June 8, 2009
Last week on the train from DC to BWI, I overheard a conversation about social media. It made me realize that the general public truly is adopting technology that techs and geeks and librarians have been using for years.
With this mass adoption there is potential for greatness: both good and bad. Guttenberg was the first self-publisher and today the trend continues. This blog is self-publishing. Further applications like Facebook and Twitter offer status updates… what a person is doing and/or feeling. The sharing of information through these sites can offer up to much minutia. Used strategically these tools can allow individuals and businesses to publish powerful data that attracts clients and solves problems.
Solving a business problem in 140 characters is really good bait. Fishing for the prize catch takes perseverance. The self-published data, the connections and the shared links that are posted offer a sea of rich data.
Self-published status updates mixed with connections and links that are shared and you start to get a full 180 profile of an individual. You know what causes they are interested in, what they like to do for fun and what networking groups they are using to benefit themselves and their business.
The investigative potential within these tools is tremendous. Learning about product recommendations and company complaints through Twitter can provide businesses with a method of pre-empting problems and gathering primary market research. Investigating the people connections provide through the networks can be used in litigation to unseat a key witness.
There are as many ways to use this information as there are to gather it. If you are not thinking about this in your due diligence and business practices, why not? Do you think this is a fad that will pass while you sleep? It may, but chances are that there’s something even more data rich pushing social networks out of the way. As fast as technology changes, information will fill the bits and bytes. Are you ready?
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Business, Information Management | Tagged: Business Intelligence, Competitive Intelligence, Social Networking | 
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Posted by answermaven
August 1, 2008
What is in it for me? That is the ruling question for consumers. With products it is easy to determine that a new washer and dryer will allow you to clean your clothes conveniently. For concert goers (DMB here I come) a night of music in person with their favorite songsters and bands is a memorable event.
What do information consumers get? Using qualified information professionals gives business decision makers confidence. Being confident that the person you have employed to research and provide analysis of the needed data is invaluable. You can trust that the right sources were used, the most current data was found and that the analysis provided takes your project parameters into account to deliver a quality summary.
Do you need to know who your competitors are in a new geographic market? Are you getting that data? Are you moving forward according to schedule or are you bogged down because you don’t have the right information?
Having the right information allows you to move forward and execute your decisions confidently. Using the right information professional gives you a superior WIIFM feeling….you got it all.
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Posted by answermaven
June 29, 2008
Recently I was asked by a colleague for assistance in preparing for a training she was conducting. She wanted feedback on the outline for her Competitive Intelligence Lunch & Learn.
In law firms, competitive intelligence is becoming more and more important. Attorneys need skills to assist them in managing the wealth of available information about clients and client business. Tracking news and other information about the client and his industry is critical for professional services in today’s market.
Personal and proactive service is necessary for successful business relationships. Client retention is not a given in today’s competitive market. Knowing the available sources and how to use those sources effectively to enhance your client service offers you a competitive edge.
Contact the Answer Maven to learn how to use availabe tools for information management and keep your competitive edge sharp.
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Posted by answermaven
