There were times during the last quarter of 2011 when I felt I’d got the balance wrong. I’ve re-calibrated :)

Charities will always fall short of their potential to rally communities outside, if they can’t rally their (hopefully) passionate community inside.

Couldn’t agree more. We need to stop thinking of staff members as little marketing machines – it’s hideously simplistic and doesn’t use social media to its full potential. Staff should be trusted and given the skills to forge new connections, to try new things and to understand that occasionally making mistakes isn’t a problem – at least they tried.

PS: Absolutely love the MIT Media Lab branding for individuals!

The point you made above is an excellent one. It happens too often. Ideas don’t necessarily have to be born within the institutional ‘walls’ to be good. Orgs should amplify the good ones.

I’d add or consider embedding one of the topics we discussed during the recent meet-up in London. How do charities continue the momentum they build up using social media during specific campaigns? As it stands, campaigns are often one-off and leave many supporters stranded when the organizational interest comes to an end.

Likewise, I think we should turn this on its head and ask what support could be given to the individuals who keep the momentum moving forward within and exterior to the organizations.

A magnificent tale about the wondrousness of the human spirit, Steve; and the impressions life leaves on us as part of our unique markings if we let it. I enjoyed reading every word.

The failure they produce is a wish list, where someone then suggest that the campaign should also have a social media aspect. Without the resources to back this up.

Sounds so familiar!

It’s only a matter of time before two things will happen in my own view, firstly that the muzzle will come off employees that can contribute to the overall force of feeling and intelligence within an organisation. Secondly, that organisations will realize and make it a priority that the social voice of its people is actively enabled and that this new found capability is capable of enriching the strength and character of voice it has on its own.

It strikes me how fascinating it is that culturally we have developed work and personal personas separately as kind of coping mechanisms. What also seems to be emerging as a cultural ‘truth’ however, is that real authenticity for any brand comes from all its touchpoints being aligned.

It follows this is true for personal brands, just as much as it is for corporate ones, especially when the granularity of the web and the importance and reassurance of an accountable digital footprint plays a big part in growing trust and loyalty within online, social relationships.

Corporate reputations are increasingly being supplemented by personal ones. Investors and stakeholders of every description want to know who’s steering the ship and what’s the talent is that’s on board, and most people would like to be more than a faceless apparatchik and be appreciated for more than that as a person.

It’s only a matter of time before two things will happen in my own view, firstly that the muzzle will come off employees that can contribute to the overall force of feeling and intelligence within an organisation. Secondly, that organisations will realize and make it a priority that the social voice of its people is actively enabled and that this new found capability is capable of enriching the strength and character of voice it has on its own.

The potential of this is an exciting one to me. We can’t all talk at the same time, but we can all sing at the same time.