This story is too cool not to put on blast and teaches a valuable lesson… You never know who is watching!
Despite my love/hate relationship with LinkedIn, as a channel for professionals to connect and network I cant deny it’s value or importance. My LinkedIn journey has been pretty remarkable – enough so that it has been written about in books and blogs, referred to in social media and networking webinars, and even included in marketing presentations at conferences. Im not horn tooting, Im just pointing out that if you put in the effort LinkedIn can change your life.
My Print Production Professionals group is now over 24,000 members… I know… insane!… especially when you consider there is no industry organization behind it. I think that is also why it gets a lot of attention since it’s proof that one person can indeed create and cultivate a community on the platform based upon members sharing their knowledge, experience, and their services when it’s an appropriate response to help requests since there is a zero tolerance policy for free standing solicitations in the Groups’ Rules. It’s a tightly managed group for sure, and I put a lot of time into that management, but that allows the space for relevant discussions, requests and comments to be easily seen and accessible on the board or in the Daily Digests of Group Activity LinkedIn sends out.
One such discussion I started was titled – “Ok Pros, Who is Working on Something Cool?” This was basically an open call to share projects with the Group (and of course through subtext, creativity and capabilities). Zach Schwartz, CEO of Fusion Cross-Media, was one of many who replied to the post. This, is his story…
My Cool Social Media Moment
Daily I discuss marketing with my clients and prospects and spread the word about social media, a key topic of interest. Fusion Cross-Media was founded on the ideology that a marketing strategy should be a combination of marketing approaches, online and offline. Marketing must be a relevant to be effective no matter the channel. Social media is a new, important and evolving marketing channel in the mix.
Direct marketing communications, e-mail marketing and sales calls and visits all require frequent touches to be effective and social media is really no different. The only difference is that social media is truly not about the hard sell, it’s about self-branding, continuity, community and “social” and “professional” networking. The vastness of social media can be compared to a galaxy. My company, Fusion Cross-Media is but a small star in a vast galaxy. It is a spec within the social media universe. With persistence everyone can have their Cool Social Media Moment.
Last month I had a really cool Social Media Moment that led to a series of exciting events and outcomes!
I love engaging in public discussions on LinkedIn within industry groups that are relevant to the printing and marketing industry and I have to thank innovators like Deborah Corn for starting groups like Print Production Professionals that give companies like Fusion Cross-Media an opportunity to share their talents with the world!
How did my Cool Social Media Moment begin?
Deborah Corn, the group moderator of Print Production Professionals posted a discussion that asked “Have you done anything cool Lately?” I thought to myself, YES, I sure did! So I scrambled to place a direct marketing piece up on my web site in a make-shift portfolio, and then proceeded to post a link into the Printing Production Professionals discussion board.
A waterfall of opportunities and events opened for Fusion Cross-Media as result of this social media post:
- Deborah told me she like my piece! How cool is it to be noticed online by the Group Moderator!
- Printing Industries of New England (PINE) saw the post and called and invited me to be their guest at Print Delivers and Direct Mail Recharged in Boston where I met Trish Witkowsky from foldfactory.com
- I learned of the Awards of Excellence Competition and entered a project that my company Fusion Cross-Media produced.
- Fusion Cross-Media won top honors! Pinnacle Award, the Best in Category for Digital Variable Data Printing of the competition.
- Positive PR is now flowing about Fusion Cross-Media and can be leveraged.
- My client A.W. Hastings & CO. will get PR from this story.
- The cycle will continue as I share this story over and over again with friends and colleagues and on social media outlets!
So there you have it. A post, a comment, an Industry Award! Congrats to Zach and the team at Fusion Cross-Media! Please take a moment to send them a shout out on Twitter @FusionCMM and be Social!
