Visible Technologies Blake Cahill an interview

Tell me about your Company?

Visible Technologies is a leading SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) technology company that enables Global 2000 brands and their agencies to leverage the social web for listening, engagement, and measurement through our TruCast® platform.

What was your first experience of social media?

Back in still very relevant customer forums before the space was called social media. 

How is social media monitoring changing the online marketing?

Actually, in a number of ways – first the consumer is now more able publicly share their passion or disillusionment about a company, brand, experience, anything really.

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie in social media?

Listening before jumping into engagement and then align goals to tactics and ensure that social media is incorporated in to a larger ecosystems of goals and outcomes for your organization.  Also, get C level by in and talk with Legal early and often.

What do advertisers do that you wish they wouldn’t?

Not use in enough humor in advertising

What do bloggers do that you wish they wouldn’t?

Not disclose if they are paid to promote something

Where do you see growth in the social media field? 

The integration of customer service folks at brands for owning and driving engagement with consumers.  Marketing and PR groups or their agencies for that matter can’t scale this channel with customer service.

What do you do to improve the world?

I try to share my knowledge related to social, marketing and customer experience with a number of non-profit organizations that have very little marketing resources to “de-mystify” and implement social strategies for their non-profit organization.

What do you do that is green?

Most mornings…when I make coffee I take grinds outside to my garden and dump as compost.

What is one thing about you that not many people know?

I did my 1^st Half-Ironman triathlon in August and am looking forward to another season next year.

What’s your favorite book?

The Great Gatsby

What is on your iPod?

Everything from Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Gilberto Gil, Cesaria Evora, to the Ramones

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?

[email protected]

www.visibletechnologies.com

www.visinsights.com

www.twitter.com/bcahill

What events do you go to?

OMMA, WOMMA, SMC, SXSW, Forrester Events

How do you prefer to communicate?

Twitter or email

Who would you recommend, and why?

Errh, I don’t like to do these lists because so many folks are often left off. I would follow a mix of brands to learn what they are doing like: @ask_wellsfargo or @ask_amex…also some others like @forrester or many of their analysts, and people like @armano, @peterkim, @chrispirillo @charleneli and @jowyang

What is one thing people can do for you?

If you’re a customer go on record, no seriously continue to evangelize the space and get ROI and results out there so people can follow the early adopters