Corporate speaker Rob Duncan\'s talk on using social media as a collaborative innovation tool.

1. Using online social networks to your advantage
By Rob Duncan
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 1

2. Your Speaker
Rob Duncan
Director, BCIT Applied Research Liaison Office
Author of:
- Haul Away! Teambuilding Lessons from a Voyage around
Cape Horn (2005)
- Competitive Intelligence: Fast, Cheap & Ethical (2008)
- Improv to Improve your Business (2011)
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 2

3. Our Agenda
 So what is all this social networking stuff?
 Is it really useful for business or is it waste of time?
 What is collaborative or social innovation?
 Lessons from my doctoral thesis
 What are some key collaborative innovation tools?
 Okay, I’m on there – now what?
 Q&A
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 3

4. ...not just a place to have fun...
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 4

5. Online social networking
 Competitive intelligence
 Collaborative innovation
 Get early warning of trends
 Tap into collective brainpower
 Build your dream team and find partners
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 5

6. Networking is not new!
 Why we network
 Strength of weak ties
 Enabling technologies
 Reed’s 3rd law
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 6

7. Large networks are powerful
networks

8. Why collaboration matters
 Harvard study (scientific problem)
 Social media is changing business
 Lines are blurring
 The customer is on your design team
 And your competitor’s!
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 8

9. Lessons from my doctoral research
 Looking at the role of online social networks in inter-
firm collaborative innovation & problem solving
 Extensive study of LinkedIn users
 Some key findings...
 People are connecting more with people in other
organizations
 Online social networks are allowing greater access to
innovation partners, faster problem solving & greater
innovation ability
 Online social networks will have an increasing importance
in organizations
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 9

10. Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 10

11. Online social networks...
 Some are good for intelligence gathering (Twitter,
LinkedIn, Facebook)
 Some are more collaborative (LinkedIn, Quora,
Twitter)
 Let’s have a quick tour...
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 11

12. LinkedIn
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 12

13. LinkedIn
 Intelligence:  Collaboration:
 Executive profiling  Weak ties
 Who is connected to  Small favours
who?  Large networks
 Groups = tribes  Groups = expert pools
 Q&A  Q&A
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 13

14. Facebook
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 14

15. Facebook
 Intelligence:  Collaboration:
 Personal life  Life outside the suit
 Friends
 Friends of friends
 Habits
 Interests
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 15

16. Twitter
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 16

17. Twitter
 Intelligence:  Collaboration:
 Tribes  Follow the right people
 Interests  Live blogging events
 Location  Meet-ups
 Activities  Emergent situations
 Who follows them
 Promote self, blog etc.
 Who they follow
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 17

18. Quora

19. Quora
 Intelligence:  Collaboration:
 Fast answers to  Locate team members
questions  Find catalysts
 Peer-rated answers  Potential partners
 Organized by topics
 Follow topics
 Follow particular
questions
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 19

20. A deeper dive into LinkedIn
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 20

21. Being a good citizen
 Full profile with photo
 Build your network – add connections
 Ask & answer questions
 Update status frequently
 Join groups and participate in discussions
 Help others: “what’s in it for them?”
 Be a giver not a taker
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 21

22. The Power of Q&A
Ask strategic questions
Answer questions
frequently and generously;
think of yourself last
Put a Weblink in your
answers (draw people to
your Website, books, or
blog)
Earn expertise rewards &
build reputation
TIP: Visit Q&A daily and
answer as many
questions as you can,
insinuating your web
address where possible
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 22

23. The Power of Groups
Search for & join relevant
Groups
Be strategic: should I join
“Starving Inventors” or “New
Product Tycoons?” Why not
both?
Display your Group badges
on your profile to allow like-
minded people to connect
Contribute to Group
Discussions
TIP: Join the group “Invites
Welcome” to grow your
network
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 23

24. The Power of Discussions
Each LinkedIn Group has a
discussion feature
Good way to advertise new
books
Ask strategic questions
Introduce yourself to the
community
TIP: Seed a discussion
with your key business
challenge, e.g. “How do I
connect with inventors who
need protoypes made?”
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 24

25. The Power of Introductions
Connect 2 people who can
help each other
Ask for introductions from
your connections
Be generous with your
contacts
TIP: Search for your
dream client and see who
in your network is
connected to them – get
introduced
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 25

26. Getting the Most out of LinkedIn
 Put everything in your profile
 Increase your network size
 Join LinkedIn Groups
 Ask and answer questions strategically
 Give more than you get
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 26

27. The Power of Small Favours
 Help 50 people with:
 Answers
 Recommendations
 Expert suggestions
 Leads
 Introductions
 When you need help, 50 people will be there for you
 Give generously; the “getting” flows indirectly from
your investment in others
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 27

28. Thank You!
Any questions?
www.robduncan.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn!
Copyright Rob Duncan 2011 28