I enjoyed the article above about using the 5S. I bumped into a video of PR Smith explaining it as a component of the SOSTAC framework on Youtube sometime ago. I’m glad that you have explained it a whole lot more in detail and it’s clear how one can apply it to goal setting.

Your book, E-Excellence (3rd & 4th Edition) are also great reads and reference materials.

One favor though, I have been searching for the benefits of a Digital Marketing Planning process for a while. Could you please help itemize a few and possible suggestion on how improve your suggested benefits regarless of the organization.

Thanks Dave.

Do like how this model has evolved. I still tend to think though Speak as defined does not quite cover all social communication bases. Whilst admittedly Serve successfully covers direct customer to client contact, I would argue that the gap Speak and Serve combined doesn’t straddle, and which is becoming increasingly key in finding both the next profitable segment and reputation management, is that of the macro feedback loop and more importantly webwide listening.

Socialise connotes the idea of 2 way listening and the process of reaching out to engage, convey and convince the non vocal majority who still make decisions without further interaction with the company. Speak is one way communication. Socialise would also encourage the company to elicit preference information from broader targets and to work to nudge comments from the reticient within both the key buyer groups and the broader community of potential customers. It also enshrines a key behaviour, the need to monitor and evaluate all information flows and with intense scrutiny help them to inform both strategic and tactical business decisions.

Perhaps Synergy was a bridge too far! And not that SMART!!

That’s good to hear you’ve been able to apply them in the real-world as well as the studying world – I try to make everything applicable to live projects.

Thanks for your comments on the book Carol!

Joining Up the digital channels and integrating with offline is a success factor too, but not sure how you would put SMART goals on that one. Still it should definitely be part of the vision for an organisation so it’s good to mention it.

Share, Socialise, Synergise are all contenders. Share is a stunner as it can incorporate Affliate Marketing etc and Socialise as it handles the reputation management end of the interaction and helps smoothing of monetarisation process. Synergise is the cream on top as it focuses the attention on making sure all elements are harmonised and work together in tandem.

I like it Matthew! That updates the 5Ss for 2011!

In the book we do say that “Speak” is about dialogue, participation and encouraging sharing, but since many maybe see Speak = Shout and not listening your suggestion is a great one. Advocacy does deserve it’s own “S”. Or maybe it should be “Socialise!”.