Comments on: Instant Messaging As A Business Tool http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/ Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:12:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Social Media "The Road To a Friend's House Is Never Long" http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-1008 Social Media "The Road To a Friend's House Is Never Long" Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:26:30 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-1008 [...] users to learn from each other but it also can enhance your Social Media presence. Talk to your friends every day at least 10 minutes and interact with at least one new member [...] [...] users to learn from each other but it also can enhance your Social Media presence. Talk to your friends every day at least 10 minutes and interact with at least one new member [...]

]]> By: A Link From My RSS- Social Media Explorer http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-880 A Link From My RSS- Social Media Explorer Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:16:38 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-880 [...] of his posts I want to point out: Instant Messaging As A Business Tool, which I think talks about an application we all misuse or don’t use enough in instant [...] [...] of his posts I want to point out: Instant Messaging As A Business Tool, which I think talks about an application we all misuse or don’t use enough in instant [...]

]]> By: Jason Falls http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-857 Jason Falls Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:12:27 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-857 Greg -- Nice contribution. I was aware that existed but have never tried it. Does signing up for a skin, though, give the brand access to that consumer through IM or is it just a branding decoration for their portal? Jansie -- IM I think will always be opt-in. The user controls that experience and will always be able to block spammers, etc. You're right. The user rules. Gary -- Thanks for this perspective. The financial industry is one I haven't had a great deal of exposure to yet. Nice to know there's a dependency upon IMing there for some. I agree that a brand contacting us unsolicited would be awful. No one wants spam or telemarketer-approach contact. But like I said, I can think of some brands I would opt in for. Thanks for chiming in and stopping by. Greg — Nice contribution. I was aware that existed but have never tried it. Does signing up for a skin, though, give the brand access to that consumer through IM or is it just a branding decoration for their portal?

Jansie — IM I think will always be opt-in. The user controls that experience and will always be able to block spammers, etc. You’re right. The user rules.

Gary — Thanks for this perspective. The financial industry is one I haven’t had a great deal of exposure to yet. Nice to know there’s a dependency upon IMing there for some. I agree that a brand contacting us unsolicited would be awful. No one wants spam or telemarketer-approach contact. But like I said, I can think of some brands I would opt in for. Thanks for chiming in and stopping by.

]]> By: Gary Stokes http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-855 Gary Stokes Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:25:37 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-855 I think you would be surprised how much IM is used for legitimate business purposes in itself. In the financial industry that I am in it is a necessity. Gone are the days in my sector where you have a huge phone bank and two maybe three phones to your ears and the volume of the trading floor is deafening with everyone screaming and phones chirping. It’s all handled over IM. You can handle greater volume and exchange more information then with a phone. We will not do business with a counterparty ( I am talking international banks, hedge funds etc) that do not use IM as its primary means of communication. To that end it has to be regulated just like the phones are. All conversations are recorded and suveilled. My shop uses Trillian but the industry uses the most diverse array of IM clients you can imagine. For many of us IM is second nature and the preferred means of communication. Just like working in a call center and being on a phone during off hours, when the day is done the last thing we want to do is use IM. To be able to contact a brand during the day would be great! I always use that ‘chat live ‘feature some websites offer for their customer service ( Linksys, Dell) However, having that brand be able to contact me unsolicited would be a nightmare ! I think you would be surprised how much IM is used for legitimate business purposes in itself. In the financial industry that I am in it is a necessity. Gone are the days in my sector where you have a huge phone bank and two maybe three phones to your ears and the volume of the trading floor is deafening with everyone screaming and phones chirping. It’s all handled over IM. You can handle greater volume and exchange more information then with a phone. We will not do business with a counterparty ( I am talking international banks, hedge funds etc) that do not use IM as its primary means of communication. To that end it has to be regulated just like the phones are. All conversations are recorded and suveilled. My shop uses Trillian but the industry uses the most diverse array of IM clients you can imagine. For many of us IM is second nature and the preferred means of communication. Just like working in a call center and being on a phone during off hours, when the day is done the last thing we want to do is use IM. To be able to contact a brand during the day would be great! I always use that ‘chat live ‘feature some websites offer for their customer service ( Linksys, Dell) However, having that brand be able to contact me unsolicited would be a nightmare !

]]> By: Jansie Blom http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-854 Jansie Blom Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:46:26 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-854 why not leave it up to the customer? much like RSS does, as opposed to emailing. why not leave it up to the customer? much like RSS does, as opposed to emailing.

]]> By: Greg Swan http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-853 Greg Swan Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:44:07 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-853 On a parallel track to this conversation are IM skins. Both AIM and Yahoo! offer IM skins that brands can purchase -- AIM's are called "Expressions" and Yahoo!'s are called "IMVironments." Users opts-in by choosing if they want to chat with friends using the skin. Because they opt-in, my hope is that users are getting some kind of value for leasing the brand part of their chat window. Some skins have games, video, links, etc. -- all adding to the users experience. I've had incredible success utilizing Yahoo! IM skins for clients. On a parallel track to this conversation are IM skins. Both AIM and Yahoo! offer IM skins that brands can purchase — AIM’s are called “Expressions” and Yahoo!’s are called “IMVironments.” Users opts-in by choosing if they want to chat with friends using the skin. Because they opt-in, my hope is that users are getting some kind of value for leasing the brand part of their chat window. Some skins have games, video, links, etc. — all adding to the users experience. I’ve had incredible success utilizing Yahoo! IM skins for clients.

]]> By: Jason Falls http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-851 Jason Falls Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:06:30 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-851 Excellent example, Sonia. I think there would be an audience for that usage. Thanks for the thought! Excellent example, Sonia. I think there would be an audience for that usage. Thanks for the thought!

]]> By: SoniaC http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-850 SoniaC Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:59:09 +0000 http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/01/17/instant-messaging-as-a-business-tool/#comment-850 Nice post Jason, I think that IM could make a lot of sense in the context of a loyalty program. Take the fitness category as an example. Imagine being part of a fitness club and paying a slight premium for having access to a personal trainer or nutritionist to ask random questions. I can think of a lot of other scenarios for this type of added value. I believe as long as there's no spam, it's a viable vehicle. Nice post Jason, I think that IM could make a lot of sense in the context of a loyalty program. Take the fitness category as an example. Imagine being part of a fitness club and paying a slight premium for having access to a personal trainer or nutritionist to ask random questions. I can think of a lot of other scenarios for this type of added value. I believe as long as there’s no spam, it’s a viable vehicle.

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