As a service provider in the Identity & Access Management space, CoreBlox needs to find ways to get its name and reputation known so that companies will come to us when they need our help. We can create all the content we want about our knowledge, experience, and the impressive list of companies who have chosen to work with us, but unfortunately we often find ourselves overshadowed by big name consulting companies whose IAM experience probably isn’t as deep as ours. It’s a tough game to play, but fortunately the growth of social media is helping to level the playing field for our marketing efforts.
As an example, consider this recent interaction we had over Twitter, the popular microblogging service. Earlier this week a gentleman posted a request for help in an area that happened to be directly in our sweet spot:
We “listen” for these sorts of requests through the app we built called ChatterBox.
Seeing an opportunity to provide some assistance and hopefully create some goodwill, we responded:
A longer conversation ensued, and by the end we were able to provide some helpful information:
This brief Twitter exchange allowed us to:
- Demonstrate our SiteMinder expertise
- Help a fellow IAM colleague in need
- Make a new connection in the IAM universe
The cost of this interaction: approximately 5-10 minutes of our time. I’d argue that this single, random act of kindness was more beneficial than a phone call pitch for our services. The reason: instead of talking about what we do, we did it. Will anything come of this interaction other than a thank-you? Who knows. But for the small amount of time it took, we’re willing to take the gamble this person might find himself in a situation where he could recommend us.
I’d encourage any other “little fish” out there to get started with social media and see where it can take you. Feel free to contact me or leave a comment if you’d like to learn how our ChatterBox tool can help you listen and engage.
