Just returned from a special event in Jacksonville, Florida. A room full of invited guests listened intently, took notes and laughed in all the right places. I shared with them the 5 elements for making technology work, including":
- Acquire - Making sharp decisions on the technology you need by starting with the task, not the tool.
- Brand - As your web presence expands beyond a website to include a blog, social networking, email marketing and video, you need to build a brand identity that syncs with how you appear at different places on the net.
- Connect - With so much to do to maintain your web presence, it's important to connect all of your technology to automate the process of communicating through all your channels.
- Publish - It's a quaint idea that you can upload a new site and thinking you're done with content. A more realistic approach is to speak with your voice and personal brand frequently.
- Master - It's okay to outsource the task of building a web presence. It's not okay to outsource the responsibility of managing your PR, Marketing and Sales.
Single Biggest Idea
My biggest insight comes from the evaluation question, "What was the single, biggest idea you got at this event?" The top responses were:- "I need to connect with those I serve best instead of focusing on cool technology."
- "I need to launch a blog that allows me to connect more frequently."
- "A makeover of my web presence starts with a Business Development Strategy, not software!"