I recently had a great opportunity to speak at the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Leadership Institute in San Diego. In that capacity, I was representing the IABC/Atlanta chapter, where I currently serve on the board. The topic of discussion focused on how local IABC chapters can leverage social media to their benefit. I've done this before, but social media is still a challenge to speak on with any degree of authority, as the field is constantly changing and tactics are so innovative.
 
I was very lucky to be paired with a dynamic speaker, Preston Lewis of Bonfire Communication. Between the two of us, we crafted a program that focused on strategy development and goal setting rather than focusing on the technology. We both feel strongly that social media is more a product of behavior than a communication outlet and are convinced that any use of social media must be driven by sustainable goals.
 
By discussing social media as just another communication channel within a larger communication strategy, the program helped chapters see how they can use social media to achieve their goals rather than simply as a reaction to assumed pressure.
 
IABC Leadership Institute

The IABC's annual Leadership Institute brings together more than 200 leaders from around the world for two days of best-practice sharing and leadership development. The focus is to help leaders manage their chapters and regions efficiently so that they can provide superior professional development and other services to their members.

Visit http://atlanta.iabc.com/ to learn more about IABC/Atlanta and how to become a member.