Know-How Exchange : Our Forum

Hi Carrie,

My appologies for not responding sooner but this week is kind of crazy.

I think it is a great Q for you to post and open it to all members. By doing so, you will engage MarketingProfs in an "informal" open innovation which will benefit your company.

Having said this, and in short, I think the interaction among members in this site should be (or I would like it to be) like Linkedin's groups, in which you can post events, discussions, news, jobs, etc.

I love how this Q&A works and I think it is a very smart way of getting people involved, as you only get to ask questions if you have points. However, I don't feel it's "our hub". I rarely turn to Marketing Profs to search for colleague's advice, however the network here is so knowledgeable...

Don't you think you have the opportunity of becoming the "professional network platform" for marketing profs?

Have a great day!

Mariana

Carrie,

Your concern is completely unfounded. I started this post because, when I tried to do something I realized Marketing Profs didn't have networking tools available for it's members, and I think that you are missing an opportunity there. Having said this, I also think, that many of your members, including myself will see with good eyes the fact that you allow companies to post jobs that are relevant for your target market, moreover in this slow economy. This should be regarded as a service to your members. It could even be a service for your paying members.

About privacy, you could allow each member to determine their level of privacy... you don't have to "think" for us, unless it's a strategy for not letting us connect among each other.

About the Linkedin group, although it's great that you have one out of your site, again, I think you are missing an opportunity of driving clients constantly to your site by not holding one here. Up to you, but it's kind of "walk your own words". Not to mention that if in Linkedin you search under "groups" for "marketing", MP is nowhere to be found in the first three pages; conducting a search for "marketing profs", nowhere to be found either and when you finally type "marketingprofs", bingo! there you are! So... you are not very easy to find!

Nevertheless, as I have been in marketing for over 20 years and in the last 5 I have focused on innovation (specifically open innovation), you don't have to be "concerned" about a member suggestion, you should be welcoming and promoting more members to help you improve the service. Without us, you wouldn't exist.

I've been told many times "Feedback is a gift someone is generously offering you".

Essentially the KHE appears to be frozen in time and under invested in compared, say the exciting new Web 3.0 aspects of the site for social networking, tweeting (?) and web 3.0 developments. Sure, we’ve got to move with the times and my companies make their money by being ahead of the times.

That the KHE and MarketingProfs as a whole does not foster networking between members is a shame, because without investment in its infrastructure it cannot do so whilst protecting members from head-hunters, real estate agents, MLM opportunities and SPAM. With investment, it can.

And it should. The KHE is the nuts and bolts place of marketing where members discuss the basics of selling and marketing as they have changed or not changed for the last 70 years and then see how to apply them to new markets, new technologies and new media. Tweeting would not exist if it had not originated from an old idea and it would not have succeeded had it not been propounded by some old dinosaurs like me, sitting in a tower at the family seat, typing “Bloody butler late again – tea will be cold—“ Or my pal Stephen Fry.

The failure of MarketingProfs to use its vast subscriber base baffles me. 340,000 names and email addresses could at least make the management into “Network Marketing” zillionaires over night, whilst simultaneously bankrupting most of middle America Ad-Land (Golden goose perhaps)

If the management want the subscribers to provide the momentum and the income and the power for the new and paid for services they have first to recognise them and then to empower them.

Steve Alker
Xspirt

PS Ann or Anne – if you are reading this, my bill is in the post!

While I have been fortunate to build a network of friends though the Marketingprofessor site. I do feel like there could be additional ways to drive better social networking.

This is definitely an idea that needs to be seriously explored...

Thank you all for your comments. I think Marketing Profs is not valuing the incredible know-how it has among it's members. Unfortunately, only a few companies like P&G, General Mills, Apple, Google, Kraft are trying to understand the value of open innovation. And they had, to their competitors disadvantage. Marketing Profs, is probably a small company who is not yet engaged in the culture of "proudly invented somewhere else"... And sometimes, a suggestion to them is taken as a conspicuous threat...

I totally disagree, Marketingprofs IS one vibrant place. Sure, posting may be down somewhat as there are fewer questions to answer, but the networking that goes on is very low key. I am constantly amazed how many folks click on an arcived question, then click on my member profile and contact me.

But then again, yes, KHE is very subtle about how to contact memebrs. We used to get spammed to death before privacy snd security controls were put in place. Still, folks who do want to get in touch, can, very easily. Many then ask me to be their friend on Facebook, join thier Myspace page, follow or be followed on Twitter, connect via LinkedIn, etc etc etc.

Just because thier isn't a category for social media here, please don't assume that we are not up on the topic. Heck, I've likely forgotten more about social media marketing than most folks will ever know (and yes, feel free to contact me personally to ask me why).

Darcy Moen
Customer Loyalty Network

As far as what MP could be, I think it's worth understanding what it is first. In this light, I think it may be worth saying that there is MarketingProfs (MP) and Know How Exchange (KHE). Many prospective members land at KHE because they search the web for marketing information and find the many threads within KHE addressing about every facet of that topic. They see the tremendous database of information, bookmark it and perhaps become a member and regular contributor. However, KHE is but one offering of dozens by MP.

Like most organizations, MP has a beginning and then an evolving mission. This can best be found in the About Us page. The first line under "What is MarketingProfs says, "It's a rich and trusted resource that offers actionable know-how to help you market your products and services both smarter and better." This is in line with its history and its positioning versus other marketing forums out there is consistent with this mission.

The mission is pretty simple - as with most successful organizations. MP does a pretty decent job of sticking to that mission and avoiding "mission-creep" - the bane of many unsuccessful organizations. Some can fault a successful organization for not expanding into every realm of an industry, but that's a little like faulting a cow for not laying eggs. After all, the cow is excellent at providing milk - a staple at breakfast. So why not provide eggs? Well, the answer is two-fold. First, the cow probably wouldn't be good at providing eggs. And second, it's probably not in its nature.

So could the MP team be a social networking super giant in the marketing field? Probably. MP has lots of marketing know-how and expertise in social networking. Could MP be a marketing job board or project board? Again, probably. However, its chosen NOT to be.

As a rich and trusted resource that offers actionable know-how to help you market your products and services both smarter and better, MP does pretty well. There are so many options beyond KHE - a rich and trusted resource in its own right - like MarketingProfs University, international conferences, online seminars, research studies, and much more. Plus, it is a place to meet colleagues from around the world - I've struck up valuable and close relationships with Steve and Randall and Dave and Michael and many more on KHE and outside of MP. While this is not necessarily within the charter of MP - it's happened none-the-less and the "additional click or two" to seek them out has been well worth it.

So I for one am glad to see that MP has not deviated from its chosen purpose to other areas that are already pretty full with both good and junk. I think MP fills a valuable niche and does so very well. The preceding message IS NOT a paid endorsement from MP - although any spare KNE points secured from "multi-answer round-off" that land in my account will be gratefully accepted. You want controversy? OK, Carrie, just where does that extra point go when you award 125 points to two people and each only get 62??? :)

Wayde

I don't see Marketingprofs as vibrant. I see it as benign, friendly, mild and not aggressive. It has nothing to do with security or # of posts , or how we are served by marketingprofs. That doesn't answer the original post. We are asked general questions and we can only give generalized answers. Not general as in vague-- but questions that should be based on our experience without digging to do the real work Why? Because then they cross the line and there should be a project posted.

But I am very open to MP's VIBRANT social networking. I like several above have made some great connections. MP-- you are sitting on a gold mine!

I'm confused. Some are saying there is no Social Media category here, presumably meaning on KHE. What is this, https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_category.asp?catID=31 , chopped liver?

Granted, it's a relatively new category, and one that hasn't been inundated with questions yet. Just a couple of good answers would get you into the top 25. But if Mariana is after a list of KHE leaders in Social Media, maybe the top 10 to 25 is your starting point?

As far as KHE being underinvested - given the massive number of one-off, drive-by questioners who barely participate and never return, I think it would be hard for MP to justify a significant investment. For those who play by the rules and participate, this can be a fantastic resource. But it's only a fraction of MP's business model, it's a kind of automated SEO magnet, but it clearly isn't MP's main game, not as I understand it.

I should think MP makes its money from paid subscribers, not from KHE which is merely a side show. Are they missing an opportunity? Maybe, but if you truly believe that, instead of lambasting the owners through the public forum why not put a business proposition together and sell it in on a value-basis, a la Alan Weiss?

This is good discussion but it points out that we all don't seek the same things from MP. I've made contact with several people offline and have been contacted by many of the people I have answered.

That said, I want MP to be a good site. I think I've invested a fair amount of time and energy here.

For what it's worth, not interested in a social networking side.

Michael

By the way - belated thanks to Mariana for opening up this discourse and our apologies if we seem to have somewhat hijacked it!

There are probably as many opinions as to what the KHE should be as there are active members, but sounding feelings and gaining consensus is always useful.

Also don't be put of by the Carrie Brush Off. She is wonderful and helpful but she is a manger and she is not paid to disagree with board policy but to defend it.

Steve Alker
Xspirt

If the question about social networking might have been misconstrued, and really should have been interpreted as "Why no PUBLIC NETWORKING" as Marcus points out, then what form should that public networking take?

Are we talking monthly networking meetings/social events?

Or something different?

As far as the Job Board is concerned, what';s wrong with putting a job on one of the boards which already abound, and then asking here for referrers to point potential candidates in the appropriate direction?

Better still, take out a PPC ad on the MP site (I presume they sell them on a casual basis)?

Or, ask on the MP LinkedIn or FaceBook group...

Or... there are so many other options!

There IS, in fact, a MarketingProfs Member Directory. I wouldn't call it a social networking tool, really, but it's been around quite a while because people asked for it.

https://www.marketingprofs.com/directory/search.asp

But guess what? Hardly anyone filled out their profile page, even when offered incentives. You can complete your own profile by following the My Account link at the top right of the website, then hit the Edit Profile tab.

After five years with MarketingProfs, I've seen a lot of time and money spent on different tools and resources intended to help members AND bring in revenue. Some things stuck, some things didn't. C'est la vie!

If you want to hang out with marketing peers online, I think these are the best places to lurk or participate:

1. Here at KHE.

2. On Twitter, follow @marketingprofs (Ann Handley connects there with over 59,000 followers).

3. On LinkedIn, join the MarketingProfs group (now 7,500 strong) and get into the posted discussions.

4. In the online seminars (for Pro members), start attending the live broadcasts and interact with the rest of the audience in the Q&A/Chat window. I've been amazed at the number of relationships built there!

All but the fourth item in my list -- FREE. You just have to invest some time, participate, and bring some value to the party. Go on, people will LOVE you, and you'll love them back.

Shelley ;]