On Monday we were joined by Mike Quinn from Adobe to discuss how the ubiquitous blue thumbs up- the ‘like’ button- can be monetised.

As rumours abound that Facebook is preparing an IPO, with estimates setting the amount to be raised as high as $10 billion, it seems timely that this week’s #CommsChat focused on the social network

Mike Quinn is product marketing manager at Adobe EMEA, which is working with Facebook on several projects this year.

The full transcript can be accessed below and we’ve also pulled out a few of our favourite tweets from the course of the hour.

@AdamAzor free social services & their resulting popularity was the cause and start of this journey

@MikeQuinn Engaging with the Social Channel is a cost even if you only count the labour costs so businesses need to prove ROI

@Stevejuice anyone else think social media is judged more severely on measurable ROI than trad PR and advertising ever has?

@MikeQuinn When Levi’s implemented the Like button on its site over 40% of all the traffic coming to its website came from Facebook

@SheilaS Yes social should be judged, but seems to be a lot more questioning of FB over 1/4 page print ad that “we always buy.”

@MikeQuinn polled 600 bizs w/ @Econsultancy & found only 12% believe they’re harnessing social data correctly

The transcript can be seen here: transcript January 30 with Mike Quinn

As rumours abound that Facebook is preparing an IPO, with estimates setting the amount to be raised as high as $10 billion, it seems timely that this week’s #CommsChat will focus on the social network.

Brand involvement with Facebook is hardly a novelty now, but Mike Quinn, product marketing manager at Adobe EMEA, which is working with Facebook on several projects this year, will be discussing how that ubiquitous blue thumbs up – the ‘Like’ button – can actually be monetised.

#CommsChat starts at 8pm, right here. Mike will be tweeting from @AdobeUK - don’t forget to tag your tweets with #commschat to join in the conversation. Topics for tonight include:

-          How has a free network progressed to the point that it’s now possible to monetise Facebook interactions?

-          Who’s already there? And what can they teach us about best practise?

-          Will everyone be able to move into monetising their Facebook presence?

-          How will social media audiences respond?

-          What are the best ways to collaborate with Facebook on your page?

A transcript will be available on the #CommsChat website on Tuesday.

On Monday we were joined by Phil Mohr from Comufy to discuss social CRM and the switch from broadcast to personal messaging.

There has been much discussion about the nature of social CRM, whether it is software, a philosophy or a business strategy. We discussed how CRM in a social media context can be defined and whether it’s necessary for brands that want to achieve a 1:1 relationship with customers. To conclude we asked for practical tips on how a brand can achieve a 1:1 relationship with customers.

The full transcript can be accessed below and we’ve also pulled out a few of our favourite tweets from the course of the hour.

@Phil_Mohr: Bottom line for me:Social CRM is like a faster version of normal CRM,with different data src+tools to interact with ur customer

@LexMarkus: I get allergic reactions when it’s claimed that (social) CRM is software.

@robertcgage:  Companies using social media as free PR and not bothering to interact with customers miss the point

@AmelieMet: In real life one has to teach the customer that immediate response is not likely, so that needs to be taught on twitter as well

@JeremySinger1: Social has given consumers & fans of brands an access all areas pass. Transparency is now key!

@robertcgage: Doing it well – @BTcare @BandQ to name two…

@LexMarkus: Yes, but it’s also possible to work w/ CRM without CRM software. Not recommended, but still possible.

@AmelieMet: CRM may not be the only way but it appears to be the easiest and most used way

@Littlefoxcomms: but how many organisations have got the resources or organisations to answer questions 24/7?!

@JamesAldousPR: Social should support CRM, but be very careful before you allow it to lead it

@Phil_Mohr: a good CRM with a community manger handover protocol definitely helps. Community management is often underestimated

The transcript can be viewed here: transcript January 23 with Phil Mohr

For #CommsChat on Monday 23 January, we’re delighted to welcome Phil Mohr from Comufy to discuss social CRM and the switch from broadcast to personal messaging.

For an hour on Monday, we’re going to explore the idea of social CRM. Topics up for debate will include:

#CommsChat will last an hour, from 8-9pm Monday (UK time). Take part right here on the CommsChat site, or by tagging your tweets with the #CommsChat hashtag. A transcript will go up on Tuesday morning.

On Monday 16 January, we were joined by James Whatley for a #CommsChat discussing engagement currency – a subject of a recent post over at James’ blog: http://whatleydude.com/2012/01/engagement-currency/

To kick-start the discussion, we asked how engagement currency can be defined, and we took a look at Heineken’s recent experiment with QR codes at the Open’er Music Festival.

James Whatley has just left word of mouth marketing agency, 1000heads. After two years of building award-winning social media and community campaigns for multiple different clients around the globe, he’s joining Ogilvy PR on Jan 23rd as senior associate director, 360 influence.

It was a lively CommsChat, resulting in 27 pages of transcript which can be accessed via the link below. We’ve also pulled out a few of our favourite tweets from the course of the hour.

@jgombita I’m wondering  if engagement currency is that different than “social capital?”

@GemmaWent When stripped back, isn’t engagement currency simply something (anything) that facilitates engagement or conversation

@AudiencesEurope  Flags at Festivals is a genius example of engagement currency. I love this idea

@haylo_PR  QR codes only work if ur audience understand and engage in them as a tool.

@HewstoneW I’m not in comms but have experience of county-wide campaigns aimed at young people. For teenagers, I can tell you QRs are ideal.
@Whatleydude I think the *point* is being open to a community’s already established method of communicating

@alistairbeech  Toyota’s ToyoTag is a decent QR code case study: http://t.co/tc6F9DZQ

@AdamAzor Everyone talks QR… the real mobile innovation for the future is image recognition. That’s when brands will become always on

@mynewsdesk_uk In B2B, brands need engagement currency to stand out at events and trade fairs

@AdamAzor  I think when we have mass NFC adoption for handsets, it will a massive gamechanger for our industry
You can read the transcript here, transcript January 16 with James Whatley

For #CommsChat on Monday 16 January, we’re delighted to welcome James Whatley on board. We’re going to be thinking about engagement currency – a subject of a recent post over at James’ blog: http://whatleydude.com/2012/01/engagement-currency/

Engagement currency stems from thinking about how brands can build engagement with various communities through social objects – such as Heineken’s recent experiment with QR codes at the Open’er Music Festival. But Heineken’s QR codes weren’t really a success, because the company used a technological process for a technological end, rather than capturing what festival-goers were already using to communicate with one another. Engagement currency also draws on the ideas of Free Energy, which you can have a look at here: http://www.slideshare.net/andywhitlock/free-energy

For an hour on Monday, we’re going to explore how brands can get people talking using objects of currency – whether it’s flags for festival-goers, laptop stickers for bloggers, or anything else. Topics for Monday night will include:

• How can we define engagement currency?
• What brands do we think are currently using this kind of strategy – and doing it well?
• Do we agree that Heineken could have done better here, and how?
• QR codes as a medium for engagement – do they work? Has anyone cracked it?
• In which other communities could this strategic line work?

#CommsChat will last an hour, from 8-9pm Monday (UK time). Take part right here on the CommsChat site, or by tagging your tweets with #CommsChat. A transcript will go up on Tuesday morning.

James Whatley has just left word of mouth marketing agency, 1000heads. After two years of building award-winning social media and community campaigns for multiple different clients around the globe, he’s joining Ogilvy PR on Jan 23rd as senior associate director, 360 influence. Which means that for #commschat, he’s technically unemployed!

You can follow him, @whatleydude, and read his blog http://whatleydude.com.

On Monday 9 January, #CommsChat looked at how events can bring brands to life in front of an audience.

We were joined by James Wilkins, joint MD at Logistik, which works on comms, events, campaigns and brand experiences for companies such as Natwest, M&S, and Yorkshire Water. Logistik also worked on the experiential campaign behind the launch of the new Ford Focus in 2011, which took in competitions over social media, live music, and multi-platform marketing – you can see content from the launch at http://www.facebook.com/fordfocus.

This was the first #CommsChat of 2012 and it featured discussion on the use of events for internal comms, the use of social media in the planning and execution of brand experiences and the pitfalls to be wary of in events for a brand.

The full transcript can be seen below, but we’ve also pulled out a few tweets from the course of the hour.

@AdamAzor Whats important with experiential, is like any other marketing disciple, it has to the right to way to answer the brief.

@LogistikGroup also I believe in low tech even no tech. strip it back, get good at storytelling and truly engaging
@VivAmsterdam We all know, first thing employees want to know is: what does this mean for me?

@AdamAzor Social & I would say specifically social interaction via mobile has been one of the most exciting integrations into experiential

@LogistikGroup also remember it is often not what u say but how u feel about what u say

You can read the transcript at January 9 with James Wilkins

For the first #CommsChat of 2012, we’re going to be thinking about how events can extend your brand and bring them to life in front of audiences.

We’re going to be joined by James Wilkins, joint MD at Logistik, which works on comms, events, campaigns and brand experiences for companies such as Natwest, M&S, and Yorkshire Water. Logistik also worked on the experiential campaign behind the launch of the new Ford Focus in 2011, which took in competitions over social media, live music, and multi-platform marketing – you can see content from the launch at http://www.facebook.com/fordfocus.

Monday’s chat will take place from 8 to 9pm (UK time), right here at: http://commschat.com/commschat-now. Or join in via Twitter and make sure to use the #commschat tag.

Topics for the chat include:

- What are the best live events that brands have put on recently?

- How can you use events to reach internal audiences as well as for marketing purposes?

- Do live events still have a place when it comes to talking to investors?

- How can social media help with the planning and execution of brand experiences?

- What are the pitfalls to be wary of in events for a brand?