Author Archives: Ryanhogarth

On the 22nd of February 2001 I delivered a presentation entitled “Talking to the Crowd: Your Business and Social Media”. I have included here a few clips from that presentation which will hopefully give a sense of what this presentation is about.

A week ago I read an article by tech journalist Ben Kelly on a sequence of dreadful customer service he experienced at the hands of Autopage Cellular after being robbed in his home.  The article really upset me.  I’ve never dealt with Autopage Cellular but I have experienced the sheer frustration that Ben describes in trying to get something done by a seemingly faceless corporate that won’t talk to you.  And we’ve all shared similar stories around a braai or at dinner with friends. The bigger the corporate the worse the engagement seems to be at times.  How is this … Continue reading →

From Monday the 21st to Wednesday the 23rd Feb I was at the Meetings Africa Expo, Sandton Convention Centre. During these 3 days I had the privilege of listening to some amazing speakers – Andy Rice (Death of Advertising); Helen Nicholson (the Art of Networking); Donna Rachelson (Branding and Marketing YOU); Gary Bailey (Leadership); Debora Patta (Why South Africa is the best place to live); Gerry Skerrit (21st Century Team Building); Robin Wheeler (Being Yourself for a Living); Justin Cohen (What’s Your Story?); Iain Johnston (Searching for Customers); Justice Malala and a number more. Having listened intently to all of … Continue reading →

We hold the power of the world in our hands through Social Media – But we must have a plan! “Talking to the Crowd” is the subject of my 45 minute keynote presentation as well as the focus of my interaction with business and enterprise. Here are a random sampling of facts which illustrate why your business is out of touch with the modern economy if you are not connected and engaging in Social Media: It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, it took the internet just 4 years.  Facebook went to 50 million in 3 years … Continue reading →

My mother finally got onto Facebook today and I was her first confirmed friend.  This was no small event in my family but she still distrusts it intensely.  It was her arrival into the second biggest nation on earth that inspired me to write this short piece. Facebook is unstoppable.  250 million people signed up last year and the total population will top 600 million in short order.  To call it a juggernaut is an anachronistic irony but it does express the idea of its unstoppable momentum. Despite the furor early last year on it’s privacy issues and numerous attempts … Continue reading →

We as consumers are driving the world more and more social. As we do business is under more and more pressure to embrace this brave new world.  Any business that does not know each of it’s customers is flirting with the danger of becoming irrelevant. On new years eve I had a very expensive dinner at Rich Bar & Grill with some friends.  As has become our routine we all checked in with Foursquare.  My good friend Daryl was delighted to be informed that he was now the Mayor of the eatery and we held a mini celebration at the … Continue reading →

Just about anyone planning a wedding uses Google.  3 years ago I heard a lot of comments along the lines of “wow, it’s amazing what you can plan on the internet!”.  I don’t hear that anymore because it is the norm.  I mean, who doesn’t? Technology and social media have made it possible to not just “google” your wedding but it to make more social, beyond just the ceremony and the party. I have not seen it done much in South Africa at all but I sense that it two years it will be as passé as using Google is today. … Continue reading →

Just about everyone I know is aware that I decided to become a professional public speaker at the end of last year. I was excited at the prospect of being able to impart knowledge that was valuable in the corporate arena which would give a new perspective, a new angle or something fresh that would allow a company or individuals within that company to have a new way or a fresh viewpoint and inspire change and a positive direction. But with any new venture there are uncertainties and difficulties.  I struggled with these for 4 months but in April I … Continue reading →

Last Saturday I presided over my 550th wedding. I have been keeping track of the number of weddings I have done so it did not come as a surprise,  however I posted a Facebook status update about it and in so doing actually thought about what this means. I became a marriage officer in 2000 but at that time there was no intention to make a living from doing it.  Over the next two years I performed 5 or 10 weddings.  I found that I LOVED it. I always felt exceptionally privileged when asked to do the honours.  In 2002 I thought … Continue reading →

Yesterday was one of the more fun weddings I’ve done. Andrew and Pippa got married at Toadbury Hall and they used a traditional hand-fasting ceremony.  On the property is a small clearing in the middle of a magical looking and feeling forest very near a river.  However on my way out to the venue which is located on the very far east Rand I noticed a dark ominous cloud hanging over Joburg and moving rapidly.  I got a call from my sister saying it was raining cats and dogs in Joburg. When I arrived at the venue it was clear that … Continue reading →