Posts Tagged ‘LinkedIn’

My tagline is, ‘Removing Technical Impediments to Business Success.’ In support of that descriptive phrase I refer to myself as a technical business consultant. It reflects the reality that there is a need for people, service providers or mentors, who can bridge the gap between the purely technical and the purely business-oriented concerns faced by every business today.

At one end of the spectrum you find service providers very capable of discussing and providing advice on the business concerns you face, topics like: what markets you should pursue; changes in operations; financial modeling; and, organizational realignment. At the other end of the spectrum are technology experts, who can find, build, and/or implement a solution specific to any technical issue at hand.

There’s often a gap, or barrier, in the middle. This is where technical meets business in the consulting realm. Have you ever encountered the technologist that couldn’t communicate in terms of business objectives being served? Or, moving in the other direction, the business person who could not frame a requirement technically, so a developer could understand what they needed to create? It’s important to have someone involved who can effectively bridge that communication barrier.

As a technical business consultant, I deliver the ability to see the big picture, to comprehend your strategy, goals, and objectives. I also understand the application of a number of different software, SaaS, web, and IT-oriented technologies. Applying a healthy dose of common sense, I help you assess a situation, identify the best approach, and focus on the core issues rather than the more visible symptoms.

This past week, B.L. Ochman wrote a BusinessWeek article, “Debunking Six Social Media Myths.”  While his core themes are on track, the messages also pointed solely toward big business.  That’s fine as far as it goes, but what about everyone else?  A few comments begged for a bit more…

(1) Social media is cheap, if not free.

Ochman indicates an, ‘…effective social media marketing campaign begins at $50,000 for two to three months.’  Better yet, he goes on to suggest a $50-100K budget for a simple multimedia microsite…with an ongoing budget of $25-100K/month.  To be honest, I think you could exchange ‘social’ with ‘traditional’ and be just fine here.

In discussing social media efforts with people, I find that most do not see it as ‘free’ or even cheap.  Most are aware this is something very new to them. They’re concerned about missing the train and have a gut feel (as budgets crumble all ’round) they better learn, quick. Read the rest of this entry »