Twitter, Facebook and other social media and why cats land on their feet

Two years ago at the annual SIPA conference in Washington, I remember having a conversation about YouTube. One. In 2008 I bet I had a dozen conversations with people about their YouTube marketing plans and strategies. This year, none.

While I don't think YouTube has become irrelevant, the buzz has clearly shifted to the social networking parts of social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, and especially Twitter, were huge topics of conversation, in the sessions, the exhibit area, and in the hallways and receptions. It's a lot for most publishers to absorb, particularly in a challenging general economic environment.

If we had to personify (or perhaps felinify) our industry, there's no doubt, it would be a cat. We land on our feet.

Some people believe cats have some sort of internal ballast that swings them around in time for them to always land on their feet. They don't. What they have is a keen instinct. They know their survival depends on their ability to right themselves, regardless of the situation, so when they hit the ground their ready to face whatever they must.

But, if a falling cat gets complacent -- maybe it thinks it's too much effort to flip over, or there's plenty of time and it can flip over later -- it can land on her back, causing serious injury or death.

Don't be complacent. Wade into social media. Understand how your market wants to be interacting online, with you and with each other. Develop internal expertise in Twitter and LinkedIn, basic video editing, and other tools of the online world that may not have been part of your traditional publishers tool kit.

Like our member companies, SIPA can't be complacent. I'm working with the Executive Committee and SIPA staff to formulate a plan for reinventing SIPA. I'll bring you more information on this soon as I flesh it out. Be assured, SIPA is not going to land flat on its back.

And another myth about cats? 9 lives. They just have one. Cat's don't land on their feet automatically. They land on their feet because they make it happen, and whatever pain they feel in doing so, it beats the alternative.

Notes from the SIPA annual conference

I got home a couple hours ago from Washington so I had a whole flight to reflect on the past three days at the Mayflower. Here, in no particular order on some thoughts I had:

Wow. For an industry in the midst of an unprecedented transtion coinciding with an exceptional market downturn, this was an upbeat group. I have no doubt that we'd all be happy if it were 2007 or early 2008 again but it's not and as a group, we seem ready to take on the challenges coming at us.

It was great to see so many familiar faces -- my family members who I only get to see a handful of times a year. It was also a pleasure to meet so many new faces, from the US, and from countries around the world.

I brought home enough great ideas to make this conference worth FAR more than the price. I took away practical ideas from every session I attended. I can't begin to name them all, but one particular standout in my mind: Mark Ragan's (from Lawrence Ragan Communications) was a compelling story that ought to be required viewing for all (it was videotaped and is available for purchase). If you missed it, be sure to buy this session.

In the coming year I look forward to traveling to as many chapters as possible, in this country and abroad, to meet members and share more ideas to help us all profitably take advantage of emerging opportunities in the specialized information field.

If there were any lingering doubts in peoples' minds that social media is going to figure prominently in our future, they should be dispelled. Social media technologies -- Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn (and many other current and future sites), not to mention blogging, wikis, online video -- need to become core competencies. SIPA's Twittering is minimal at this point but that will be changing. And you can join the SIPA LinkedIn group (also Facebook, although I think LinkedIn is likely to be more useful from an association perspective). Also, let's LinkIn to each other. You'll find me on there and I welcome the chance to connect with you.

As I mentioned in my first speech as the new SIPA president today, I am convinced that SIPA is faced with the need for revolutionary change. As an association, we have the opportunity to lead our industry, and our members, by example, by embracing the need for new ways to package, price, and promote the great content that SIPA already creates, and to aggressively develop content (both copy and events) to address emerging areas of interest. It's a challenge, but no more of a challenge than what we all face in our day jobs. We'll get down to it. Stay tuned ...

SIPA task force to envision publishing strategy

Today, in my first official act as President of SIPA, I am announcing the formation of a task force to create and plan the association's publishing strategy. This is the highest priority I see for this association and my goal is to have the work of the task force wrapped up by the end of the calendar year.

This task force is going to be a quick-hit group that will meet by phone and email a handful of times over the coming months to develop a plan that addresses:

• What are the current and emerging information needs of our members?
• How do members want to access this information?
• What sources are most valuable -- industry experts, other members, people from other industries?
• What role, if any, is there for blogs, wikis, Twitter, Facebook, web conferencing?
• What, if anything, do we still want to have in print?
• What is the staffing we need to implement these plans?

These are essentially the same questions each of us is asking in our own businesses every day. Members of the task force will have to commit a modest amount of time to this effort. The return for this effort, aside from helping to ensure the continuing vitality and value of SIPA, is the opportunity to think through this issue with smart colleagues from your industry who get it. It's like a hands-on workshop training program. And it's free.

I want this task force to include a wide range of perspectives and experience. I'd like some industry veterans and some newcomers, traditional publishers and digital natives, large companies and small.

If you're interested in taking advantage of the opportunity to join this effort, please contact me at Ed_Coburn@hms.harvard.edu.

What lies ahead for SIPA in the coming year

As I take on the office of president of SIPA, here are my thoughts about the state of our industry and association:

The challenges I want to pursue in coming year:

Obviously weathering current climate – still have strong reserves

Getting SIPA to walk the talk when it comes to communications

• Electronic media as appropriate
• Social media
• Interactive forums
• Broader coverage of topics
• Looking for volunteers, especially some digital natives, to join 6-month task force

Greater transparency and involvement

• Revising and publishing nomination process
• Starting President’s blog to share news and insights and conversation at EdCoburn.blogspot.com.

I look forward to working with you to help your association, and your business, thrive in the coming years.