I rather enjoy\u00a0Peter Kim\u2019s\u00a0thoughts on the web and technology in general. I\u2019ve\u00a0included\u00a0him\u00a0in posts\u00a0and\u00a0projects\u00a0produced for The Future Buzz for years, so longtime readers already know him.<\/p>\n
Recently Peter shared the following\u00a0Tweet\u00a0that got me thinking:<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s interesting and fascinating to consider,\u00a0although\u00a0not new: that we\u2019re all connected in such a way anyone\u2019s actions can easily be made public and potentially seen by\u00a0everyone<\/em>.<\/p>\n The new paradigm (sorry for the buzzword) is simple really. Hire smart people you trust. Then let them go and be an extension of your marketing team. This is something larger organizations neglect while entrepreneurial and passionate companies continue to benefit from.<\/p>\n Should companies impose a policy telling team members not to travel with luggage tags, wear a company t-shirt outside of work or somehow be identifiable publicly as a team member? If you feel like you might need to institute such a policy, without question you have the wrong team. If you\u2019re making such hires this is bigger than a marketing issue. Solve your HR problems\u00a0before they lead\u00a0to PR disasters.<\/p>\n At this point, hiring\u00a0anyone<\/em>\u00a0for your company who is a jerk is a risk in a new and more potent way than it ever has been. Not\u00a0internally, externally: because any of your team members could, intentionally or otherwise, devastate\u00a0your reputation.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the bad. The good? In all industries, there are people who, thanks to the web, have become important and trusted voices in their fields. From healthcare technology to human resources software to quick service restaurants I have seen examples in pretty much every industry. The common thread is simple: they are smart, creative, well-connected and have extremely positive intentions. They are so interested in their field, they share what they learn with others through social technologies. But it\u2019s\u00a0not about the technology, it\u2019s about ideas they are interested in.<\/p>\n Build a team of these people and you will organically activate the social web for your brand. It has less to do with social media and more to do with the fact that these people\u00a0are passionate. Their curiosity, motivation and community will all be activated for your brand as an organic byproduct of being on your team. If you are the right type of organization this type of relationship is extremely\u00a0valuable in both directions.<\/p>\n At this juncture, should you really still hire people that aren\u2019t\u00a0irrationally committed\u00a0to their craft? To do any less is to build a boring, faceless company staffed by people you can\u2019t trust on their own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I rather enjoy\u00a0Peter Kim\u2019s\u00a0thoughts on the web and technology in general. I\u2019ve\u00a0included\u00a0him\u00a0in posts\u00a0and\u00a0projects\u00a0produced for The Future Buzz for years, so … <\/p>\n