It's the first time I've been compared to a super hero...well almost...
Big thanks to Marc Wright, publisher of the communicator's website Simply Communicate, for labeling me a 'Buzz Director' this week. Mentioned alongside a nice image of the plastic hero from Toy Story, it helped lift me out of my weather-induced depression, at least for a few hours (isn't this the worst July in Britain in living memory?!)
Marc's latest blog post flags the concept of the 'Buzz Director'- which he defines as someone "who is an expert in their industry" (Smith ego boost no.1) and "follows what is going on in the blogosphere and directs the rest of us to the latest controversy" (Smith ego boost no.2).
It's not a new idea (as Marc points out, it's much like Malcolm Gladwell's concept of 'Connectors'), but I hadn't come across it before in this context.
I hadn't realized I'd been doing it, but I quite like the idea of being a blogosphere guide - signposting the interesting discussions and nudging people towards the great debates. I suspect it's something great bloggers do quite naturally, but the rest of us mortals need to think about a little. It's certainly something I'll try to do more consciously in the future.
It's also an idea internal communicators should think about as part of their social media strategies. I've always been a fan of the humble 'communication champion' - frontline employees who can act as your eyes and ears across the organization- and this idea takes that a stage further.
Marc writes eloquently on the topic and if you're interested in reading more, be sure to check out Steve Bridger's blog 'nfp2.0' for a thoughtful not-for-profit perspective on it. Steve has even had a bash at drafting a role profile.
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