Connectors, Meet Ryan Stephens, Creator of Conversations on Relationship Marketing

In the About You page, Ryan Stephens wrote he was interested in opportunities that dealt with social media, interactive strategy and community evangelism, and generally passionate about and interested in anything marketing related.

His philosophy on leadership is one that might remind you of some things we've discussed here. To lead, you've got to be part of the team, he says. Let's see what else he shared when we talked about his experience online and what he's looking to do with connections.

Why are you online?

I suspect I could write a 10,000 word blog post answering this question, but it boils down to connecting with people, and with ideas as well.  I have an insatiable desire to learn more about myself and the things I’m passionate about, and this space affords me the opportunity to do just that.

Everyday there’s more than I could ever begin to read and digest. I try to read everything I can from my personal trusted sources that will invariably help me think critically about many of the things I’m passionate about – connecting people, spreading ideas, marketing, lifestyle management, etc.

But it would be boring if I sat at my desk and read all day, and that’s where the people aspect comes into play. I absolutely love meeting and connecting with new people who can help me learn and grow, and hopefully our relationship is one that is reciprocal in that I can help them accomplish their goals as well.

Social media tools give me an avenue to consistently reach out and talk with people that I might not get the opportunity to meet in person, and I say that with a caveat of you should try to connect offline as well. 

What prompted to post in "About You" at Conversation Agent?

I think it was because I knew your goal for the section was about so much more than a back link. I know your passion for connecting (both people and ideas) and your approach was very genuine. I also know from reading the comments from many of your blog posts that you have a very insightful base of readers, people that go beyond the surface and really cultivate thought-provoking conversations.

I guess it just seemed like a good foray into connecting with you and your readers that were passionate about this space in which we’ve all become so deeply embedded.

What are you working on that you feel will connect ideas and people?

I’m working hard to cultivate and create conversations about relationship marketing, which is partially (as far as I’m concerned) is a big component of the architecture that connects ideas and people.

From my experience, I think it’s a discipline that gets glossed over a lot in traditional literature and in academic journal articles. It ends up being a segue into networking or customer service, but rarely stands on its own, and I want to help change that fact.

I want to define what I’m calling the pillars of relationship marketing, explore a lot of the gaps in traditional literature, and really define the constructs of it, and how that applies to the way we do business with one another, internally, etc. I don’t want people to take it for granted as common sense anymore.

Who would you like to connect with?

Anyone and everyone who can teach me something, challenge me to push myself, and/or is passionate about cultivating conversations, connecting, and the spread of ideas - especially relating to how we use new media as a platform to engage and achieve these things.

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It sounds like you might have come to the right place, Ryan.

Comments

[Ryan Stephens]

Valeria -

Thank you so much for providing me with a platform to share my passions for connecting and facilitating conversations with respect to relationship marketing.

I really value your readers' time, and hope I can bring additional value to those looking to connect and discuss all things "social."

Thanks again for letting me share a bit about myself, and thanks for all you do and all the content you provide those of us in your community.

[Stuart Foster]

I actually had no idea that you had an "About You" page. Definitely going to look into filling a comment out now. Great way to engage your readers and set a cool outreach precedent. I can't think of anyone else off the top of my head that already does this. (Cool beans!)

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Ryan - it was fun. This whole series is fun because it's really up to each of you to shape the conversation with the community. Thank you for participating!

@Stuart - I'm more into the long conversation where I do most of the listening. An about you page is better suited for that than a tweet chat. It focuses on you and the rest of the fabulous people who have shared their own introductions.

[Edward Izzys]

Interesting!

I feel like there is a scarcity of good marketing today. Good marketing means which can convert the leads into sales. The only marketing that has moved me in the last couple of years is Search Engine Optimization.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Hey, nice to meet you Edward. I disagree, participation and content move marketing a lot further in the long run than just mechanic SEO and with the rise of social search, SEO/SEM will only be one component of successful marketing.

[Rick Simmons]

Always interested in someone who states he is interested in, "social media, interactive strategy and community evangelism". I am as well and interested in anyone else who is as well.. Valeria - thanks once again.
I believe part of the appearance that there is a scarcity of good marketing is because the technology is moving faster than the folks reporting to be the marketing gurus.
Just the same way that we talk about the power having shifted from the advertisers to the audience - the same about the marketing efforts and the marketing folks have not yet fully embraced it correctly - YET!