Sharing Knowledge in the 21st Century: IACCM August Magazine Article (Excerpt)

When I was contacted by IACCM’s Tim Cummins to write an article on knowledge tools, and in particular “how today’s network technologies are transforming how knowledge is collected and disseminated,” I was of course delighted to provide my proverbial two cents.  After all, I personally consider IACCM to be fine organization that gets where the industry as a whole is headed.

With this in mind, I am happy to share the following article excerpt from the August issue of IACCM’s Contracting Excellence publication, and would encourage you to use the provided link to check past issues.  I will of course provide you with the link to read the article in its entirety when it is released the first week of August.

Conversational engagement versus static accessibility: sharing knowledge in the 21st century (Article Excerpt)

While some associations, such as the Institute for Supply Management, have established at least a presence within the realms of various social networks, rather than leveraging the conversational dynamic of the new medium to broaden engagement, they have simply resorted to the same kind of broadcasting practice that is indigenous to a static website.  In short, they are going to where the new people are but are failing to engage them and therefore capitalize on what Ecademy’s Thomas Power referred to as “the law of random connections.”  (Note: according to Power’s law, it is “the people you don’t know who are the most important.”)

This is tantamount to a nomadic strategy whereby associations simply pick up the entire outdated infrastructure (web site), and move it to a social media platform.  Or worse, maintain the same static website (which, of course, does have a purpose in terms of serving as a transformational bridge) and dutifully establish return links in the hope of generating traffic.  Traffic activity means very little of course, if it is not reflective of either a practical utilization or an expansion of the existing knowledge base but is instead a repository of the same people saying the same things.

Once again, look for the link to the IACCM August issue of Contracting Excellence to access the article in its entirety.

While the article touches on several key elements of communication and collaboration in the emerging Web 2.0 world and beyond, the above paragraphs are telling in that there seems to be a continuing focus on driving traffic to a single site versus meeting the audience where they are.

For example, I have often seen site authors refer to Alexa traffic numbers, or the corresponding ranking of their single “landing spot” as an indication of their overall reach.

In the dynamic world of social media utilizing and therefore providing multiple access points to information is a critical element of not only driving increased awareness (or traffic in the traditional sense), but also engaging a broader audience who will consistently challenge you to continually think outside of the framework of that with which you are most familiar, and likely most comfortable.  In essence, reach and ultimate impact is no longer measured in terms of a geographic address (re a single site) activity, but instead what I refer to as the multiple landing points of insight.

For example, the PI Social Media Network continues to be built upon this premise.  From the two primary blogs, Procurement Insights and PI Window on Business (which through either a reciprocal or unilateral syndicated feed reaches more than 300,000 people each month), to the PI Window on Business Blog Talk Radio Show and the soon to be launched PI Window on Business TV Channel, the focus is not on driving traffic to a single site.

The emphasis as previously stated is instead centered on reaching people where they are, and at their convenience.  From a readership, listener and soon to be viewer base this convenience of knowledge accessibility drives meaningful dialogue that ensures the sustainable relevancy and veracity of the information.

For sponsors, and yes one has to pause for the cause so to speak, it means making new and significant inroads into developing market interest through multiple channels.  And while the reference to mash-ups have normally been associated with the single geographical (re site) traffic imperative, in reality the collective impact is the true measurement of both reach and ultimately influence.

Take one of the PI Social Media’s syndicated unilateral feeds.  The site alone has more than 300,000 visitors each month.  As one of the top contributing authors exposure for my articles is significant resulting in an expanded readership base that would not be accessible if I insisted on adhering to the old model of driving traffic to the corresponding PI Social Media Network “landing point.”  In the latter scenario, I am serving neither the market nor the sponsors whose logos grace our sites.

Let’s look at the PI Window on Business on Blog Talk Radio as another example.  As a newly featured host across the BTR Network, the show is promoted to an average of 3 million listeners per month.  These listeners are not actively directed to either the Procurement Insights or PI Window on Business Blogs, but are instead directed to the Show’s Main Information Page on Blog Talk Radio.

Once again, this enables us to collectively reach a much greater audience as they can determine their own preferences for accessing information (i.e. knowledge).  And this benefits PI Social Media sponsors as the collective reach of the entire PI Social Media Network enables us to offer multiple programs such as Segment Sponsorship, at a fraction of the cost of traditional sponsorships which range between $1,500 to $3,000 a quarter.

This collaborative give-and-take represents conversational marketing at its best.

We are indeed entering a new era of knowledge sharing that is based on building relationships with other individuals in what is rapidly becoming a global community.  And to take a page from a favorite analogy one must decide if they are a clam or an eagle.

Specifically, a clam is trapped by geographic limitations and therefore has to wait for the shifting sea tides to bring (re drive) food to its location.  While it is in somewhat comfortable and familiar surroundings it’s reach never extends beyond its immediate locale.

Conversely, and from birth, the eagle must fight to survive having to leave the familiar surroundings of its nest once it can fly to forage for food in unknown territory.  However, the eagle eventually begins to soar high up in the heavens with both a panoramic view and the freedom to engage anywhere within its ever-widening world of incomparable vision.

This is the defining difference between the traditional approach to disseminating knowledge and dynamically collaborating in the new world of social media.