The Breakfast Club
The day started at 5:30 a.m., or at least that was the time my alarm rudely woke me and I thrust an arm out from under the covers, knocking everything off my bedside table in an attempt to silence it.
The reason I was up at this god-awful hour? Porter Novelli had invited Rod Drury (a very successful and inspiring kiwi who is currently chief executive/executive director at Xero) to speak at a breakfast event we were hosting, and with a 7 a.m. start, my colleagues and I had plenty to set up in the office.
After guests started arriving there was mingling and danish devouring until suddenly we were directed to the boardroom by our fearless leader.
After a brief introduction, Rod got up and spoke about social media and the digital age. In particular, how Xero interacts online through its Web site, Twitter and blogs. Xero embraced Twitter very early on and has noticed the application move from an online venue where you discuss what you're having for lunch, to a place which allows for customer interaction and a voyeuristic overview of what others are saying about your company and brand.
One issue raised during the Q&A session was the high level of account deactivation that Twitter is seeing right now. Rumour has it that despite an evolution process Twitter is on the downward spiral - but does this mean it is too late to get your company or clients involved? As Drury said, if Twitter starts to slow down there will always be something to take its place. It's more important to ensure that your company or clients have an online voice as mediums often come and go (think Second Life, MySpace, or the latest one, Chatroulette).
Drury also spoke of the use of blogs stating that he actually got upset if people from his company weren't blogging. While I imagine there was no direct pressure or intimidation to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard if you will) this is a sign of change, and a distinctly different approach from companies who block all social media sites, deeming them a waste of staff productivity.
So my question to you all is; do you have a social media voice? If so, we would love to hear your thoughts - or follow us on Twitter: @NatalieBenning, @KevinPtak and @ScottBartley.