By Hannah Johnson
In today’s feature story, we talk about tips to improve your online presence. The success of conferences like O’Reilly’s Web 2.0 Expo prove that book publishing is not the only industry that needs to more digitally literate employees.
Shortly after the iPad was released, Lynne Seid of Heidrick & Struggles, a leadership advisory firm, said, “there is a digital talent emergency in publishing companies” because publishers urgently need to transform themselves into digitally driven technology and content companies. Seid went on to say that it isn’t enough for a company to hire a couple of people who know how to use social media. Real change, says Seid, comes from “truly transformational leaders.”
So what should a publisher do with that information? Is it an exercise in futility to send existing employees to conferences like the Web 2.0 Expo? Where are we supposed to find these “transformational leaders?” Book publishing has long operated with a business model that no longer works as well as it used to. Does that mean publishers need to look outside their own industry to innovate?
Tell us what you think. Or if you know of any publishing companies doing digitally innovative things, let us know in the comments!
One Comment
Maybe the experts are correct about new kinds of leadership needed in publishing, but I find the rush to social media, while necessary, somewhat pathetic. These programs are so faddish and changeable (almost daily). It’s one thing for teens to hang onto every little pip and squeak breathlessly but is this really what we want publishers to be pouring all their energy into? It’s like blaming icebergs for melting. The whole culture is changing and while many aspects are positive — and enjoyable — there is so much desperate chasing of trivial pursuits too. I’d like publishing to keep a little distance even if it means some hardship.
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