What does it take to be a SocialCorp?

July 4, 2008 – 4:57 pm
What are the benefits of social media in a corporate environment? What tools are corporations currently using? (We're looking at all audiences, including prospects, customers, journalists, bloggers, analysts, shareholders and employees) Other than Dell and Sun, what companies are doing great things with social media? (I haven't nailed down exactly what size company the book is aimed at, but it's probably around 25 employees or larger. Examples can come from anywhere*.) Does the company really have to surrender control of its brand to play authentically in social media How do you develop a corporate social media strategy? Is it developed under the leadership of a social media team, or is social media expertise distributed across existing corporate communications functions like public relations and marketing? What special risks exist in a large corporation that will determine either the kinds of social media programs the company selects, or social media policies that are developed? * We will also ...

Help write the SocialCorp book

July 4, 2008 – 4:39 pm
We're finally getting into high gear writing the SocialCorp book, which is about the merger of social media and corporate communications. The book is intended to be a guide for managers and senior executives inside corporations, and their agencies, on how to develop, implement and manage social media initiatives that work in a corporate environment. From time to time I will post some ideas on the current chapter and will solicit input from social media experts, corporate communicators, PR professionals and others, to make sure the book reflects the current  social media reality in the corporate world as much as possible, and not just my point of view. Please join in and contribute. Thanks!

Early comps of SocialCorp book cover

June 16, 2008 – 11:03 am
Check out these early comps (very rough) of cover designs for the SocialCorp book, and if you have a moment, vote with a comment on which one you like best, and why. Let me know if you have any ideas for imagery, typography or what the book cover should convey. Or maybe book covers are just supposed to catch the eye, and intrigue, and perhaps they don't need to tell the whole story. Remember these are comps, which are before proofs. Images are not rendered properly. Just for basic concept. May post some more soon. 1. Light bulb 2. Name tag 3. Beehive 4. Sidecar

The SocialCorp Blog

May 9, 2008 – 9:30 am
This is the official blog for my book, SocialCorp, due out in November. As you can see, the theme and layout are still in the works. I'll be using this blog to solicit case studies and talk about the contents of the book as I write it, so that when it's done, it's as current and relevant as possible. I've had a number of offers of help, which is wonderful, and I'll soon be formalizing a few processes and recruiting a couple of interns to help with the book, the blog, and the wiki. If you're interested, keep an eye on the blog or e-mail me joel[at]socializedpr[dot]com.