Earlier this week I had the pleasure of participating on a panel for one of the Vancouver Business Journal's Boardroom Executive Sessions, titled: Leveraging Social Media to Grow Your Business. My co-panelists were Noland Hoshino of High Five Media, Shon-Lueiss Harris of SB Ventures Group/New Vansterdam, and fellow Washington State University Vancouver grad Gary Nasca of Riverview Community Bank.

This was a great opportunity for me to highlight some of the communications efforts that MacKay Sposito has been generating, including our two blogs and our 40 Years of Thanks campaign. I was able to share some of the highlights of our social media strategy, including how we are utilizing social media to introduce our brand to the community and how we adjust our communication to fit our client’s needs. I was also able to give some constructive candor for some of the social media pitfalls that businesses often run up against when interacting on social media platforms.

Each panelist brought some very unique perspectives to the table. Noland, a seasoned media strategist, reminded everyone about the 3 C’s of a successful social media campaign: Find your connector, curator, and community. Gary highlighted the importance of finding the right platforms to carry your message among the sea of hundreds of common social media platforms. Shon-Lueiss, a PR professional, offered advice on how to facilitate useful discussion with the public about product education.

The panel was also a great way for us to connect with the community on a different type of platform. Though I may be able to wax poetic all day about the strengths of social media, the panel offered us an outlet to disconnect from our many electronic devices and make direct connections in the community in person -- the old fashioned way. I feel honored to have been able to highlight MacKay Sposito as a leader in our community alongside three individuals who are pros in our field, and proud that half of our panel represented Washington State University’s Digital Technology and Culture program -- Go Cougs!