Connie Bensen

Not long ago I had outlined how being a community manager is like being a parent. I’ve extended the analogy to my startup too. Techrigy was just a toddler when I joined the four others in October 2008. Together we have grown the Techrigy family (staff) and added extended family (customers). Our product, SM2 evolved, and it has been a really exciting 10 months for me filled with learning and much growth!

Last week we announced that our Techrigy family had been adopted (acquired) by Alterian, a company with analytical products for marketers. They intend to bring SM2 into the mainstream. It’s time for SM2 to come of age. Alterian’s three hundred strong has assumed our vision and will take it to the next level!

Before the announcement some of Alterian’s executives joined us at the home office to share their enthusiasm and vision for bringing us into their company. David Eldridge, CEO of Alterian summarized it best by saying that he wants to revolutionize marketing. If you’ve used a social media monitoring tool you know the power of bringing in online conversations and viewing the information in a variety of ways. There’s a learning curve but that’s part of what I enjoy so much about my job! There’s also a sense of unknown being on the leading edge. We’re going down a road that hasn’t been mapped yet!

Friends have asked me a number of questions & it’s easier to answer them here:

1. Will I have to relocate?

No! Alterian is a global company with people living where they live. When I was asked how I felt about travel, I said, “We have airports!”. I didn’t confess to not having iPhone access, but they use Blackberry’s. I am now connected with a global Tour! And I now have lots of motherships to visit.

• Techrigy headquarters will remain in Rochester, NY
• UK offices in Bristol & Newbury (I’m traveling there next week! )
• US office in Chicago – a one flight hop for me (I’ll be there last week of August)
• and they also have other US offices

2. Why did they choose Techrigy?

Alterian researched many companies and chose SM2 for a number of reasons:

• similar corporate culture (I love this one! more coming on this topic)
• similar selling geographies & use of partner channels
• similar approach to software innovation

And I must say I am so excited & pleased about the first & third. I’ve written about our culture at Techrigy & my contributions to that. And in the third case I’ve worked closely with customers to evolve SM2 to their needs. So I’m really proud of Techrigy’s being chosen & believe that it underlines the value of having a community manager. I’m also excited to join Alterian as we continue to evolve SM2!

3. Why did Techrigy choose to be acquired by Alterian?

We have built our brand and reputation on our technology & excellent customer service. We see a lot of potential in joining with Alterian’s sales channels & partners. Together we can do more and continue to offer a leading social media monitoring product as well as integrate it with Alterian’s products.

Mike Talbot, CTO at Alterian summarized it in his tweet last week:

4. What will my role be?

I wore a few hats at Techrigy (and no I can’t say that without smiling). My concern in being adopted by a new company was that I would have to ‘sell’ the use of social media. It’s apparent that I shouldn’t have been concerned at all! Everyone is very enthusiastic about getting involved in utilizing SM2 and social media so I have a new challenge of how to transition a B2B company into online engagement. The VP of Marketing has agreed that I can blog this journey, so you’ll get to learn along with us. How’s that for transparency?! I’m impressed that they not only want to lead the revolution in marketing, but also walk the talk. So we’ll do that! Stay tuned …

5.  How will this affect our customers?

As mentioned previously, our customers are our number one priority. There are going to be so many benefits! We are already offering more resources:

• http://training.techrigy.com Check out the downloadable workbook! It rocks!!
• Webinars on SM2 starting next week – come see what it’s all about
• Faster evolution of the product to meet customer’s needs

So our Techrigy SM2 is growing up! And I’ll be taking the community building strategy that has been working well at Techrigy and applying it at a corporate level. I always enjoy the  challenge of taking things to a new level!

What questions do you have?

When people hear that I work remotely there are many responses. I’m not sure that people realize the many aspects of it. If you read my blog you know that I’m a huge proponent of working remotely. This post is a summary of considerations that both the employee & employer need to consider for a successful experience.

Working remotely suits the community building role for a number of reasons. We are an independent type that is self motivated. There are also many advantages to not being onsite:

• provides a unique perspective from the customer’s eyes
• ability to wok on projects without frequent interruptions at the office
• employer has access to a larger more skilled & experienced hiring pool
• it’s convenient to work flexible hours & provide 24/7 service
• utilization of Web 2.0 tools
• higher job satisfaction
• lower cost of living

The downsides for working remotely:

• working too many hours (I am guilty)
• lack of social interaction in real life with coworkers
• conference calls with speakerphones are a pain

I’ve been working remotely for 12 years. As a librarian, my region office was 75 miles away. I supervised 7 sites. Online I’ve worked with a number of companies. The main ones have been located in Victoria, BC Canada, Herndon, VA, San Francisco, and my present one is in Rochester, NY. (I live in northern Minnesota)

The following considerations for working remotely are important. Many of these are important in any workplace.

• the contact at the company plays a big role
• trust & respect are imperative
• common vision & goals
• listening & communication in both directions
• outline expectations for both sides
• will provide internal support & connection
• deliverables rather than a time clock
• projects & routine tasks based on a timeframe
• goals based on strategy & objectives (mutually established)
• reporting based on deliverables
• collaboration tools – it’s all about efficiency
• imperative to working remote
• utilize what the company has established & add to that if needed
• share calendars for scheduling meetings
• wikis are great for planning
• access to the bug reporting software (yes I provide product feedback directly into the system)

Suggestions for success in working remotely:

• Establish relationships with key people in the organization
• Find out how they prefer to communicate & use that
• Be perceptive to needs of the organization & remember that at meetings you’ll be missing the nonverbal cues
• Train them in Web 2.0 activities – this will build mutual respect
• Talk about what your work & responsibilities because many may not know what you’re doing
• Circulate positive feedback within the company (I love sending company wide emails  ) Remember that you’re the link to the customers
• Encourage communication internally amongst departments – I frequently joked, "Don’t you people talk to each other?!!"
• Ask the right questions (see the previous one) – there is more burden on you as a remote employee to stay up to date.
• Work with a transparent organization.
• Interview the potential employer in order to identify expectations.

Home office visits are another important aspect of working remotely. I will be covering that in a future post. That is a time to solidify the relationships & get to know each other in person.

If you’re en employer I would encourage you to consider offering a remote option. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. As more knowledge workers realize that they offer valuable assets  think that geography will become less of an issue.

What questions do you have about working remotely?

Today Chris Brogan’s post struck a chord with me: working remotely & your personal brand. He pointed to some good articles by Shel Israel & Steve Rubel about working remotely. Seth Godin started one of his chapters in Meatball Sundae with this (and I LOVE quoting it):

Outsourcing: It’s not just possible to find someone to make/code/do something for you quickly & cheaply; it is now easy. The means of production of physical goods & intellectual property is no longer based on geography but is based on talent & efficiency instead.

I LOVE Steve’s term ‘Digital Nomads’. Really though, we call ourselves Remote Warriors. hmm Digital Warriors? just doesn’t sound quite right… if I was a coder, maybe?!

Here’s what I say:

No matter what you call us – I believe that if employers are requiring people to work onsite then they are overlooking some serious talent that could improve their bottom line

I think Remote Warrior is more appropriate in my case because I felt like it was a battle to find a job working remotely. I’ve been successfully working remotely as well as building a personal brand since I began working online. Before that I supervised 7 public libraries (6 were spread across an area spanning 85 miles). I have experience in this both from an administrative perspective as well as the more important one of leadership. Those skills easily transferred to the online setting. As many people commented on Chris’ blog it’s about communication. ‘That can be lacking even if everyone is in the same building! The one thing with working remotely is that I try to ask the right questions to ensure efficiency. Communication is my forte.

Chris also made the point of employers mixing personal brands with corporate brands. In applying for community manager jobs I was surprised that about half were specifically asking for someone well connected with influential bloggers. Some were asking what bloggers the applicant follows regularly (which would give a sense of their interests). So some companies are starting to recognize that a person’s network has value.

The interesting thing is that my present position with Network Solutions came to my inbox while I was on vacation in London. Yes, it was my network. As Chris suggested, my work is project oriented & measured by deliverables. And now I can meld the influence of my personal brand with Shashi’s commitment to moving the company forward. Is there value in that? stay tuned.. This week we made a step forward & it will gain momentum. (That’s what happens in my projects – I don’t like things standing still).

So what does this mean to you? I know that many of you are wanting to work remotely. Put the word out thru your network that you’re looking. I agree with Chris & Steve that we’re going to see some changing trends. And I’ve taken on the issue awhile ago.

If you’re an employer reading this ask yourself:

• For what reason are you sticking with the traditional paradigm?
• What would happen if you experimented with it? On a previous post people admitted that they get more done at working at home.
• Would it increase work performance & satisfaction?

Everything is 2.0 – Web 2.0, library 2.0, marketing 2.0, PR 2.0 etc It’s affecting our lives in so many ways! And some of us are flourishing in it. I know many people that are excited about the new role of Community Manager that has evolved.  I could hear the passion in Thomas Knoll’s (Seesmic’s community manager) voice when he told me how excited he is to have the opportunity to work in this capacity!

So my question is if the realm of marketing and public relations is being changed by customer influence, does this affect how employees work? Can a community manager work remotely? Should a company consider this compromise? Is it practical?

I consider some of the newly evolving positions as totally web 2.0. The persona is one of an independent self starter that’s project oriented – or at least that’s what they’re advertising for!

I have been working remotely since 2006 & have established myself online professionally & personally. But it’s a compromise on both sides & requires a lot of trust. But the whole concept of the community  manager position requires that anyway. We are the voice of the brand as we move amongst the customers.

There are a number of us that are remote warriors. We firmly believe that we efficiently & effectively accomplish our jobs! We love working in this style.
Working remotely offers the following positives that I don’t think companies are realizing:
    – higher productivity
    – higher job satisfaction & happier employee
    – lower cost of living – I can work for a lower wage from MN & provide high quality service
    – onsite time is maximized & relationships are built – my home office visits are invaluable
    – huge spectrum of talent to draw on – requiring onsite limits it to those able to relocate
    – the community manager position is a web 2.0 position & there are many advantages to be off site

on the Facebook Community Manager Group Mark Woodward referred to it as ‘crucial freedoms’

I definitely agree. How many meetings do you go to? How many are necessary? Do interruptions at the office affect your multitasking? Do you sometimes wish you could tune it out? (I can turn off my chat aggregator or Twitterstream). At my previous job when I was onsite there were times when I worked from home in order to be able to focus.

There are downsides:

• I miss my coworkers sometimes – but then I use old technology (telephone)
• Sometimes it’s hard to hear when there are many in the room at a con call
• if wiki’s or collaborative doc tools aren’t used – it generates a lot of email

My role has extended to a worldwide presence as I mentor and now am partnering with friends who have businesses in Texas, the UK & Singapore. Web 2.0 tools has reduced the limitations geography used to place on us. In Seth Godin’s Meatball Sundae he comments on the trend of ‘Outsourcing’:

It’s not just possible to find someone to make/code/do something for you quickly & cheaply; it is now easy. The means of production of physical goods and intellectual property is no longer based on geography but is based on talent & efficiency instead.

So a note to employers: Where is your talent located at? and is it more efficient to compromise & allow them to work remotely with periodic home office visits? Think of the commute time that many of your employees have – are they using that time productively? Web 2.0 is an experiment in many ways, why not in this way too?

What do you think? I’d like to hear form both sides (and yes, also my fellow remote warriors! tell me the pro’s & con’s ).