Calling us out on community marketing – responding to Dave Winer

Dave Winer yesterday noted that:

At the same time, one of these three companies might want to try to make some friends among the bloggers. It’s not in Microsoft’s DNA, Apple sues the bloggers to keep them from talking about them, and Google is the most arrogant self-absorbed company to hit Silicon Valley since Netscape. None of these companies do community marketing efficiently, and they all really need to be great at it.

For some background, I work on community marketing for Windows Live. Just been at it for a few months now, but prior to that I did some developer community marketing for a few years. I can’t speak with authority for every part of Microsoft, and I can’t speak to the first part of your post about our competitive position vs. Google and Apple (“above my pay grade” as they say). I can talk a bit about community marketing at Microsoft and Windows Live in particular however.

Whether our marketing efforts with bloggers have been efficient or effective, at a minimum we try to be open about what we’re up to, and we always look for honest feedback.

In that spirit, I’d love to hear Dave’s (or anyone else’s) ideas on what we should be doing better for reaching out to bloggers, the right way. The more feedback, the more honest and critical (and constructive…), the better.

 [update: Scoble comments on the dinner we all had with the LiveSide guys last night who we invited to SAS as well…making friends with bloggers…:-)]

Now, my own comments on Microsoft’s community marketing:

As a community marketing manager for a large tech company, there are five basic things I try to do:

1. Listen and learn
Rule #1 of working with the blogging community (and any community) – listen and learn before you act. Read hundreds of feeds and searches, always pay attention, and toss out preconceived notions about how marketing *should* work (push, direct, etc…yeech). Many MS marketers have grokked this by listening and learning from own massive employee blogging community – and believe me, they will let us know if and when we do something dumb. Loudly. Frequently. And I love that.

2. Support, energize, get involved in and help build the community
Call it “Pulling a Tara” as this is exactly what Tara Hunt from Riya does so well, and describes even better. Part of how we support and energize the blogging community is by recognizing them (formally, such as with MVP, or informally in a range of ways), giving them some link love (through various community sites and programs), sponsoring events that matter to them, supporting user groups, and so on. We try wherever possible to be a positive participant in rather than dominate over the conversation – doesn’t always work, but that’s the goal at least.

3. Connect bloggers and the community back to the product teams
Especially in tech, most of you all really want to hear direct from the PMs and Devs who actually get their hands dirty with the code. I often joke I’m the last guy you want on stage – I’m merely there to introduce the PM or Director on the product team you really want to meet. Community marketing helps this through user group tours, supporting Webcasts and chats, promoting our blogging efforts, and blogger events like Windows Live Sessions and Search Champs.

4. Help the community connect with each other
Sometimes through sites we own, or sites other groups at Microsoft own and we just love, but most of the time through broader efforts around making the outside community as successful and vibrant as possible.

5. Get the hell out of the way (“facilitate” is the nicer word I put on my review)
My job is to stir the pot, mix in good programs to support the community and the product teams, and then get the hell out of the way to let it all happen. I don’t jump in and be the oppresive marketer or PR guy saying “no you can’t do that, it’s not on message.” I don’t try to filter or restrain. One of the best things I can do is facilitate the connection (#1, #2, or #3 above) and then step back and not try to manage or control it all.

Of course it’s up to the blogging community to make the call if we’re doing a good job of working with them. But at least within the “big tech company” arena, I believe we’ve made some positive strides from the marketing side of the shop.

There are lots more examples, and more coming down the pipe every day from groups all over the company. For all that though, it’s just a start and Dave has a good point. We (marketing) need to do a hell of a lot more, and as he noted, do it all better.

So I’m very open to feedback. What can and should we (Windows Live) do to better make friends with the blogging community?