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March 9, 2010
IBM Gets Personal
In doing some research for a project last week, I came upon the IBM website and its My IBM Links tab off the Home page. The functionality helps users bookmark content on the site, connect to communities of interest in the IBM world, link up IBM accounts, grab RSS feeds from IBM's long list of company/employee blogs, install IBM-supplied widgets and apps...in short, everything you would expect from a leading-edge, socially-conscious, content-rich, transactionally-active company. Not necessarily what many people would expect from IBM. It reflects an IBM messaging strategy squarely focused on customers, applications and community, reflecting the company's shifts from its product-centric past.
In fact, many large enterprises are pushing the envelope in marketing and customer service to compete. P&G is a renowned researcher and innovator in new marketing tools and techniques. Nike is relentless in its application of marketing, but is sometimes overlooked for initiatives like NIke+ which has successfully held together a large community of runners with tools for tracking training activities (and drawing upon the inherent competitiveness of many athletes...including beginners.)
Not all companies have the depth of content, human resources or access to technology that IBM has. But there are a lot of great lessons to be learned from IBM's current web initiatives. Here are three that any company can apply:
- Great content isn't about products. It is about how to apply the products to solve business challenges. It is 2010 and this lesson still seems to not sink in on the vast majority of corporate websites.
- Community happens; better that is happen in your arena. Customers will find each other, aggregate and communicate. Give them a place to do so to make it easier for you to spot trends -- positive or negative.
- Test and learn. IBM has been evolving, changing, adapting and enhancing its website for years. This is not an overnight sensation. Your company, big or small needs to start that same process. Your website is either getting better or worse...there is no such thing as "staying the same." Better only happens if you make it happen.
Posted by jcioban at March 9, 2010 7:40 AM
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