# Leader Networks

> Digital and social intelligence for competitive advantage

## Services

### Digital strategy

### online community

### social selling

### customer experience

### partner engagement.

## Pages

### Using Digital Strategies to Increase Competition

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/digital-strategies-increase-competitive-advantage

[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_column_text] What’s in this book? In the digital era, your customers can engage with your company at [&hellip;]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] What’s in this book? In the digital era, your customers can engage with your company at lightening speed and they expect the same in return. That doesn’t mean tweeting them back about complaints or emailing them to thank them for input. You need to deliver a personalized experience that pulls them in and keeps them coming back for more. This in-depth ebook shows you how to amp up responsiveness using digital strategies that boost customer intimacy, loyalty, and retention—giving your company a competitive edge. Chapters Committing to Change: See the 10 first steps you need to take to become a more responsive organization. Building Intimacy, Loyalty, and Retention in the Digital Age: Get the scoop on what intimacy really looks like—and learn how to use digital strategies to transform the customer experience. Forging Your Digital Strategy: Access the tools, templates, and thinking you need to build a digital strategy map—and see how you can get more strategic about social. Building Online Customer Communities: Learn how creating an online community can be your secret weapon when it comes to serving customers and gaining advantage. Using Social Selling to Listen and Respond: See how social selling can help your sales pros drive engagement and close more business. [/vc_column_text][vc_button border_width="0" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.leadernetworks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F12%2FUsing-Digital-Strategies-to-Increase-Competitive-Advantage.pdf" uncode_shortcode_id="515201"]Download[/vc_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] About the Author Vanessa DiMauro is CEO of Leader Networks, a research and consulting firm that helps companies use digital and social technologies to gain competitive advantage. She is a pioneer in the field of online communities and in using digital business solutions to gain cus...

### Privacy Policy

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/privacy-policy

Leader Networks is committed to protecting your privacy. We are the industry leader in community management resources, research and services. [&hellip;]

Leader Networks is committed to protecting your privacy. We are the industry leader in community management resources, research and services. We offer our Clients an unparalleled set of research, training, resources and events to advance their community management programs. This Privacy Policy explains our data practices regarding Personal Data (as defined below) and other information that we collect in connection with your use of the website http://www.leadernetworks.com (where you can learn more about the Leader Networks products and services, and request for information and content). Our use of information on behalf of Clients who have registered for our newsletter is to send periodic newsletters, calls to participate in research and articles. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or privacy practices of Clients or other third parties. By using our Website, you consent to policies and practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the data practices described in this Privacy Policy, you should not use our Website. Our Collection of Your Personal Data Leader Networks collects and uses information that, alone or in combination with other information, could be used to identify you (“Personal Data”) in order to deliver our products and services, process applications to join programs, inform you of various opportunities, and provide support, as described below (please also see the “How We Use Information” section below). Personal Data That You Voluntarily Provide To Us. Leader Networks primarily collects Personal Data provided to us by individuals when they interact with our products, services, and customer service. For example, you may voluntarily provide us with Personal Data when you sign up to participate in our blogs, sign up for a seminar, ask to download content (such as a research or a white paper), submit a web form, call or email us directly, request a demonstration of our products or services, or submit your business ...

### How to Measure the Business Impact of your Online Community

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/measure-business-impact-online-community

To help community leaders link community performance with business impact – we created a new guide and framework:  “How to Measure the Business Impact of Your Online Community.” The guide and framework arm community leaders with the ultimate list of community performance questions – and ways to answer them with metrics that matter.

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] Online communities deliver significant business benefits – but community leaders struggle to measure value using the metrics that business and financial stakeholders care about. That’s a message we heard loud and clear when we surveyed more than 270 marketing and community professionals for a recent research study. To help community leaders link community performance with business impact – we created a new guide and framework:  “How to Measure the Business Impact of Your Online Community.” The guide and framework arm community leaders with the ultimate list of community performance questions – and ways to answer them with metrics that matter. Marketing and community leaders can use these tools to: Align community metrics with business goals Benchmark current community impact and track progress over time Demonstrate success in the quantitative terms that make business and financial executives sit up and take notice Make a case for more resources and more funding The 15+ page guide also walks you through the key steps you should follow to determine what matters most to your business and to choose metrics that show how your community advances those goals. Download and start tracking the hard-and-fast data that business stakeholders crave! [/vc_column_text][vc_button border_width="0" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.leadernetworks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F07%2FLeader-Networks-Metrics-Report-2017.pdf" uncode_shortcode_id="128694"]Download[/vc_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" desktop_visibility="yes" medium_visibility="yes" mobile_visibility="yes" disable_element="yes" uncode_shortcode_id="209006" shape_dividers=""][vc_column][contact-form-7 id="4601"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="50" override_padding="yes" h_...

### Success

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/sign-up-success

Thank you, your sign-up request was successful! Please check your email inbox to confirm.

Thank you, your sign-up request was successful! Please check your email inbox to confirm.

### Community Health Check Quiz

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/quiz

Ever wonder how your community stacks up? Take the Leader Networks Community Health Check Quiz and find out!  https://www.leadernetworks.com/quiz

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][WpProQuiz 1][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

### The Business Impact of Online Communities

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/business-impact-online-communities

[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_column_text] In this study &#8220;The Business Impact of Online Community&#8221; we surveyed nearly 300 US marketing and community [&hellip;]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] In this study "The Business Impact of Online Community" we surveyed nearly 300 US marketing and community leaders to answer these three key questions: How is online community impacting business goals? Are communities using metrics that resonate with business stakeholders? Is there a better way to measure and demonstrate the competitive advantage your online community delivers? Find the answers in our report, plus the Community Impact Framework, a ground-breaking resource which for the first time, gives marketing and community leaders a set of measures and metrics/KPIs that they can use to track and prove the business impact of their community – using vocabulary and methods that resonate with financial and business stakeholders. Download the report and the Community Impact Framework [/vc_column_text][vc_button border_width="0" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.leadernetworks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F03%2FThe-Business-Impact-of-Online-Communities_Leader-Networks.pdf" uncode_shortcode_id="701190"]Download[/vc_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" desktop_visibility="yes" medium_visibility="yes" mobile_visibility="yes" disable_element="yes" uncode_shortcode_id="519002" shape_dividers=""][vc_column][vc_column_text] Fill out the form below and get immediate access to the report. Thank you! [/vc_column_text][contact-form-7 id="3560"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Thank you to our sponsors: [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/6"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/6"][vc_single_image alignment="center" image="3551" img_size="medium"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/6"][vc_single_image alignment="center" image="3554" img_size="medium"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/6"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row r...

### Homepage

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-921133&#8243; back_image=&#8221;2440&#8243; back_position=&#8221;right center&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; kburns=&#8221;magnetic&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-jevc&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;15&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; top_divider=&#8221;gradient&#8221; bottom_divider=&#8221;gradient&#8221; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="2" bottom_padding="2" back_color="color-921133" back_image="2440" back_position="right center" parallax="yes" kburns="magnetic" overlay_color="color-jevc" overlay_alpha="15" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" top_divider="gradient" bottom_divider="gradient" front_end_with_slider="true" uncode_shortcode_id="284274" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" gutter_size="3" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" zoom_width="0" zoom_height="0" width="1/1"][uncode_slider slider_type="fade" slider_interval="5000" slider_navspeed="400" slider_loop="yes" slider_dots_space="yes"][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent="0" back_image="4342" overlay_color="color-184185" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" shift_y="0" z_index="0" limit_content="yes" front_end_with_slider="true" uncode_shortcode_id="625863" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column_inner column_width_percent="70" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" css_animation="alpha-anim" animation_speed="800" animation_delay="200" zoom_width="0" zoom_height="0" width="1/1" uncode_shortcode_id="147508"][vc_custom_heading text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-445851" css_animation="curtain" animation_speed="800" uncode_shortcode_id="185935" subheading="WITH LEADER NETWORKS_"]Get a Digital Edge[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h4" text_font="font-165032" text_weight="400" css_animation="curtain" animation_speed="1000" uncode_shortcode_id="396460"]How can digital and social technologies make your business smarter, faster, and more profitable? Leader Networks helps you pinpoint opportunities and create ...

### Define or refine your digital strategy

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/how-we-help-you/define-refine-digital-strategy

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3344&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center top&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;201640&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;2&#8243; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3344" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="201640" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="167707"]How we help you[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="783006"]Define or refine your digital strategy[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][uncode_breadcrumbs][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We work with your team to articulate where you want to go – and outline the operational steps to get there.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Strategy Fast Track Online Community Social Selling Employee Engagement and Advocacy Partner Engagement Inclusive Marketing Content Marketing [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id="Strategy-Fast-Track"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Strategy Fast Track [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] As a CMO or line of business leader, you need to ensure that your digital, social, and online community initiatives support your broader business goals. And you need to do it fast. We help you understand how digital can advance your key business processes – including customer service, partner engagement, and product development. In just six weeks, our team identifies your business and audience needs, maps those needs to digital features, and defines success metrics and budgets. Through one-on...

### Company Brief and Leadership

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/company-brief-and-leadership

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3337&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center bottom&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; top_divider=&#8221;gradient&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;687936&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3337" back_position="center bottom" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" top_divider="gradient" uncode_shortcode_id="687936" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_font="font-103074" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905"]About us[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="170850"]Company Brief and Leadership[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h="2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="5" bottom_padding="5" back_color="color-lxmt" overlay_alpha="50" equal_height="yes" gutter_size="4" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" gutter_size="2" override_padding="yes" column_padding="2" overlay_alpha="50" preserve_border="yes" preserve_border_tablet="yes" border_color="accent" border_style="solid" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/3" css=".vc_custom_1616073778804{border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}"][vc_custom_heading text_color="color-wvjs" heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="155964" text_color_type="uncode-palette"]Research[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading text_font="font-165032" ...

### Implement your strategy and deliver results

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/how-we-help-you/implement-strategy-deliver-results

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3345&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center top&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;560876&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;2&#8243; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3345" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="560876" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="196622"]How we help you[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="812551"]Implement your strategy and deliver results[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][uncode_breadcrumbs][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] We help you build digital solutions that create value for your audience and advance your business goals. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Market Validation Business Alignment Business Impact [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id="Market-Validation"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Market Validation [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Do you have an ambitious strategic plan and want to test it before investing time or resources? Is something broken with your current strategy but you can’t put your finger on the problem? Is your customer experience fragmented? We can help. During our Market Validation engagements, we ask the tough questions: Will the initiative engage the right people? What would an integrated customer experience look and feel like? What benefits do your customers or partners (and the business) need to achieve to be successful? What features and content really matter? What does the competition off...

### Why Leader Networks?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/why-leader-networks

Our expertise, developed over 25 years (yes, really!) of experience creating, running and analyzing online communities, gives us an unparalleled understanding of the unique characteristics and distinctive patterns of online social engagement and interaction. We help you create social programs that balance the competing needs of open interaction and member confidentiality, and avoid the pitfalls of getting it wrong and having to start over. We develop engagement programs that bring new people to your online space, delighting them and creating comfortable, sustained interactions with your firm. As our clients can attest, we know how to guide your firm's team through the maze of decision points that lead to social business success.

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3338" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="119991" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="100289"]The Reasons Why[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="168132"]Why Leader Networks?[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="5" bottom_padding="5" back_color="color-lxmt" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="4" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" gutter_size="4" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="3" mobile_width="0" width="1/3" uncode_shortcode_id="129974"][vc_icon icon="fa fa-pie-chart2" icon_color="accent" size="fa-3x" text_font="font-165032" text_size="h2" text_reduced="yes" title="You need data to drive your decisions." uncode_shortcode_id="195906" icon_color_type="uncode-palette"]In the digital age, there’s no room for guesswork or gut instinct. There is data in droves. The key is to extract it, interpret it, and turn it into insight. At Leader Networks, we do just that. Using proven and proprietary research methods, we get the answers you need to make informed business decisions.[/vc_icon][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent="100...

### Improve ROI for your existing digital business initiatives

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/how-we-help-you/improve-roi-existing-digital-business-initiatives

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[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3346" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="331703" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="700749"]How we help you[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="199126"]Improve ROI for your existing digital business initiatives[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][uncode_breadcrumbs][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] We look at what you’re doing now – and uncover ways to get bigger and better results. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id="353321"] Digital Centers of Excellence [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id="Digital-Centers-of-Excellence"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Digital Centers of Excellence [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Are there ongoing digital and social initiatives in every pocket of your organization? Does each department or region report success differently? Is there considerable overlap and waste within your digital portfolio and conflicting strategies in place? To combat these issues, we help clients build Digital Centers of Excellence. We work with you to create a master map of your company’s current digital initiatives and platforms, identify the most successful programs, and ferret out redundancies. Then, we help you define and implement a unified digital st...

### Ensure ongoing digital advantage

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/how-we-help-you/ensure-ongoing-digital-advantage

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3347&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center top&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;656135&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;2&#8243; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3347" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="656135" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="128584"]How we help you[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="218421"]Ensure ongoing digital advantage[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][uncode_breadcrumbs][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] We keep your finger on the pulse and help you identify new digital opportunities. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Future Proofing Advisory Services Custom Research Thought Leadership Content Speeches and Events [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id="Future-Proofing-Advisory-Services"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Future Proofing Advisory Services [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] How can your company move from a survival strategy for going to market to one that is ready for future market shifts. To be prepared for whatever comes your way, you have to future proof your business. We help you… Create a roadmap that takes you from where you are today to where you want to be in the future Implement a repeatable approach to anticipate – and react to – inevitable market changes Continuously improve your ability to change and increase revenue and profitability [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id="Custom-...

### Careers

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/careers

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3340&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center bottom&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; top_divider=&#8221;gradient&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;867228&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3340" back_position="center bottom" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" top_divider="gradient" uncode_shortcode_id="867228" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="176627"]We are hiring[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="429689"]Careers[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h="2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="5" bottom_padding="5" back_color="color-lxmt" overlay_alpha="50" equal_height="yes" gutter_size="4" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="548902" back_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" gutter_size="2" override_padding="yes" column_padding="2" overlay_alpha="50" preserve_border="yes" preserve_border_tablet="yes" border_color="accent" border_style="solid" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" css=".vc_custom_1616073778804{border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}"][vc_custom_heading text_color="color-wvjs" heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="144158" text_color_type="uncode-palette"]Hiring[/vc_custom_he...

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URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/resources

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3336&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center bottom&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;901789&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;2&#8243; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3336" back_position="center bottom" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="901789" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="913473"]Download our publications for free[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="183884"]Resources[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="112758"][vc_column][vc_custom_heading uncode_shortcode_id="127303"]Publications[/vc_custom_heading][uncode_index el_id="index-508649" isotope_mode="fitRows" loop="size:-1|order_by:date|post_type:publication|taxonomy_count:10" filtering="yes" filtering_full_width="yes" filtering_uppercase="yes" gutter_size="3" inner_padding="yes" screen_lg="1000" screen_md="600" screen_sm="480" single_width="3" single_shape="round" single_overlay_opacity="50" single_overlay_anim="no" single_text_anim="no" single_image_anim="no" single_padding="3" uncode_shortcode_id="140614"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading uncode_shortcode_id="162800"]Infographics[/vc_custom_heading][uncode_index el_id="index-508649" isotope_mode="fitRows" loop="size:-1|order_by:date|post_type:infographic|taxonomy_count:10" gutter_size="3" inner_padding="yes" screen_lg="1000" ...

### Contact

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/contact

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3341&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center top&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;210284&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;2&#8243; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3341" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="210284" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="142397"]We look forward to hearing from you[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="157418"]Contact Leader Networks[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="3" bottom_padding="3" back_color="accent" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="616016" back_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_custom_heading text_color="color-nhtu" text_font="font-165032" uncode_shortcode_id="629181" text_color_type="uncode-palette"]For more information about Leader Networks or how we can help your business, please contact us.[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="5" bottom_padding="5" back_color="color-lxmt" overlay_alpha="50" equal_height="yes" gutter_size="0" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="281818" back_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" position_vertical="middle" gutter_size="3" override_padding="yes" column_padding="3" back_color="co...

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### Speaking

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/speaking

Rather than relying on a small number of preset presentations, Vanessa DiMauro tailors her talks to the audience needs, size and venue. From keynotes to private corporate trainings, she uses her research experience and experiential background to craft the best talk for the people you are trying to inspire, educate and inform. Some examples of talk topics include How to Excite Your Executives About Social Business, How to Excite Your Executives About Online Community, B2B online communities for business: from strategy to implementation, Online Community Moderators - Your Day Has Come!, Social Business vs Social Media Marketing – how is it different? The Social Mind - Research findings - What makes buyers tick & transact online?

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="105182" back_position="center bottom" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-nhtu" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" content_parallax="0" uncode_shortcode_id="980332" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette" back_size="contain"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="172674"]Speaking[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="418776"]Hire Vanessa to speak at your next event![/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row="" row_height_percent="0" overlay_alpha="50" equal_height="yes" gutter_size="0" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="141699"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" gutter_size="3" override_padding="yes" column_padding="2" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/2" mobile_height="340" uncode_shortcode_id="129077"][vc_custom_heading text_size="fontsize-155944" uncode_shortcode_id="207458"]Speaking[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h3" text_size="h3" uncode_shortcode_id="106449"]Vanessa DiMauro is a dynamic speaker who brings passion, education, and always delivers results on a stage and to every client she works with.[/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text text_lead="yes" uncode_shortcode_id="346922"]She is a digital strategist and online community pioneer and has a deep understanding of running bo...

### How We Help You

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/how-we-help-you

This is what we do. Leader Networks is committed to making your social business initiative -- and your organization's business results -- a resounding success. Our team can research your firm's B2B requirements and the competitive landscape, create a strategic plan to deliver results, design and document an operational plan to speed implementation, establish the right content and engagement programs, measure your performance and coach your staff. Let us help you build your social business online success story -- today!

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3348" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="187629" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="118584"]Digital Business Solutions[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="836058"]How we help you?[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" override_padding="yes" h_padding="5" top_padding="5" bottom_padding="5" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="691203"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" gutter_size="3" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" uncode_shortcode_id="116841"][vc_custom_heading uncode_shortcode_id="513104"]Leader Networks delivers digital business solutions that help companies get closer to customers, innovate faster, work more efficiently, and boost financial performance.  Here’s how we can help you:[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="0" overlay_alpha="50" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" desktop_visibility="yes" medium_visibility="yes" mobile_visibility="yes" uncode_shortcode_id="102673"][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image media_width_percent="100" image="3326" img_size="l...

### Leader Networks Industry Experience

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/our-clients

[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;75&#8243; back_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; back_image=&#8221;3343&#8243; back_position=&#8221;center top&#8221; parallax=&#8221;yes&#8221; overlay_color=&#8221;color-wayh&#8221; overlay_alpha=&#8221;35&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;414058&#8243; back_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221; overlay_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=&#8221;yes&#8221; position_vertical=&#8221;middle&#8221; align_horizontal=&#8221;align_center&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;2&#8243; [&hellip;]

[vc_row row_height_percent="75" back_color="color-wayh" back_image="3343" back_position="center top" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-wayh" overlay_alpha="35" gutter_size="3" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="414058" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_use_pixel="yes" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="2" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1" column_width_pixel="900"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h5" text_size="fontsize-160000" text_transform="uppercase" text_space="fontspace-135905" uncode_shortcode_id="519651"]Client Results[/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h1" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-338686" uncode_shortcode_id="180596"]Leader Networks Industry Experience[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent="50" override_padding="yes" h_padding="2" top_padding="5" bottom_padding="5" back_color="color-184185" back_image="101316" parallax="yes" overlay_color="color-184185" overlay_alpha="80" equal_height="yes" gutter_size="4" column_width_percent="100" shift_y="0" z_index="0" uncode_shortcode_id="114786" back_color_type="uncode-palette" overlay_color_type="uncode-palette"][vc_column column_width_percent="100" position_vertical="middle" align_horizontal="align_center" gutter_size="3" style="dark" overlay_alpha="50" shift_x="0" shift_y="0" shift_y_down="0" z_index="0" medium_width="0" mobile_width="0" width="1/1"][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic="h3" text_font="font-165032" text_size="fontsize-155944" uncode_shortcode_id="168261"]Leader Networks has worked with clients across a broad range of industry sectors on their social business initiatives (listed alphabetically)[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content="yes" row_height_percent="5...

## Articles

### Open-Source Product Communities – What’s the Strategy?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2021/03/open-source-product-communities-whats-strategy.html
Date: 2021-03-09

I must admit: the first thing that drew me to open-source communities was the price – more accurately, the lack [&hellip;]

### Three Support Community Models

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2020/06/three-support-community-models.html
Date: 2020-06-04

An online support community must carry out its core Q&amp;A function well – members must receive timely answers to their [&hellip;]

### Top 10 KPIs for Tracking Support Communities

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2020/05/top-10-kpis-tracking-support-communities.html
Date: 2020-05-19

Setting up and maintaining a large online support community costs on average about $350K/year, but companies often recoup more than [&hellip;]

### Your Online Community Plan for the Covid-19 Era

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2020/05/online-community-plan-covid-19-era.html
Date: 2020-05-06

As your organization grapples with social distancing from both clients and employees, virtual collaboration is critical. Online forums and communities [&hellip;]

### Can Effective Strategies Be Enhanced with Digital Technologies?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2020/03/can-effective-strategies-be-enhanced-with-digital-technologies.html
Date: 2020-03-10

By Mario Bognanno, Randall Russell and Adam Zawel Introduction According to Peter Weill[1], only about 24% of boards of directors [&hellip;]

### Online Communities - Industry Trends and Future Directions

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2020/02/online-communities-industry-trends-future-directions.html
Date: 2020-02-06

&nbsp; Online communities are getting popular.  16% of the Fortune 500 companies have online communities, with over 90% of marketing [&hellip;]

### The 2019 List of the Biggest and Best Online Customer Communities

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2019/09/2019-list-biggest-best-online-customer-communities.html
Date: 2019-09-26

History of the Big List In 2011, we at Leader Networks compiled a list of the Top Online Customer Communities; [&hellip;]

### Improving Net Promoter Score by Listening to Your Community

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2019/05/net-promoter-score-community.html
Date: 2019-05-08

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric that has become popular as a method of quantifying brand promoters, calculated [&hellip;]

### Improving Community Management Using Data Science

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2019/04/improving-community-management-using-data-science.html
Date: 2019-04-03

For community managers, data and analytics are critical at every stage of community building. They must leverage the data gathered [&hellip;]

### Why Community Engagement is Imperative for AI Success

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2018/12/community-engagement-imperative-ai-success.html
Date: 2018-12-10

Imagine this world where our community interactions are fueled by AI and humans together. The better the community gets at fulfilling the needs of the members, the more valuable the community becomes to the members.

### How To Increase User Engagement in your Online Community

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2018/07/increase-user-engagement-online-community.html
Date: 2018-07-10

Every member goes through four stages of activity within an online community: being online, doing online, acting online and finally, thinking online. Learn how you can move your members through the stages to increase engagement and community value.

### Are You Sure You're Working With The Right B2B Influencer?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2018/04/sure-youre-working-right-b2b-influencer.html
Date: 2018-04-14

Influencer marketing in the B2B world is a viable strategy, and there are real influencers out there who can help you achieve real marketing and business results. But they are not all created equal. Pick the wrong type of influencer and you won’t get the return you’re after.

### Why KM is Your Super Power

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2018/03/km-super-power.html
Date: 2018-03-08

Remember back in January when I predicted that, in 2018, more and more companies would hire knowledge managers? My crystal ball has served me well. We’re only a few months into the new year and a quick search of Indeed.com shows hundreds of KM jobs at big-name companies like Liberty Mutual, Comcast, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bain, Best Buy, Dana Farber, and Goodwin Proctor.You just might be a knowledge manager and not know it! 

Learn three ways you can grow your KM role to become (even more) indispensable.

### 10 Digital Marketing Predictions for 2018

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2018/01/10-digital-marketing-predictions-2018.html
Date: 2018-01-04

Vanessa DiMauro, CEO of Leader Networks has released her marketing predictions for 2018.  The quick take is 
1. Organizations now have the technology, tools, and thinking to integrate the customer experience with their business models.
2. Look for companies to leverage their communities to sell more humanistically—boosting customer satisfaction and retention.
3. In 2018, more companies will hire knowledge managers to ensure that resources can be tapped to meet customer needs.

### Digital Transformation Tools Take A Backseat To Strategy

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/10/digital-transformation-tools-take-backseat-strategy.html
Date: 2017-10-27

Too many marcom tools to deal with? What's a #CMO to do?  Start with strategy says Vanessa DiMauro, CEO of Leader Networks and follow this process to make sense of the technology options.  Learn the 5 step process here...

### What Can Jive-X Users Expect from Lithium Acquisition?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/10/can-jive-x-users-expect-lithium-acquisition.html
Date: 2017-10-16

If you run an intranet, or a customer or partner community, you may have been following the recent M&A activity in the social software space involving Jive Software.

In June, Jive - which offers Jive-n for internal intranets and Jive-X for use in external customer and partner communities — was sold to a private Texas investment firm, Aurea, for $462 million.

Two months later, Aurea flipped Jive-X to Lithium Technologies, a San Francisco-based provider of online community and social media management software. While these deals point to a growing awareness of the size and strength of the enterprise social software market — expected to nearly double to $49.5 billion in 2021, according to Markets and Markets — the Jive-X acquisition by Lithium, one of its main competitors, could have huge implications for those Jive-X and Lithium customers who are wondering what will happen next. Read more to find out...

### 6 Ways Online Communities Boost Business

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/10/6-ways-online-communities-boost-business.html
Date: 2017-10-05

How do online communities help business?

It’s a simple question without simple answers. During an SMT Live tweetchat last month, which I co-hosted, community builders from around the globe cited several ways businesses can reap what they invest in online communities.

I've been focused on this question for more than two decades, driven to better understand the ways organizations derive benefits from their communities. Through my research, I've identified six distinct ways that firms can benefit from community, and serve their customers better.

### A New Look At Loyalty In The Age Of Digital Disruption

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/09/new-look-loyalty-age-digital-disruption.html
Date: 2017-09-05

Because customers can engage digitally with companies at lightening speed, they expect the same in return.

### SNCR Takes On Fake News

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/08/sncr-takes-fake-news.html
Date: 2017-08-28

The Conference Board’s SNCR Fellow Community is researching fake news to explore businesses’ contribution to the problem and what the marketing and communications communities can do about it.

### Online Community Success Metrics – New Guide and Framework

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/07/online-community-success-metrics-new-guide-framework.html
Date: 2017-07-27

To help community leaders link community performance with business impact – we created a new guide and framework:  “How to Measure the Business Impact of Your Online Community.” It provides the ultimate list of community performance questions – and ways to answer them with metrics that matter.

### Will your association still be here tomorrow? The answer may depend on digital…

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/07/will-association-still-tomorrow-answer-may-depend-digital.html
Date: 2017-07-20

With the rise of digital technologies, the potential for associations to reach and engage more members has grown exponentially. But this reality leads to a burning question: What should associations do to thrive in today’s brave, new digital world?

### Hidden in Plain Sight:  Why Some Online Communities Make More Money

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/03/cmtyrevgen.html
Date: 2017-03-20

In our latest research study, “The Business Impact of Online Communities,” we found that almost half (49%) of communities report revenue gains from their online community. This is an exciting proof-point, but it warranted further investigation. What enables some communities to be financially productive while others remain a cost center?

### The Business Impact of Online Communities: New Study and Framework

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/02/business-impact-online-communities-new-study-framework.html
Date: 2017-02-08

Communities generate revenue, save money and advance competitive advantage.  Find out how with this new research study by Leader Networks.

### What does customer intimacy really look like?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2017/01/customer-intimacy-really-look-like.html
Date: 2017-01-27

Our events were unique because they delivered something our customers couldn’t get anywhere else.

### 7 Digital Marketing Predictions for 2017

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/12/7-digital-marketing-predictions-2017.html
Date: 2016-12-14

Predictions for digital transformation in 2017

### Survey: Can you show the business impact of your online community?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/11/survey-can-show-business-impact-online-community.html
Date: 2016-11-07

“The Business Impact of Online Communities” study

### How to Give Your Channel Partners the (Digital) Love They Deserve

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/10/give-channel-partners-digital-love-deserve.html
Date: 2016-10-25

Digital strategies and programs can help your channel partners deliver more value.

### 7 Key Trends in Online B2B Customer Communities

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/10/7-key-trends-online-b2b-customer-communities.html
Date: 2016-10-11

The Big List of B2B Online Customer Communities is the most comprehensive list of online B2B customer communities in the world.

### It’s Time To Get Serious About Social! A Guide for CMOs

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/08/seriousaboutsocial.html
Date: 2016-08-24

Social media's value to CMOs for competitive advantage

### #RepresentationMatters, Your Guide to Inclusive Marketing

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/07/inclusive-marketing.html
Date: 2016-07-18

Inclusive Marketing strives to create a visual culture that is more representative. Inclusion is different than diversity.

### Social Selling – Let’s Get a Few Things Straight

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/04/social-selling-lets-get-things-straight.html
Date: 2016-04-18

The first step to becoming an effective social seller is to understand that social selling is a complement to traditional sales methods—not a revolutionary approach that replaces them.

### You Say You Want a (Customer Experience) Revolution?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/03/say-want-customer-experience-revolution.html
Date: 2016-03-18

The customer has been king for a while, but he certainly hasn’t had a castle.  To date, there hasn’t been a single, unified place where a company or organization can interact with the customer, listen to his desires, and orchestrate the fulfillment of his needs.  Now, new research conducted by Leader Networks and CMX Media suggests that a customer experience revolution is underway and that the customer has been ensconced in his rightful place:  the online community.

### New Report: Keys to Community Readiness and Growth

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/02/new-report-keys-community-readiness-growth.html
Date: 2016-02-17

New Research Report: Keys to Community Readiness and Growth. Of the more than 400 marketing and community practitioners who participated in the study, two-thirds are currently running a branded online community, and one-third are considering one but haven’t launched one to date. Study participants came from both business to business and business to consumer organizations and ranged in size from under 100 to over 50,000 full-time employees.

### 2016:  Welcome to the Year of Social Business Strategy

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2016/02/2016-welcome-year-social-business-strategy.html
Date: 2016-02-03

Social Business Strategy Map

### Robin Carey Danced on the Stage of Life

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/12/robin-fray-carey-danced-stage-life.html
Date: 2015-12-19

Beautiful. Visionary. Witty. Feminist. Passionate. Loved. Robin Fray Carey danced on the stage of life. She changed created the social media industry. Her love of her family and her work was the passion that drove her to be the industry icon she became. She had the power to convene.

### Why Inclusive Marketing should be on Your Agenda for 2016

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/12/inclusive-marketing-agenda-2016.html
Date: 2015-12-15

Your guide to doing inclusive marketing - the right way!

### The 10 Most Important Questions for Community Managers to Ask

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/11/10-important-questions-community-managers-ask.html
Date: 2015-11-10

This infographic helps community managers ask the right questions and deliver the right results.

### Online Community Managers: A Tool of Our Own!

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/10/online-community-managers-tool.html
Date: 2015-10-26

For years, social media marketers have had tools like Hootsuite, Sprinklr, and Hubspot to do their work faster and better. But what about online community managers? We were left to our own devises. We had to track, facilitate, outreach, and report on the impact of our branded community without a tool in sight. So we lost precious time, and suffered frequent burn out, because we had to perform ongoing and critical relationship building and reporting activities by hand. My colleagues and I set out to change that – and we created Network Activator.

### Who’s Afraid of Digital Networking?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/10/whos-afraid-digital-networking.html
Date: 2015-10-19

But when it comes to using social media to build business relationships, many women come up short. They question what digital networking tools can do for them and often misunderstand the ways that these tools can serve as an extension of our in-person professional networks.

This is a huge missed opportunity. But perhaps women are shying away from these platforms because they don’t know how to use social networking tools strategically? And maybe, although they can work a room with the best of them, they find the digital networking process daunting and mysterious. Relax. Successful networking has always been about connecting – people to people and people to data. Now it’s being done through technical means.

### Announcing: Online Community Readiness and Growth Research Study

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/10/announcing-online-community-readiness-growth-research-study.html
Date: 2015-10-15

A new study to find the keys to community readiness and growth

### The Perils of a Neglected Online Community (Avoiding Failure)

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/08/perils-neglected-online-community.html
Date: 2015-08-31

Don't let your customer community be a liability for your brand!

### The Marketing Technology Tsunami: How To Avoid Disaster

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/08/marketing-technology-tsunami-avoid-disaster.html
Date: 2015-08-18

Marketers have more career choices and growth opportunities than they have in decades, and marketing, compared to other departments, is perceived as a hotbed for innovation. That's the good news.

The bad news is that we're focusing on one small slice of innovation and learning: marketing technology. If we focus too much energy on technology, what growth opportunities will we miss?

### 6 Things Rock-Star Community Managers Never Do

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/06/6-things-rock-star-community-managers-never.html
Date: 2015-06-24

It’s no secret that community management is one of the most challenging roles for a knowledge worker. Success relies on minute-by-minute mini decisions, driven by an overall strategy. Great community managers must be equal parts therapist, improv comedian, shepherd, and Navy SEAL. Yet, being great at something often depends more on the things we don’t do, than the things we do. This is how we achieve rock-star status. And this is especially true of community management.

Here are the top 6 things rock-star community managers never do.

### 8 Ways to Use Social Media to Drive Engagement

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/06/8-ways-use-social-media-drive-engagement.html
Date: 2015-06-12

To succeed at social selling, to get the right crowd to your field of dreams focus on the relationship: listen, be useful, build trust. How do you use social to engage?

“We’ll use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook to post information and images about what we do and they will flock.”

But is it really that easy or is this a rerun of Field of Dreams?

### Why Building Social Capital Matters In Business

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/05/building-social-capital-matters-business.html
Date: 2015-05-09

And yet despite all the strategic planning most firms to progress or grow sales, marketing, and operations, they forgo including their digital footprint. The trend that we are seeing especially with mid to large sized organizations is that... social business activities at some firms aren't aligned ... With anything! For those firms, "doing" is all that counts. And a digital muddle is the result. Defining the audience, matching social business methods and messaging to the audience, creating compelling content for engagement and measuring success -- all of these are part of the doing. But if these efforts do not advance the firm's strategic goals? Wasted time, effort and investment are the only real outcomes.

### “Just Keep Doing What You’re Doing?” Stop, Then Find Your Way

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/04/just-keep-youre-stop-find-way.html
Date: 2015-04-02

(Social) business strategy means starting with the end in mind. To bring a firm’s brand story to life means developing a fully integrated and integrative approach. Social business activities are an electronic version of your firms identify, thought leadership, relationship and value drivers. It means looking at social business as more than marketing campaigns or a portfolio of social media accounts. Rather, it needs to offer a digital representation and manifestation of the firm’s mission and vision. To get there, the organization has to stop thinking about “doing” social business as pushing out content, grubbing for followers or searching for sensational images.

### Joining the Customer Journey Using Online Communities

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/02/joining-customer-journey-using-online-communities.html
Date: 2015-02-25

The customer journey has long been an integral part of the online community experience. Many – dare I say most? – online communities make “the journey” a key part of their mission, aiding the customer before, during and after the point of purchase or other key decision. Communities are dedicated to helping customers and other stakeholders understand, explore, question and learn about products and services. T

### An Interview With Rahul Sachdev, CEO of Get Satisfaction

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/02/interview-rahul-sachdev-ceo-get-satisfaction.html
Date: 2015-02-08

As part of our ongoing interview series,  I had a chance to speak with Rahul Sachdev, CEO of Get Satisfaction, about his role, and vision of the future of online communities. He also shared some examples of exciting communities and what they can accomplish when customers and companies work together to solve problems and innovate. Here’s what he had to say…

### Community Manager Appreciation Day 2015: Looking Ahead and Back

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/01/community-manager-appreciation-day-2015-looking-ahead-back.html
Date: 2015-01-24

It's that #CMAD time of year again: Hooray for community managers! Let's celebrate those digital leaders for their tireless, selfless, thoughtful work which creates, sustains and expands online communities around the world.

As anyone who has ever taken on the role can tell you, the online community manager's job is one of the most demanding and most misunderstood in the knowledge work world.

### How to Build the Online Community that Builds Trust

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2015/01/build-online-community-builds-trust.html
Date: 2015-01-15

Want to build an online community? When you understand the power of the online community, you’re bound to answer in the affirmative.

### Building the Business Case for Community

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/11/building-the-business-case-for-community.html
Date: 2014-11-18

In every corner of an organization, the idea of having an online community is brought up. But often, the idea remains just that – an idea – because starting the journey seems daunting. How should we begin to build the business case for it? What are the steps to get started? How can we translate the hard-to-explain-and-grasp benefits of community into a comprehensive and convincing plan? What lessons can be learned from others who have succeeded?  To answer these questions and more, we are sharing a detailed roadmap to set you firmly on course!

### The Social Consumer Study and What It Means To Customer Service Professionals

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/10/the-social-consumer-study-and-what-it-means-to-customer-service-professionals.html
Date: 2014-10-30

“The pen is mightier than the sword” wrote Edward George Bulwer-Lytton in 1839. Little did he know what was to come with the advent of social media? Around the globe, customers – friend and foe alike – share their experiences using indelible digital characters all across the social channel. We are experiencing a customer-driven revolution where companies are no longer defined only by what they say about themselves. Rather, customer experiences are a major force defining the strongest brands, and the Achilles heel of firms which fail to deliver on customer expectations.

### Why Listening Communities Belong in Your Marketing Strategy

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/10/why-listening-communities-belong-in-your-marketing-strategy.html
Date: 2014-10-20

Your content is well-written and well-produced, engaging, even useful. But is your audience really paying attention? We all know what it’s like when someone won’t stop talking — it’s very hard to stay engaged. Have you tried listening to your audience instead?

### The Future Of Social Business [Video]

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/10/the-future-of-social-business-video.html
Date: 2014-10-14

At the Social Shakeup conference in Atlanta (hosted by Social Media Today) I was delighted to participate in a keynote panel with Jeff Dachis and Renee Ducre to talk about the future of social business. A video of the session was just posted online so I am sharing it here as I think we covered some interesting ground.

### Gender vs. Generational Divide Tops Findings From The Social Consumer Study

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/09/gender-vs-generational-divide-tops-findings-from-the-social-consumer-study.html
Date: 2014-09-24

In our latest study, The Social Consumer, we explored the factors that inform, impact and shape trust, loyalty and preferences of the digitally connected consumer. We tested the belief that brands which can tap into the emotions about and awareness of their values (human/social) are most likely to inspire positive action and loyalty from consumers.

Our view is that the super-connectedness of global communications has challenged how companies interact, engage and maintain relevance and trust with their key audiences and the public-at-large. Consumers are more discerning about the companies they choose to do business with and support. We are now in a “so what”, “show me” or “can I trust what you say” business, political and social economy.

### Big List 2.0: The Top B2B Online Customer Communities 2014

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/09/big-list-of-b2b-communities.html
Date: 2014-09-08

I am thrilled to share the most comprehensive directory of B2B online customer communities on the web and perhaps even the planet! We published our first Big List in 2011 and just finished an exhaustive period of research and review to bring you the following 106 dynamic communities.

### Spotlighting *Your* B2B Online Community - Call for Participation

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/08/spotlighting-your-b2b-online-community-call-for-participation.html
Date: 2014-08-18

We decided that it’s time to revamp the list and dig deeper in the hopes to provide even more nuanced and generative research about the spectrum of B2B communities, and to highlight those that are knocking the ball out of the park.

Cue the 2014 B2B Customer Communities Research Project! Our mission is to collect and share information about B2B community powerhouses and shine the spotlight on these community building heroes. We’ll be compiling another list and following up with the most intriguing communities for case studies.

### Highlights from the 2014 Social Business Benchmark Study

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/08/highlights-from-the-2014-social-business-benchmark-study.html
Date: 2014-08-11

Another summer brings a new set of Social Business Benchmark study results! For the past three years, in partnership with the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR), we at Leader Networks, conduct an ongoing study on the impact social practices are having on organizations. Unlike the other studies that focus mainly on social media marketing, we examine the social footprint across  four important areas: Strategic intentions, operations, staffing, governance and organizational impact.

### Social Marketing and Gender Equality through Power Networking: 4 Common Trends Related to Transformation, Power and Influence

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/08/social-marketing-and-gender-equality-through-power-networking-4-common-trends-related-to-transformation-power-and-influence.html
Date: 2014-08-05

The biggest obstacle for women who aspire to business or political leadership continues to be equal access to power and money: access to people with the power; access to people with the money. I am a strong believer in working with both men and women to close this gap. It just won’t go away by itself.

How do these two worlds intersect? Quite easily, it turns out. Four trends have emerged that appear repeatedly in both my worlds.

### Measuring What Matters: Those Addictive Numbers

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/07/measuring-what-matters-those-addictive-numbers.html
Date: 2014-07-29

I’ve done it. It’s gone. Cold turkey. After years of asserting we need to measure what matters in social business – as opposed to just tracking outcomes we can count easily --- I decided to take down the social sharing counter on my blog. You can still share our blog items on social media tools – please do! --but we won’t be quantifying every act of sharing anymore.

### TLC for Community Managers - Tips To Avoid Burnout

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/07/tlc-for-community-managers-tips-to-avoid-job-burnout.html
Date: 2014-07-17

Community management burnout - its impact and how to avoid it - is an evergreen topic at every gathering of social media practitioners.

### Social Business and the Responsive Enterprise

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/07/social-business-and-the-responsive-enterprise.html
Date: 2014-07-07

The Social Business era has arrived, and with it, individual customers now have a voice. “Listen to me,“ they shout from digital rooftops. “Meet my needs and exceed my expectations,” they demand – online and offline. They’re not passive recipients of products, services and one-way messaging any more. Since the dawn of commerce, businesses have tried to get closer to their customers. That day is here.

### Social Media for Strategy-Focused Organizations

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/06/social-media-for-strategy-focused-organizations.html
Date: 2014-06-19

Social has become an integral part of its efforts to achieve superior economic returns from better strategy execution (the Execution Premium).

### Secrets of Great Communities And Community Managers

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/06/secrets-of-great-communities-and-community-managers.html
Date: 2014-06-12

What makes some online communities more successful than others?  Learn the 5 secrets to success of great communities and community managers.

### 56 Lessons From 20 Years of Online Community Building

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/05/56-lessons-from-20-years-of-online-community-building.html
Date: 2014-05-28

56 online community building lessons learned from 20 years experience, by Vanessa DiMauro, CEO Leader Networks.

### From like, to want, to need to love… The Social Consumer Research Study

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/05/from-like-to-want-to-need-to-loveannouncing-a-new-study-about-the-social-consumer.html
Date: 2014-05-12

Who do you trust?

How do companies break through the incredibly high volume of marketing noise to sustain awareness, relevance and preference with consumers?  What do consumers care about -- and respond to most positively through their actions and choices -- when it comes to brand engagement?  If consumer loyalty and advocacy are signs of trust, what shapes trust between consumers and a company or brand?  What are the characteristics and motivations of the social consumer? What moves them from likes to wants to needs to love it, gotta have it?

Our view is this: consumer choices are increasingly driven by new factors of influence which are not entirely driven by the image that a company markets or projects , but rather, through the demonstrated impact of its actions and behaviors. This is core to our hypothesis about what motivates the social consumer to act.

### To Be Heard, Turn Down The Volume

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/05/to-be-heard-turn-down-the-volume.html
Date: 2014-05-05

Ironically, as more so-called experts raise their voices, the value of sharing real expertise has only grown–but now the challenge becomes creating the right context for that sharing. To be a credible thought partner, brands need to know who their real tribes are and learn what they care about. Create a clean, well-lighted place–or, better yet, join one that already exists. Give up a little control. Worry a little less about yourself. Stop being so damn smart and start being a little more human. In an era when everybody seems to be yelling, a little quiet confidence can go a long way.

### Fixing Your Intranet: A Guide For Leadership

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/04/fixing-your-intranet-a-guide-for-leadership.html
Date: 2014-04-17

The corporate intranet is a complex organism. This prettier, younger sister of earlier knowledge management tools is now ever-present in many larger enterprises.

### Who Ya Gonna Call? Social Business Buyer Guide [Part Two of Two]

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/03/who-ya-gonna-call-social-business-buyer-guide-part-two-of-two.html
Date: 2014-03-31

Before your organization goes shopping for guidance about your online social initiatives, consider the above and ask yourself which kind of advice will best serve your needs. Think about how the different players view the opportunity to work with you, the value and offerings of the different players, their core competencies and their revenue models. In the end, it will be up to you to select best partner for each stage of your online social business and social media marketing needs.

### A Social Business Buyer's Guide [Part One of Two]

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/03/a-social-business-buyers-guide-part-one-of-two.html
Date: 2014-03-28

Buyers of online social products and services face a difficult problem – what is it, exactly, they are purchasing? Social initiative sponsors and corporate purchasing agents alike must evaluate market offerings against a backdrop of hyper-speed product and service evolution, hyper-active marketing efforts and, well, just plain hype. It’s a daunting, confusing and uncertain process. With so much variety and rapid evolution, even industry insiders find it tough to make apples-to-apples comparisons, let alone identify the best apple or apple seller to meet a specific business need.

### Has Social Business Spurred An Increase In Collaboration Between Marketing & IT?[Infographic]

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/03/has-social-business-spurred-an-increase-in-collaboration-between-marketing-itinfographic.html
Date: 2014-03-19

An infographic based on research about CMO and CIO collaboration

### Is It Time To Develop A Social Business Center Of Excellence?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/03/is-it-time-to-develop-a-social-business-center-of-excellence.html
Date: 2014-03-11

You're firm is getting the hang of becoming a socially enabled enterprise.    No longer doing isolated skunk works social media projects, your firm got organized – strategic, in fact.  You have a clear handle on your social media accounts, tools, metrics, a governance policy and even an escalation path if things go awry. This is quite an accomplishment for your organization and its leadership, as you are well on your way to becoming a socially enabled enterprise.  But this is not the end of the journey; in fact it is just the beginning. The next big, exciting step is to create a social business center of excellence (COE).

### Spotlight on SPS Commerce: How An Online Community Strengthened Customer Support

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/02/spotlight-on-sps-commerce-online-community-a-case-study-about-how-communities-can-strengthen-call-center-operations.html
Date: 2014-02-24

What happens when a firm that specializes in supply chain management takes on an online customer community?  Will they apply [&hellip;]

### Announcing The 2014 Social Business Benchmark Study 

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/02/announcing-the-2014-social-business-benchmark-study.html
Date: 2014-02-11

The excitement around becoming a socially enabled business is growing! Last year marked a heightened sense of awareness regarding the urgency and complexities of being a connected business and we are committed to tracking this evolution.  Last year, in partnership with the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR), we at Leader Networks, conducted the first comprehensive, global Social Business Benchmark study.

The study seeks to explore the following questions:

    Are companies differentiating between social media marketing and social business?
    What is the norm among organizational strategic intent, operational alignment, staffing, policy, and governance structures?
    How are organizations measuring the impact of their social business initiatives? Are they going beyond social media marketing measures to include operational impact factors?

### Cloud Computing’s Future: Better Online Customer Care?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/02/cloud-computings-future-better-online-customer-care.html
Date: 2014-02-06

Cloud technology is the future. Most of us celebrate the speed and efficiencies it brings. But customer satisfaction will determine its ultimate success. To achieve that will require raising the bar on replicating the human touch using online community and social business techniques. I know it can be done, and the success stories will lead this transformation to new heights.

### B2B Online Community Secrets Revealed

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/01/b2b-online-community-secrets-revealed.html
Date: 2014-01-28

Organizations are now starting to say, “Hey, communities aren’t a tool. They’re part of our strategic footprint, part of our customer and partner relations” and are giving them the strategic and operational attention they require to succeed.

### Social Business Increases Internal Collaboration For The Better!

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/01/social-business-increases-internal-collaboration-for-the-better.html
Date: 2014-01-21

The impact of social business is significant and changes the way organizational leadership - especially CIOs and CMOs - problem solve.  While few would disagree with this statement, we have the data to back it up!  In September, Oracle, Leader Networks and Social Media Today started sharing the findings of a two-part study on social business.  This study examined the perspectives of of 925 Marketing and IT leaders from over 500 organizations around the world in the spring of 2013, gathering insights from over 20 industries and 52 countries. And now, after hours of number crunching and analysis, are able to share Part II of the research;  Socially Driven Collaboration.

### Online Community ROI, Redefined (In Pictures)

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2014/01/online-community-roi-redefined.html
Date: 2014-01-09

By Peter Ward and Vanessa DiMauro There’s a cringe-worthy trend emerging around how online community ROI is being articulated which [&hellip;]

### What Every Online Community Leader Needs To Succeed In Business

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/12/what-every-online-community-manager-needs-to-succeed-in-business.html
Date: 2013-12-17

Online community management has (finally) risen to the rank of a being a respected and understood profession.  Practitioners now have official titles, proper job descriptions, and sometimes even a bit of budget to allocate. And, due to that well-earned honor, we carry a recognized responsibility to be the voice of the customer, partner or employee for the organization.  As the champions of human interaction,  enabling a vibrant exchange of ideas and shepherding member-created insights to the forefront of the business so they can be acted on in tangible ways is an essential part of the role. And it doesn’t stop here. Due to the elevation of the profession, community managers are experiencing unprecedented levels of visibility within the organization.

### What Happens When Marketing and IT Collaborate?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/12/what-happens-when-marketing-and-it-collaborate.html
Date: 2013-12-02

Does your IT and Marketing team collaborate on social business projects?  Should they?  What would happen if they did?  What is the impact of IT and Marketing collaboration due to social business? These are the questions that Oracle, Leader Networks and Social Media Today examined in a recent research report entitled Socially Driven Collaboration that explores how each of these groups perceives the opportunity for increased collaboration as their organizations evolve towards becoming socially enabled enterprises. It is rather sizable mixed methods study of 925 Marketing and IT leaders from over 500 organizations around the world from over 20 industries and 52 countries and includes in-depth interviews with Paul Gillin, Shell, Chubb & Son and Whole Foods. While the study report won’t be available for download until next month, I wanted to share some of the highlights and the opportunity to listen to a webinar.

### Spotlight on Hitachi Data Systems' Online Community for Partners, Developers and Customers

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/11/spotlight-on-hitachi-data-systems-online-community-for-partners-developers-and-customers.html
Date: 2013-11-19

True online community successes are cause for both celebration and examination.  For that reason, it is with great pleasure that I am focusing this month's blog on  outstanding case studies and interviews with the best of the best.  My hope is that through these examples,  ideas, and best practices, online community leaders can gain actionable inspiration.  Today we have with us Nick Howe, Vice President of Learning and Collaboration at Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).

Nick and his team recently launched HDS’ first global online community for customers, partners and developers and it is causing quite a stir due to its’ innovative approach to collaboration. The HDS online community has already been widely recognized by the media and a candidate for a number of industry awards in less than 6 month’s time post-launch.  (Disclosure – HDS is a client).   However, magic didn’t happen overnight, as many months of strategic planning and development were dedicated to the formation of this online community. It is likely that the online community’s solid foundation may be one of the main reasons why it is experiencing such rapid and ongoing success.

### Spotlight on Analog Devices’ Award-Winning B2B Online Community – EngineerZone

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/11/spotlight-on-analog-devices-award-winning-b2b-online-community-engineerzone.html
Date: 2013-11-11

What happens behind the scenes of major B2B online communities?  How do traditional businesses like manufacturing use online community to advance?  As part of our ongoing series of interviews with outstanding B2B online community leadership, we spoke with Jennifer Mitchell, the Lead, Community & Social Business Center of Excellence at Analog Devices, Inc.  

Analog Devices, Inc., (ADI: NASDQ), is an American, multinational semiconductor company specializing in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts. Their revenues top $2.6B.

Just last week, EngineerZone won not one but two premier awards for B2B online community.  EngineerZone was awarded the winning entry for the 2013 Forrester Groundswell Award in the category of Social Relationship, Business to Business AND The Society of New Communications Research (SNCR) 2013 Commendation of Excellence in the Online Community Category Corporate Division.

### What Is Your Organization's Online Community Style?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/11/what-is-your-online-community-style.html
Date: 2013-11-04

Online communities come in many shapes and sizes, and serve a wide range of needs. Not surprisingly, the performance of an online community will also vary widely. One reason some organizations do not achieve the results they would like from their online community is a mismatch between the style or focus of the community, and the type of interactions between the members and the organization. There are four styles of online communities: Marketing Megaphones, Lead Generators, Customer Hugs and the coveted but often elusive Innovation Center.

### The Social Media Party Is Over

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/10/the-social-media-party-is-over.html
Date: 2013-10-17

Sorry, the party’s over. The days of social media celebration are gone.  It’s not as if a random collection of “Likes” and “followers” had any real meaning but, hey, it was fun to watch the cool kids all get drunk at the bar of social media promises.

It’s time to sober up and put the kids to work. Business executives, in the parent role, have arrived on the scene and are calling for more focus on business goals and authentic measures of success.  The caretakers are taking a hard line as social business enters young adulthood. So how do the kids win the trust of those parents in the executive suite? Where is the Kevin Bacon for this social media “Footloose” story? Learning to think critically about business concerns and addressing the needs of the business execs is the burning question for today.

### Social Customer Care: A Horse and Cart Approach

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/10/social-customer-care-a-horse-and-cart-approach.html
Date: 2013-10-07

Social customer care is more than just basic customer service. It means creating ongoing, detailed and sustained conversations with customers, prospects and even those who are “just looking.” Through online communities and other forms of social interaction, there are more opportunities to foster sustained dialogue, ask "tough" questions and follow up on issues raised. Instead of relying on verbal communications that dissipate as soon as the words are spoken, there is a written record of questions, responses, opinions and comments. The challenge is turning this detailed anecdotal information into data, and then using that data to improve results for both the customer and the business.

### Community and The C-Suite: It isn’t an Oxymoron

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/10/community-and-the-c-suite-it-isnt-an-oxymoron.html
Date: 2013-10-02

Spend time with your C-level clients so you can understand their desired outcomes.  What are they hoping to achieve from participating in the community?  How would they measure success?  The path to value from participation will be much clearer for them if you answer these questions together. Take the time to develop a strategy before engaging a C-level audience; they are well worth the investment of time up front to get it right.

### What It Means To Become A Socially Enabled Enterprise (Research Study)

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/09/what-it-means-to-become-a-socially-enabled-enterprise-research-study.html
Date: 2013-09-18

To explore how organizations are leveraging social technologies and practices, Oracle, Leader Networks and Social Media Today partnered to survey more than 900 marketing and technology executives from organizations around the world. The results showed that transitioning to a socially enabled enterprise, also known as a social business, is a key priority for business executives. The study also highlighted the challenges organizations need to overcome to realize the potential of social technologies and practices.

### The Social Shake-Up Conference and Why You Should Go

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/08/the-social-shake-up.html
Date: 2013-08-28

Social business is becoming a transformational strategy for companies to get closer to their key stakeholders in innovative ways. ROI, metrics, strategic alignment, operational impact of social business – this is what it is all about!

### B2B versus B2C: An Online Community Taxonomy

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/08/the-art-of-building-b2b-and-b2c-communities.html
Date: 2013-08-21

Online communities are not a new phenomenon, but they are now capturing the hearts and minds of social media users around the globe.  There seems to be an online community for every walk of life or group. But the underlying operations of a given community can vary drastically, depending on whether it is consumer-focused or a business-to-business community. If you are building or running an online community, or a member of one or more, it is important to understand the differences to maximize the value of your online home. Some organizations do not realize there are a variety of different online community models to explore – each with its own set of benefits and challenges. Below is a brief overview of the different types of community models:

### Owned and Earned Media - The Online Trophy Shelf

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/08/owned-and-earned-media-the-online-trophy-shelf.html
Date: 2013-08-01

In this new age of paid vs owned vs earned media, I see strong parallels between those who are still playing in the kiddie leagues and those who are athletes. I’ll grant you it’s not black and white  -- there are different forms of performance with owned and earned media.

Paid media is straightforward – a company pays for advertising or promotion.

Earned media is about publicity that comes naturally, organically and without payment.

### What Does Online Community Mean To Your Company?

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/07/what-does-online-community-mean-to-your-company.html
Date: 2013-07-25

Leader Networks officially defines an online community

### Social Business and Leader Networks Evolution

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/07/httpwp-mep8gz4i-d4.html
Date: 2013-07-19

The world of social business continues to evolve. No one considers it a fad anymore.

### Social Business Performance Snapshot [infographic]

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/06/social-business-performance-snapshot.html
Date: 2013-06-17

What are the stages of social business that most companies go through before reaching their peak performance level?  Find out here...

### So Just How Social is Your Business (Really)? The Results of Our New Benchmarking Study

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/06/new-social-business-benchmark-research.html
Date: 2013-06-06

Social Business maturity models to chart the evolution

### The Market Research Nuggets Most Companies Ignore (at their peril): Comments In Online Communities

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/05/the-market-research-nuggets-most.html
Date: 2013-05-22

A customer shares an insight within your company’s online community. He somehow found the time in between meetings, phone calls and lunch to share a suggestion, idea or complaint in a discussion thread.  “It would be great if the XYZ product would … ,”  he writes. What does your company do with that customer input?  This is the $1,000,000 dollar question -- literally.

### Why Your Doctor Can't Be Your Online Friend

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/05/social-media-policy-guidelines-for.html
Date: 2013-05-01

The boundaries between the physician &#8211; patient relationship have always been difficult as the relationship is based on trust, intimacy [&hellip;]

### What Online Communities Can Learn From a Master Convener: Eva Perón

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/04/why-eva-peron-is-community-builder.html
Date: 2013-04-24

As I sit at my desk thinking about a new blog post topic, I struggle to write. Not because of [&hellip;]

### Avoid Online Customer Community Failure!

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/04/avoid-online-customer-community-failure.html
Date: 2013-04-01

Failure.  It’s not a word anyone likes.  Yet it is common occurrence with innovation projects.  When projects fail, there’s a natural inclination to avoid looking for the reasons why.  This is especially true for online customer communities. A failure with customers (Ouch!) is far more painful than any internally-facing problem, because it touches the people and companies that are core to the organizations’ success.

### John Coate and the WELL: Looking ahead by looking back

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/03/john-coates-and-well-looking-ahead-by.html
Date: 2013-03-19

Times have changed and communities, advanced.  We live in a world where we can gain instant access to connections and information about everything from a specialist's point of view to travel suggestions to how to fix a fussy smartphone app. These changes are unarguably for the better.  However, there are core principles about online community that John Coate's presentation -- indeed, his whole body of work -- remind us are a fundamental part of whatever flavor of online community building we do. Starting in 1992, and revised twice since, Coate's wrote an essay called "InnKeeping  in CyberSpace" which still serves as an up-to-the-minute guide to online community best practices.

### Spotlight on Cognizant's B2B Online Community

URL: https://www.leadernetworks.com/2013/03/spotlight-on-cognizants-b2b-online.html
Date: 2013-03-01

B2B online customer communities are often the elusive queen of the social business world- gated, private and not often in the limelight, but powerful to the companies that host them.  Due to the insights and competitive advantages they offer, their inner-workings are often a best-kept secret.  But, in celebration of a recent redesign of Cognizant’s community – Cognizant Connections, my colleague Alan Alper, senior director of corporate marketing, was willing to share some insights about their online community through a Q&A session with me.

## Contact

- Company: Leader Networks
- Email: vdimauro@leadernetworks.com
- Phone: +1 617.417.3893
- Address: 92 Richmond Road, Belmont, 02478 Massachusetts, United Sates
- Website: https://www.leadernetworks.com

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