Crossing Mediums Crossing Mediums in Social Supportin Social Support

Jason O’Donnell @acdntlpoetJason O’Donnell @acdntlpoet Image credit: Flickr user 10ch

ContentsContents What IS crossing mediums? Why cross mediums? How to cross mediums? When to blog an answer When to cross-post to other

channels When to take conversations offline Resources

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What IS crossing mediums? What IS crossing mediums? Crossing mediums refers to taking

conversations from one venue or tool to another.

This can be as simple as highlighting a blog post in a tweet, or it can mean transitioning a few twitter @ replies into a support ticket.

In Ghostbusters, they said “Don’t cross the streams”… but later went on to break that “rule”.

In social, it is okay to cross the streams, and sometimes it is the exact right thing to do. However, we need to be smart about why, how, and when we do.

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Why cross mediums? Why cross mediums?

To use the right channel for the right conversations.

To assist in the best, most effective method possible.

To raise visibility to content on other channels.

To engage with other Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in your networks; combined knowledge is effective and efficient.

Remember, the purpose for Social Support:

To solve client problems faster.

To drive viral adoption by amplifying your support content and building trust in your expertise.

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How to cross mediums How to cross mediums

Build bridges:

First and foremost: cross mediums when doing so makes things easier for the client to get the best answer.

Directly acknowledge if you don’t have an answer, then point to the right place or bring in the right people to help answer questions.

Use Twitter @mentions, Facebook tags, or GooglePlus +mentions to connect your network of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Reach out to other SMEs via Instant Messenger, email, or phone if need be.

Make sure your blogs and forums are RSS feed enabled and get yourself added to the appropriate aggregators.

Use links to open support tickets, contact info, forums, or other channels.

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When to blog an answer?When to blog an answer?

When you need more room for explanation than the social channel intends (140 characters for twitter or a few paragraphs for a forum post).

If you have an example / solution and want to share with more than just the one follower asking for help.

To establish more credibility in the answer than a forum reply may provide (reply in the forum by pointing to your blog post).

When you have a solution without a question (for example, usage scenarios which may prove helpful to other clients).

When a technical document exists, but needs more context (always link back to the originating document).

To aid with improving the SEO (search engine optimization) of a technical document. SEO is improved with social sharing which includes blogging.

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When to cross post to other channels? When to cross post to other channels?

When you’ve blogged or answered a question and want to improve visibility… post to other forums, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and/or Facebook.

Balance your cross-posting to be sensitive to your audience. Not all posts are appropriate for all channels.

Stagger cross-posts to touch audiences in different time zones.

When you’ve posted to a forum and want to highlight the thread for others to see and comment.

When you need to engage your network to help find a solution.

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When to take a conversation offline?When to take a conversation offline? When you need a more private or

confidential conversation away from public eyes.

To enlist the help of an admin. To discuss confidential or client

identifying information.

To collaborate with a colleague on the right answer before providing it publicly.

To challenge a previously provided answer by a colleague if you disagree.

Use the channel features provided like direct messages on twitter or private messaging on forums, Instant Messaging, email, or phone.

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ResourcesResources Social Business Best Practices:

http://www.waywardcelt.com/socialbusiness/best-practices IBM’s Social Computing Guidelines: http://

www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html

IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines: http://www.ibm.com/investor/governance/business-conduct-guidelines.wss

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