Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Best of 2010, the Year Social went Operational

Which is a fancy way of saying people started using the tools to support their business plans. Every year, on the last day, I compile a list of Conversation Agent posts that had an impact for that year. Although independent thought has been a hallmark of this blog and my life, I feel that this year has brought about the biggest change in perspective compared to past ones. Thanks to the many people who have contributed in conversations here and live, I feel that even though these are still early days, businesses large and small are realizing that the opportunity... Read more →

Thank you - 2010

There is no better expression in any language than thank you. It's quite a simple thing to say, and it can help you connect with others in more ways than you can imagine. I like to end the year by thanking all the people who have contributed to my growth, and the growth of this community. Streams come and go even faster than fashions. Connections made based upon conversation and ideas exchange have greater staying power -- and with a little bit of additional attention and care over time, they can develop into true relationships, including joint projects. Staying power... Read more →

Three Important Business Conversations in 2010 You May Have Missed

Every year, I meet people doing really good work. In some cases, ground breaking work. And I like to bring those conversations here so you can share in the learning. Which is the idea part of this blog. Plus make new connections. *** First off, I was excited to have the opportunity for a follow up with Doc Searls: The Cluetrain Manifesto, 10 years later. During our conversation he offered some perspective. From the interview: The Industrial Age is nearly two centuries old, and isn't ending. Over that time we have become very good at selling. The flywheels in the... Read more →

Shady Link Building Tactics Could Damage You

This has come up quite a few times over the years. An organization is looking to rank higher in search and looks for opportunities to do some link building through blogs. You may have seen some of those comments here -- they look like indignant opinions with questionable link backs to other sites. Except for I either delete them after the welcome email I send kicks back, or take the bite out of the post by removing the link and stating so in my response. Andrew Shotland has a simple story at Search Engine Land that drives to the heart... Read more →

Your Site is not a Popular Destination

People make land on it, maybe even get lost or frustrated in it, and then they will bounce around somewhere else. You know it, traffic is generated to just a few pages on most Websites that are optimized for organic search. And length of visit to those pages is often dictated by poor user experience, and lack of thoughtful content strategy, rather than true interest and the ever elusive engagement. Imagine getting lost in a maze of streets somewhere where you can't see where you're going. Unlike this beautiful view where you may not mind getting lost a little. This... Read more →

3 Books on Leadership, a Vision of Life as Play, and Acting on What Matters

The lenses you use to view your business will determine how it will grow. Leadership, vision, and acting on what matters are indispensable components of the mix for that growth to become a long term promise and value instead of short term gratification, as tempting as that may be. As you reflect on your results of this past year and prepare for what's next for your business development, I thought of connecting the dots on a couple of resources that continue to serve me well. Leadership and the New Science (Amazon affiliate link) by Margaret Wheatley tackles the thorny issue... Read more →

A Christmas Story

The year before I came to the US, I was working two jobs while attending University -- getting ready for class and keeping up with exams, then for job number one after getting back on the train, and going to job number two on weekends. My days were optimized for sure. Part of my income was contributing to living expenses -- rent with my mother, food, train tickets for school, and, if there was any left, books. Usually I traded my notes from class with other students who could not attend in exchange for borrowing the books I needed to... Read more →

My Favorite 2010 Christmas Ads

We'll pick up our conversation on influence with the analysis of and discussion with Klout when we get back from the holidays. Meanwhile, I thought it would be fun to share some of the Christmas ads I favor so far this year. If you have favorites, feel free to share those links in the comments. This one is the most fun, it's in French, you'll get what it's about easily enough (discl: Stella/AB-InBev is a client). What do I like most about it? The art is magnificent. The set up makes you want to take a sip, doesn't it? Take... Read more →

The Year in Quotes

Christmas Thoughts 2010 View more presentations from Valeria Maltoni. Last year, I compiled a series of quotes to highlight aspects of business that need more focus, even in the face of great change. They still ring true a year later. However, I believe the conversation is greater than just change -- it needs to shift to having a purpose and creating meaning. My own year can be summed up in a succinct thought: the biggest opportunity for social is to convert a buyer (one time) into a customer (repeat business), and move an employee/recruit from resource to a collaborator and... Read more →

Challenges in Content Strategy for the Coming Year

I've been thinking about what's next in content strategy. Some of the questions that come up when I talk with organizations focus on the challenges teams are facing with content as a business asset. It's very hard to justify investing in something with a longer term payout. Given that current marketing and communication practices are still very much centered around a specific campaign or event -- landing pages, one or two Website pages optimized and doing the heavy lifting in terms of search -- many organizations have not shifted their approach nor mindset to become publishers. Is leadership going to... Read more →