As we all know, the pandemic conditions throughout the world are changing our lives as well as the way we live. There is no exception on how to work and do our business. We all must change, unfortunately the process of change is never easy.
In response to this condition, Bangwin Consulting currently has a Strategic Leadership Training program summarised in a MasterClass concept.
With 1st topic “Preparing for the New Normal” with our trainer Nenny Soemawinata who shared her knowledge and experience in business transformation as well as managing crisis during her 40 years professional career.
Grateful to partner with JIEP (Jakarta Industrial Estate Pulogadung) last week for a full day zoom session covering 3 parts of the Master Class topics ; Distruption is the New Normal, Creative and Critical Thinking and Storytelling.
I would like to open this year by sharing some happenings in 2019 that can make us hopeful and feel positive for the future.
Please have a look, and share your own take on these matter. You could also share your own version of things to be hopeful.
This is my findings.
Control on social media
I think you would agree with me that some things happening on social media are getting out of hands. How we communicate on social media and also the impact of some actions communication on social media.
What I notice, sometimes, the impact becomes so negative. We cannot control the perception and how people would feel. How it drives their judgement. Their understanding. And therefore their decision making.
We can understand that people use social media for different needs or have different agenda. Some might be good. But some might not. Some are mature and can protect themselves. Some need protection.
That is why I feel it is important to highlight the positive and responsible action done by some biggest platform. Making quite the example, Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter bans political ad. Because influence is ‘earned, not bought’.
From the article Big Think,“We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought,” Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted.
“A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.”
I just love this. I think it’s about time those who has the power, take responsibility in controlling what is good and right. As the owner of the platform it is necessary to do what is right and show leadership. Really push quality content and positive conversation. You gotta start from somewhere. Right ?
Instagram announces global expansion of hidden like counts test.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has repeatedly noted that the test is designed to reduce the pressure on Instagram creators, and that the true measure of its success will relate to how it impacts people emotionally. Taken from article Social Media Today.
This way, content becomes the best value that we can qualified based on who you are today, tomorrow, yesterday, every day. In world full of judgment, I think we’re setting it straight through these examples. My point of view.
Improvement on education system
I totally agree when reading this statement. “Learning is not a competition,” by Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s Education Minister. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is planning a series of changes aimed at discouraging comparisons between student performance and encourage individuals to concentrate on their own learning development.
I remember a quote from Mark Twain. Don’t let schooling interfere with your education. Nowadays, so many education institutions are racing towards the best. Being the best. Well now, Singapore has made quite the change.
Children in Singapore will no longer be ranked by exam results.
According to weforum article, shifting the focus away from exam perfection towards creating more rounded individuals represents a serious change of direction for Singapore. Alongside academic performance the new policies aim to foster social development among pupils to raise self-awareness and build decision-making skills.
The skills we need to perform at work are changing – and quickly.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2018 suggests that employees will see an average shift of 42% in workplace skills between now and 2022.
Indonesia is also progressing some changes as the new education and cultural minister, Nadiem Makarim has launch 4 program education policy, one of them to remove National Exam starting by 2021.
Most grateful to see actions being taken in protecting mother earth for the betterment of the future. And we have Greta Thunberg to be thankful for.
“I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.” Greta Thunberg told the annual convention of CEOs and world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2019.
According to Time Person of the Year article, Greta began a global movement by skipping school: starting in August 2018, she spent her days camped out in front of the Swedish Parliament, holding a sign painted in black letters on a white background that read Skolstrejk för klimatet: “School Strike for Climate.” In the 16 months since, she has addressed heads of state at the U.N., met with the Pope, sparred with the President of the United States and inspired 4 million people to join the global climate strike on September 20, 2019, in what was the largest climate demonstration in human history.
Since then, real changes have been made. From the article, among the actions there are,
Fortune500 companies, facing major pressure to reduce their emissions, are realizing that sustainability makes for good PR.
In June, the airline KLM launched a “Fly Responsibly” campaign, which encouraged customers to consider abstaining from non-essential air travel.
In July, the head of OPEC, the cartel that controls much of the world’s oil production, called climate strikers the “greatest threat” to his industry, according to the AFP.
In September, workers at Amazon, Facebook and other major companies walked out during the climate strikes.
And in November, the president of Emirates airline told the BBC that the climate strikers helped him realize “we are not doing enough.”
In December, Klaus Schwab, the founder and CEO of the World Economic Forum, published a manifesto calling on global business leaders to embrace a more responsible form of capitalism that, among other things, forces companies to act “as a steward of the environmental and material universe for future generations.”
In the past year, more than 60 countries said they would eliminate their carbon footprints by 2050.
Voters in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden—especially young people—now list climate change as their top priority.
In May, green parties gained seats in the European Parliament from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and more.
There was an 8% drop in domestic flights between January and April according to Swedavia, which runs the nation’s airports, and Interrail ticket sales have tripled over the past two years.
More than 19,000 people have signed a pledge swearing off air travel in 2020, and the German railway operator Deutsche Bahn reported a record number of passengers using its long-distance rail in the first six months of 2019.
Swiss and Austrian railway operators also saw upticks on their night train services this year.
In short, I think the things happening today will take matter for the future and in becoming a much kinder world. A safer world.
Just what the world needs right now. To be kind. To make the world a peaceful place to live in.
Other things that has got my attention is the rise awareness of self-care. And how people in their own way are educating how to care about yourself, how to be kind to yourself as well to others.
The next question, if things are changing, and people has come to be aware, how to protect it ? How to keep making things good ?
I feel somehow the technology of blockchain is still the most technology that has the biggest impact for the decades to come (Read Blockchain revolution by Don Tapscott or his TedTalk. ). Might be, currently, some people out there are developing block chain based applications and making better new businesses hence ensuring a better world.
Because of the system that is based on integrity of network, control on distribution of power, secured identity, privacy, rights preserved and inclusivity. All those aspect are not optional. It is all or nothing at all.
For this post, I want to share my most favourite podcast series that I have grown to fond over the course of the last 2 years.
I love listening to podcast. I love listening to it so much, I can definitely say, it has changed my life.
My morning rituals involves a dose of at least, 1 episode of a podcast series.
So here are my Top 5.
Without Fail by Alex Blumberg, Founder Gimlet Media
Gimlet Media is a podcast company that provides a full range of different kinds of serials podcast. Without Fail is Alex’s premier podcast, and a reflection of what Gimlet Media stands for right from the start.
For Spotify listeners, click on picture.
Series of interviews who’s either won big or loose big time. Sharing how they risked or never thought they could ever achieved. People who we thought, looked like had it all, only to have fail spectacularly. Stories and lessons on success, failures from really famous people. The beauty of Podcast is that people become more loose and easier to open up their stories.
Specially to all my Gen-X friends, this is for you guys. You guys have around 20 years of hard boiling experiences, gone through ups and downs, achievements and learnings, you guys who needs refreshments of the mind, I really hope this podcast series could give as much inspiration and support that you need.
For those who never listened to Without Fail, I would recommend to start from the beginning. 1st episode starts here.
Akimbo, a Podcast from Seth Godin.
Yes ! The Marketing Guru, once again teaches us new ways to understand through these series of podcast. Not only in a simple way he could open our minds but also share a very practical sample cases and stories narrated on each episode, in just a very short time.
The philosophy. Akimbo taken from an ancient word, means “the bend in the river or an archer’s bow. Akimbo has become a symbol for strength, a posture of possibility, that the idea that Seth wanted was when we stand tall, arms bent, looking right at it, we can make a difference.
Akimbo’s podcast is about culture and about how we can change it. About seeing whats happening and choosing to do something. Philosophical and yet poetic.
The uniqueness of his podcasts is that each episode provides a chance for listeners to ask questions and yet what I understood was it has become a way for Seth to make sure the understanding that he want to get across was the way he wanted listeners to.
It is also a great way, to engage, teacher to students, grow the relationships, strengthen the bond of Seth as leader of his community, listeners, followers, learners, by giving the guidance they need, every step of the way. Great !
In Progress from GirlBoss
In Progress: An Imperfect Journey, Navigated. In Progress Podcast claim to be a crash course in living a purposeful life. Guided by a millennial, Noor Tagouri. For those who are open to level up your own self like me. It could also be used as a reflection to your own true self.
However this came from a younger generation’s perspective, this has truly helped me. Read.
For Spotify listeners, click on picture.
The GaryVee Audio Experience
I’ve been following Gary Vee for quite some time now. And both he and Seth Godin has been my personal therapist for self-care and personal growth. Without them knowing of course ^_^.
From time to time, whenever I need to get a good amount of personal boost, I would go to any of his channel. And then I would feel better. Life saver.
For Spotify listeners, click on picture.
The GaryVee Audio experience is a mixture of everything that Gary have done adapted on audio. From his episodes of #AskGaryVee Show, a mix of the best highlights from his DAILYVEE documentary video series, keynote speeches on marketing and business, interviews, fireside chats, and any of his up to date and current thoughts.
Ctrl Alt Delete by Emma Gannon
Another millennial that suits my generation-X mind. Emma Gannon, author, blogger, and host of Ctrl Alt Delete podcast is the spokesperson for millennials as she started her podcast series in 2016. Previously working as a social media journalist for publications like The Debrief and Glamour, the podcast was inspired and started from blogging and writing her first book, also named Ctrl Alt Delete about her life growing up online.
For Spotify listeners, click on picture.
Following the success of her book and its partner podcast, Gannon has created a huge community online full of clever and interesting women. And she was named on 2019’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list for media and marketing. Taken from ES article.
For quite some time, we (Bangwin Consulting) has been pushing forward basic community management concept known as Digital Community Management.
We have also raised the attention with the rise of digitalisation in Indonesia and also disruption economy uplifts a new way of business. We discovered a gap between the understanding of social media management, digital marketing and monetisation.
So why it is so important? What are the real impact from managing your community ? Are there any real example case from famous brands and companies?
Why community management is important to manage your online platform ?
This is why.
Through this post I will share some brands, companies or organisation that has gain benefits since taking care of their community.
Disney gathered millions of subscribers even before launch. The company’s own internal forecasts predicted that it will gain 20 to 30 million subscribers by 2024.
A proof how strong a community group of people who believes and loves Disney. Family and fans all around the world has grown to love that magical experience that comes from the stories built in to Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and The Walt Disney Company’s powerful brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Fox, and National Geographic.
Each brands with their channels, by its own, has been consistent being who they are and sharing what they are. But most importantly, Disney understood the importance of managing expectations of viewers and supporters of the brand. Engaging with them non-stop from every channels, feeding them what they want, answering and listening to their needs. Being a part of them as they become a part of Disney.
Now what we know about building relationships that each sides who eventually grown to know and understand each other is definitely not a quick instance. This involves right from the start from building the brand, giving solutions within the experience process including sales and customer service. And remember these efforts must be done online as well as offline.
Bukalapak e-commerce
Bukalapak is a market place. Social Market Place. Bukalapak does not sell things and the performance will be determined by the good experience between buyers and sellers. The business model is to bridge between buyers and sellers at Bukalapak.
Through my interview with Muhammad Fikri, Bukalapak’s former Head of Community management, his words,
“Community Management is an approach. Being at the same level of understanding like being a friend, humanise a brand or a company.
Through a community approach, we can share suggestions and inputs towards both sides. As friends we can share attention to the users and feedbacks to the company. As long as there are no transactional trade involve in the process and just influencing for the betterment of process and in then we could divert the solution to Customer Service for instance.”
“The success factor determine on Community Management would be in overcoming problems and challenges of the company’s face. A militant means “die hard” supporter for the company that open heartedly, without any hesitation or pay and any condition willing to help for the needs of the company. Evangelists. That could be one level indicator success rate on community management.” he added.
To understand more go to his interview here or listen to our conversation through my podcast here.
3. Taylor Swift
My honest point of view, Taylor Swift is the Master of community management. She knows how to manage her community, those audience, fans base, buyers of her music or any products, the supporters, or just simple followers that enthusiastically are very much interested in what she does. She truly born into the leader of her community as she makes people belong together, becoming friends and then best friends.
Taylor listens to her community needs, and from time to time, without any hesitation would directly communicate or act on a personal level especially for the loyal fans. Feeding them exactly what they need. And indeed the perfect exemplar on how to connect activities online and offline.
Here’s some example I’ve gathered.
Taylor hand selected fans to invite to secret album listening sessions. Look at the video to understand what I mean.
Taylor actively interacting with fans online. With an online following of 85.1 million Twitter followers and 123 million Instagram followers, this is a huge in personal interactions. Swift is known for creeping on her fans’ Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. In fact, she has done it for so long that she has a personalized term for it: “taylurking”. She ‘likes’ and interacts with posts and will even save her favorite fan photos to her phone. She gets to know her fans on a more personal level through their social media profiles, and she goes out of her way to meet those fans in person. Read more from medium.com article here.
Sightings of Swift’s official account joining livestreams and posting comments like, “Hiiiiiiiii” and “You’re the cutest!!!!!” BuzzFeed collected screenshots, and there’s more captured on message boards and fan Twitter accounts. (If you’re talking to Taylor Swift online, you can also expect to see your username published on BuzzFeed.) . For those who understand what the real meaning of being a part of community would really feel appreciated. These are samples of engagement activities dear friends.
And as result to sales or we say business, Reputation stormed the beaches to the tune of a record-breaking 400,000 pre-orders. (source) In the first week, the album sold 1.22 million copies and is the best-selling album of 2017. Read more on medium.com titled, Lessons from Taylor Swift marketing machine, here.
Another example that I think would also be interesting, is Air BnB.
When you look at Air BnB, you would immediately say, sharing economy. But to whom ?AirBnB brings 2 niche different kinds of people together. 2 different community. The owner and the ones who need to use.
So before I end this post, a question to you my friendly readers.
Would Air BnB become successful without a community approach on managing their customers and consumers ?
Now I cannot say that having community management will be the answer for all your problems. But I hope the above examples would open your mind a little bit. Especially when answering the big WHY.
To me, social media, just like any other media is simply a platform, a medium, a channel like, TV, radio, newspaper conventionally.
Just like that, we have been aware of the evolution of social media . New media has arise with many form and ways of engaging to the users and rapidly grow into a community that we just had to catch up and join in, evenly.
So as GaryVee would’ve put it, there is no way we can be at the mercy on one platform.
social media can come and go
It’s all business. Whatever the opportunity leads.
Remember yahoo as it was a search engine before google.
Remember when friendster suddenly changed into a game community platform.
Remember when path just like that, sold then change its way.
Things changed. And we are all borrowing their platform. Using it for free. All these time establishing our brand, network, investing content by the mercy of one or some social media platforms. All on borrowed time.
We must however, remember. The active work we have done, developing relatable contents, investing our efforts, time, thinking, energy to create contents for our followers, our community, buyers or supporters, should be the most important value to be protected. These contents should be put together, nurture, planted seed by seed and from time to time be cemented. As it one day should be your media source of whatever you aspire to be. Owned by none other, you. As your own platform. That you of course you managed and control.
2. social media builds cohesive association
On the other hand, we also need to be open toward other media that have a strong community relation with what we are doing. Being relatable with the people who understands and interested to know more. Will have far more attractive result than having to spread any awareness activities to a group of general audience no matter how big they are.
Search for focused group platform, they have the strongest argument will create a much deeper conversation in a regular basis. Search as much channels you can find. Engage as many connection as you can to build your relationship.
So if you want to gain much through social media, you have to build your digital footprints with many channels or social media platforms. And when your in the business to build relation you cannot afford to do it just online.
When we talk about digital transformation it’s always ongoing with new information, knowledge and experience from all over world and in so many different areas.
And because of that, it is so easy to be confused and get lost. Where to go, what to do, where to start.
According to Brian Solis Altimeter Research, Digital Transformation is a process of many things. Among others, we can start by a process changing mindsets, the understanding on doing new way of business. For starter, how to adapt and give way for a new lifestyle and buying methods. As results, the impact and changes in business processes. The need push forward new technologies and therefore a new investment to improve relevancies for customers and employees to seek the new digital economy that everyone wants.
A good learning, given by Bapak Sakto Wibisono, the former IT Director of Putera Sampoerna Foundation, on one occasion when we were discussing a project . A video of Jeanne W. Ross, Principal Research Scientist, MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research (@jrossCISR) on how to articulate your company’s digital vision.
This is so interesting that I just had to share my point of view.
Articulate your digital vision. What does that mean ?
With digital come into place, there are so many changes happening towards the process of what makes a business. We can no longer fit in with business as usual or how we see business the old way.
The understanding of the statement above is that we need to review and redefine the big WHY in doing business with digital comes in the process. To do that there are a few steps we must do.
This to me is also a learning. So sharing how I see it, these are the main highlights.
Understand how technology can change our business opportunities
With so many disruptions of new technology from social to block chain, from analytic to bio metric, then are also cloud and internet of things and so on, we tend to get distracted.
It use to believed that unless you are a well round company with complete functions for each work process, you cannot take advantage with these technology. Not all are important for you and could benefits with the condition of how you process your business now.
We need to understand how these technology can make a change in the business opportunities. How the conversion take place in this moment because by using these technologies.
The key is having not enabling business strategy but identify new way of business through sources of inspiration. Data, access and process are the key inspirations that we can learn to learn how to qualify what becomes the changes of way of business that we can learn.
For example Taxi business vs Uber
Taxi : gives rides
Uber : give rides, who your driver while driving, how much when you arrives and take out all hassles on payment method.
Uber take digital economy because they understood the possibility on digital technology.
Changing the opportunities from our customer value propositions from enabling to inspiring values of propositions. In Uber case, Uber inspire the customer to new value propositions that commonly was customer problems into their solutions. New value propositions become new sources of revenues.
How to learn technology to go beyond who we were.
Digitised is NOT digital.
Digitised makes operational excellence. The transformation was started in the 90s involves instilling integration of system and much more discipline around core transaction and back offices processes. Making more efficient and effective improving the customer experience. The integration are in place.
Are your company digitised yet ? If yes, then your company is ready to go digital. When you are ready then you can then go to the next step, building business innovation by empowering people through projects experiments and execute digital offerings to the customer. Through these projects we can offer to our customer new value propositions and then we learn how to make new revenues streams through new products and services offerings.
Example Amazon,
social technology inspire customer to do books reviews
analytic technology inspires customer to do share testimonials on books
mobile technology inspires customers to do easier buy using shopping cart
AI technology inspires customer to make their lives easier and more accessible
So the steps in articulating your digital vision,
first, learn the technology that can serve your business,
second, digitised your company so that you are wholesome in effective and efficient as an organisation. This means being resourceful in both technology and people. And then,
third, start doing experiments that can deliver new product and services offerings from the new and improved value propositions that manifest opportunities as source of revenues.
Pertanyaan yang sering ditanyakan dalam penggunaan social media kepada saya atau kami berdua di Bangwin Consulting adalah,
“apa panduan yang paling penting dalam ber-social media ?
dan jawaban kami selalu adalah “maturity” atau kedewasaan.
Tidak ada bahasa atau penjelasan yang lebih nyata dan tepat selain kata tersebut.
“Tapi mba, aku kan pengen menjadi diri sendiri”
atau,
“masak aku ga bisa jadi diri aku sendiri seperti halnya kenyataannya di dunia nyata?”
Pada akhirnya, kita memang tidak pernah bisa menyuruh atau membuat orang untuk melakukan sesuatu. Karena seringkali diperlukan sebuah contoh dengan dampak balik atau consequences yang jelas dan nyata di depan mata. Dan juga pada akhirnya pengertian seseorang pada umumnya bertindak sesuai dengan pengalaman dan kematangan seseorang.
Saya baru menemukan video lama yang tayang 1 tahun yang lalu dari Today News berjudul, “Harvard revokes at least 10 acceptance over offensive postings”. Tentang bagaimana sekolah prestigious seperti Harvard mengelola digital community mereka sendiri untuk menjaga values dan kepercayaan yang telah dibangun sejak lama bagi sebuah insitusi edukasi memberi kesempatan untuk membentuk individu-individu yang luar biasa.
Pelajaran yang dapat dipetik dan pemahaman mengenai pengelolaan digital community. Bagaimana manfaat yang dapat diambil melalui pengelolaan digital community pada suatu insitusi terpercaya seperti Harvard.
Untuk mendapatkan mahasiswa terbaik tentunya ada spesifikasi dan standard tertentu yang perlu dimiliki oleh calon mahasiswa. Untuk menjaga image nama besar dan baik Sekolah Besar Harvard, sejak awal proses pendaftaran, para petugas pendaftaran Harvard melakukan pemeriksaan gaya hidup para pendaftar mahasiswa baru melalui jalur social media sebesar 35%. Sebanyak 42% diantaranya ditemukan mencelakakan para calon mahasiswa tersebut.
Pada kenyataannya, generasi jaman sekarang adalah generasi yang telah hidup dengan social media selama hidupnya. Celakanya, seringkali kegiatan posting meme atau image foto dan video yang offensive atau penyataan yang awalnya untuk bersenang-senang dimana berlomba-lomba untuk menunjukkan ketajaman dan paling lucu sering kali menunjukkan tidak dewasa dan kurang memilki penilaian yang baik.
Hasilnya, kegiatan tersebut secara langsung dapat berakibat secara langsung bahkan mendiskreditkan sekolah atau organisasi tersebut. Pengertiannya, universitas representasikan suatu bentuk image dan para mahasiswa yang mewakili insitusi tersebut harus dapat refleksikan image tersebut.
Akibatnya, mahasiswa sewaktu-waktu dapat dicabut kesempatannya untuk menjadi mahasiswa Harvard dimana keputusan tersebut tidak dapat dinegossiasikan dan merupakan keputusan yang final.
English Version
One of the most often question being asked over and over again to me or to us Bangwin Consulting is,
“what is the most important guidelines when doing social media ?
and our questions are always the same, “maturity”.
There are no language or explanation more realistic or right way to put it other that that word.
“But, I want to be myself”
or,
“why can’t I be my own self like when I am in real life?”
In the end, we can never make someone do as they are told or make someone do something. What we can do is advise and make the best sample to back up that advise. As most of the times we need samples that has impact or consequences that are clear and real and sometimes what we can witness in front of our eyes. Dan sometimes the understanding of oneself usually would act upon the level of experience and maturity.
I founded an old video that was shared a year ago from Today’s News titled, “Harvard revokes at least 10 acceptance over offensive postings”. About how the most prestigious school like Harvard manage their digital community on their own to preserve their values and trust that was built so many years ago. An establishment that gives opportunities for exceptional individuals.
A lesson to learn and an understanding of digital community management.
How this can give benefits through a sample of digital community implementation study case by a trustworthy institution like Harvard.
To get the best candidate of students of course there are many list of specification and standard requirements. To preserve the good name and image of Harvard, from the start of submitting an application. It was warned before, that in general 35% of applicants are surveyed across the country to check each of their social media by college administration officer’s. 42% of what they found had hurt the applicants, facts given.
The reality is, these generation are those who live with social media their whole life.
Unfortunately, most recent findings they often post are offensive images and statements. Having fun with memes, demonstrating lack of maturity and clear judgement. As it started as a fun experience, trying hard to prove themselves as the sharpest and most wittiest often shows immaturity and lack of good judgement.
As a direct result bring discredited towards the school or the organisation. The understanding is, the university represents a certain image and those who wants to be a part should embodied and reflect that image as well.
An applicant could be revoked at any time for any chance to join Harvard whereas these decisions are often final and cannot be negotiated at any cost.
Bangwin Consulting is a consultancy for online business based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
We enable digital transformation and presence for company and personal.
BangwinConsulting provides a service of consultation for those who wants to start entering the digital world or in progress with undertaking the basic community management concept known as Digital Community Management.
With the rise of digitalisation in Indonesia and also disruption economy that uplift a new way of business we discovered a gap between the understanding of social media management, digital marketing and monetisation.
Understand the importance based on aspects of business it becomes the main reason for Bangwin Consulting and team to take the responsibility thus specialises in the world of internet.
Our Services
Knowledge. Customise syllabus of learning series. As trainer and coordinator for Talk show, Workshop, Training sessions for any corporate or group on digital & social media.
Project-Based Digital Transformation. A partner for your online business transformation.
Resource Management. Partner with other experts and support in digital headcount.
Founder dan Principle Consultant, Abang Edwin Syarif Agustin, known as Bangwin,started learning the internet since 1994. He is an influencer blogger/writer also vlogger, podcaster and also keynote speaker. Bangwin helps leading brands, companies big and small, communities, personal, and startups develop digital transformation for their business or a personal brand.
Partner Consultant, Tyas Handayani. A marketer background in communication, advertising, branding, e-commerce and social organisation. Experience in leading digital transformation and change management for corporation as well as social organisation. Tyas is also is a blogger/writer whose passionate in sharing knowledge. She has expand and built a new Podcast series that she named, Mindshift.
Interview with Abang Edwin – Understanding the internet world.
On this next post we will be discussing about the basic understanding of internet with Abang Edwin is one of Indonesia’s expert on Digital Community as well as a Social Media Practitioner. Dabbled on the internet since 1994 and successfully built an internet-based radio for Indonesian listeners in New York City, USA, Voice Of Jakarta (VOJ).In 2007, Bangwin joined Yahoo! Southeast Asia as a Community Manager until he decided to build his own online consulting named Bangwin Consulting.
Bangwin discovered a gap on the understanding of how to manage social media or taking advantage through the internet from people or brands each time he met. It was the main reason why Bangwin Consulting was established. Bangwin has always push forward the concept of Digital Community on all of his sharing or opportunities.
Hoping this interview would give a more clear understanding on what does it takes to manage digital. The interview will be in Bahasa Indonesia however I have made the English translation on this post together with some additional supporting material. Hope you enjoy.
Tyas :
OK, before we discuss about the world of internet, can we talk about what leads your interest to the internet, some history or background up until now.
Abang Edwin :
It started from when internet arrived in Indonesia. Around 1994 or 1995. It was when I almost finished college. At that time, it was the first time we got internet connection through internet monthly subscription. It was still windows 31, the earliest version and at that time when I begin to connect with the internet I was so excited because I get to see so many things. At that time, browsers were not like nowadays like chrome but those time we used mosaic, Netscape, even internet explorer was not yet available. Internet explorer arrived provided by mosaic. It was bought my Microsoft then it changed name.
So happy, we can try to make website. At that time, websites are only text based. The image is only on top and all texts. Not interesting at all.
Yahoo was already available but at that time, Yahoo was a search engine. So if we want to search for anything, we go to yahoo. Google was not available at that time. There are no social media or any terms on that. Those time it was only like magazines but online. They were named portals.
And then I started to try “chat” at that time the platform was mIRC. It was a hit at that time. You don’t need a browser, and mIRC was already available since DOS age. Black screen and all text. At that time, it was name IRC or internet relay chat. And when it became a bit modern it changes the name into mIRC.
At that time, first time I connected we had to choose a room, and it had so many rooms. And they would mention you. “Hey, ASL please”
Apparently it was how we introduce ourselves on the internet world at that time. We had to say our ASL, age sex location.
Up until now, mIRC still are used because it is so efficient as a platform.
Tyas :
The Scouts organization internationally still uses mIRC because its reliable and easy access, makes it accessible platform consistent in all countries.
Bangwin :
Yes, we use that on those days. And as we enter we met with all different people all around the world. From Poland, East Europe, Korea, at then I realised this technology is so cool because we are able to connected to any parts of the world as long as we are connected to the internet. So no limits. In terms of communication.
And then I realised there are some relevancies with a book I read before. It was a Bill Gates book and there was a quote about connecting the world. Title book, Overdrive.
On that book it was stated how Microsoft was not only to develop software with Bill Gates envision that the world with all human beings will be connected. As easy as that. In the olden days it was unimaginable but when we try internet then we realised what lies on the future possibility ahead. It really felt what is the future.
Tyas :
And then when did you start experimenting. Could you share any example from your own experiences ?
Bangwin :
After dabbling on the internet, after chat on mIRC, and then I start learning about mailing list. The concept is the same, connecting with others but thru email. So we it is exactly like if we can imagine nowadays we use “WhatsApp group” but we use email. So we send one message and share through email then message will be distributed and all will be connected to each other. Now that concept is actually can be describe as Online Community. At that time, other than forum the foremost number one concept on Online Community. Because platform forum is specifically design for online sharing. There’s thread. But email is easier and everybody has it. So after mailing list I tried to build online community through mailing lists. So it starts from there.
Tyas :
So it was more than 15 years ago, to be exact 24 years ago that Abang Edwin started to experimenting on the internet. What I can imagine those time learning something new, it has some process of learnings on its own for some people. Funny misconceptions that might happen at that times ?
Bangwin :
Yes, when I was working for Panasonic right after college. I am a designer product so I was working at a factory. And I had to deal with many managers on the factory. And the knowledge about internet is still little. Because I love the internet, I helped the company to adapt internet technology to be utilise for daily work. Now with 3000 factory workers, you can imagine all facilities are completed on the factory. From TV factory, audio factory, internet has been provided for efficiency. You can imagine, it will be easier to coordinate meetings rather than walk hundreds of meters just to discuss where should we do the meetings. Now at that early times internet usage was using modem. And at that time, the understanding was if you use the internet, you are using your phone credit. Well if a company as large as Panasonic subscribe monthly internet usage, fiber optic, quite expensive USD 3000 per month. At that time, we had huge bandwidth, could use 24 hours.
But what we found out was nobody was using. We started using email for invitation meetings but nobody replied or even read. As we went around, and surveyed checked and we found out that they refused to use the internet. Why, because they fear it would be very expensive, they fear the phone billing of the (department) would explode and they could not take the responsibility.
So we finally gathered all managers to a meeting and explain about the subscriptions monthly fee that had been invested by the management for all to use. If not, it would be a waste. And then, they realised and eventually use it.
Tyas :
I can imagine having something new like internet there has been some socialisation, and you were also a part of it ?
Bangwin :
Yes, I also support socialising the whole factory on how to benefit the internet at that time.
Tyas :
Now after all the misconceptions, at that time, you must’ve also realized and foresee all the possibilities that could happen from the internet. Are there any predictions that you see happening or through any books you read at that time that actually happened?
Bangwin :
Oh a lot. Yes. Like business. At the old times, business was making a corporation, and you advertised through newspaper, now we know about Disruption Business where a company / we can gain Digital Economy with relying applications to do the business. At that time, we understand as the modem connected and then I became connected to people on mIRC and this means we can do business.
And through the internet it allows changes to happens like what’s happening now. For instance, ojek online all depends on the internet. Internet becomes something that is inevitable, everything relies on that.
There was a time on hand phone survey that for some people in the rural area, they say they don’t use the internet, but just facebook. And as time goes by, they don’t realize that the internet is all embedded in our gadget. It’s like a given value. All our hand phone numbers have internet connection.
Business media or portals at that time. And then there was search engine, Yahoo, infoseek, lycos. And we chat on mIRC on of the channels for example dog lovers, and I could offer a dog, now that is already e-commerce right ?
Tyas :
Next question, is a question that I have longed to asked and share to all our friends (listeners/readers). About the understanding on basic internet communication, community management and digital community. You have always brought that up on any of your sharing or opportunities as a speaker. Can you share the importance on those concept ?
Bangwin :
Very important. Why I always bring community management on any of my sharing because social media management or internet is based on communication. Communication is a starting point that a community is formed. So if we do not discuss about community (how to manage the community online) it will be a jump. It means we are just putting ads (advertisement).
So for example, if we meet a person, we just informed, that’s it, one-way communication. Once the other person talks back to us, that is already two-way communication but not yet a community. Once there are three, four and more person come together and talk about that ad and discuss about their interest on that product or let say hobby or whatever now that is a community.
Now why it becomes important, because rather than we talk to 1 person, if we talk to 1000 people that has the same opinion as us it would be more powerful. Faster, easier.
So when it comes to those who wants to sell or share and idea it becomes more enjoyable. That is why it is important to talk about online community.
Concept of communication between people. Community allows anyone to share and discuss ideas
Again an example, everything is all about community management. If one person has a twitter account or Instagram, with 800 followers, that is for sure the person needs to be a community manager on its own. Unless we don’t want take benefits from that but if we see we have 1000 followers and we want to take advantage we have to take our responsibility as a community manager to nurture our followers, so that they are happy to follow us. If not, they will easily unfollow.
So on the internet, when we talk about community, we talk about people. Just like hang out in the real world, there always some tendencies to judge or appraise a person. Now, our value on the internet is based on our reputation on the internet. And reputation is build based on trust. So we have to build our reputation on the internet community. Now that trust will become the currency on each person. Each person has its own value. For example, if Abang is speaking I trust him. Now that means our reputation is high. Referring to the book Wuffie Factor that explains it all. Value of each person online. Now reputation online is different from the reputation on the real world.
Let me be the example, I am well known to be a product designer in the real world, but when I come to the online world I am know to be an online community practitioner. So each place we can build our reputation. Now the beauty of being online or on the internet, we have the ability to build that. Build on what we want people to know us for, how popular we want to be. That can happened.
Tyas :
Now as we see on how we take advantage for business from the internet nowadays, there’s e-commerce, fin-tech, service tech, entertainment, media, there are so many, even now, do not realised the benefits or concept on online community influences on the internet on whatever form or model. Why is that, people do not realised til now ?
If I can give some examples, Bukalapak just uses influences community management starting 3 years ago. Other e-commerce just started last year. Why is that people seems to me jump over that ?
Bangwin:
There are so many reasons but the for certain reasons, online community is not something easy to be learn. That’s first. And secondly, people is used to see the end results. Whereas community is built for a long period of time, so it we cannot see the immediate result.
Tyas :
Is there are book references to learn online community that you can share ?
Bangwin :
Community Building on the web, Amy Jo Kim. This book til now is still relevant.
Tyas :
Maybe we can learn community management on our own if we some have experience being a part of a community, we know how to manage community, and we could apply that learning on social media, right.
But this is how I view it. I may be wrong. From what I see, people often become too focus on the technology, how to manage the technology but forgot that those who are using those technologies are human beings. Not just the internet or social media but whatever brand or product sometimes a company tends to forgot, at the end of the day we have to give value for those people who buys those products. People do not want technical stuff. Could that be one of the problem maybe? Because they often think or see too technical of things?
You’ve got to start with customer experience and work backwards to the technology. You can’t start with the technology and try to figure out where you’re going to sell it. -Steve Jobs-
Bangwin :
Many people sometimes do not realize that when we manage a community we manage the people. What’s in their heads, the understanding, habit and character that forms how they speak or communicate among others. So it’s about communication. That is why on any of my trainings it all starts from conversation. Because conversation is the initial state of building a community. From a questions and gain more conversation then sharing on each interests.
Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon
Tyas :
The last question is about the future. What technology can you see for the future.
Bangwin :
Technology becomes a part and no longer an options of our daily lives. There are no stopping in the future. Social media might change forms and names but connection between human beings and communication becomes the base of any form of evolution. That is used to support that. It will only change form.
From IRC, mailing list, it was all tools for human beings to communicate. And now we are starting to use a tool to communicate using this smart phone, on the future we might use our own way of tool, telepathically who knows.
That is why when it comes to business it does not become relevant if we say we only want to do business in Indonesia. If the potential buyers come from overseas don’t you want to do business? However, there are still friends with that mindset, I really cannot understand. If we can have connected globally, might as well we try.
Founder dan Principle Consultant, 
Tyas Handayani 