space and establish yourself as the thought leader, only humble. Be the “thought learner.”
• STOP writing posts that are horribly off-topic, or at least keep it a 10:1 ratio of on- to off-topic.
• Link to other blogs that cover your space as well, and say complimentary things when you can. This is an abundance mentality space. Sure there are plenty of folks who aren’t the best like you, but when you say it, it makes you sound cheap.
• Make sure your passion shows through. That’s what people buy.
• The more you explore NEW ideas in your space, and further, explain right out in the open how people can make money, reduce costs, etc, the more business you’ll bring in.

While he intended this advice for freelancers, it applies equally to those of us who represent an organization in social media circles.

I would love to hear your take on this. If you have ideas you'd care to share, please leave a comment.  (Or write a post and trackback, or Twitter, Plurk, or Facebook your response. I'll find it!)