Blog Excerpt
How to promote SAP Communitie and SAP Mentors throughout local press.
A SAP Mentor testimony from belgian SAP Mentor @mgillet who promoted SAP Communities and the SAP Mentors initiative through the local general and specialized belgian press.
Disclaimer : All articles illustrated in this blog are featuring the SAP Mentors and SAP Mentor @mgillet. They are provided to illustrate the blog and are provided as a courtesy copy. The copyrights belong to their respective owners as mentionned in each chapter.
Where it all began ...
Long before I was appointed SAP Mentors in March 2009, I was already singing the praises of the Communities throughout many channels.
If you still wonder or just don't know what a SAP Communities are or what a SAP Mentor is, perhaps have a look at SAP Mentors or just get onboarded into SAP Communities.
Throughout this blog post I wanted to share with you how, in my humble opinion, how we could use the local press to promote the SAP Communities and the SAP Mentors initiative locally. I have started doing the needful for my beautiful country : Belgium and by extension, the Luxemburg (known as BELUX).
Belgian Press
I have broadcast the key message throughout different press publications :
Belgian newspaper ‘Le Soir’
Publication date : December 5th-6th, 2009 (Weekend edition)
In this main french speaker newspaper 'Le Soir', I was fortunate through Linkedin to meet one of the journalist writing for the weekend publication ('References') which features an Employment section as well as testimonies.
(According to statistics provided by external provider CIM, here are the newspaper coverage facts "Public results of Readership Survey 2008-2009, Copyright CIM" which has one of the widest coverage in Belgium.)
As I’m currently to only Belgian SAP Mentors, I used that fact to sneak into the main well known Belgian French speaking newspaper ‘Le Soir’. An article was published durint the weekend of December 5th-6th, 2009 , in the section ‘References’ topic 'Enterprise 2.0' (which is more or less equal to the Business section) over the weekend which means a larger potential audience.
I proudly introduced the SAP Mentors to all Belgian French speakers readers, quoting Mark Finnern and Craig Cmehil as illustrated in the two figures here under.
Full article courtesy excerpt provided with permission from le Soir can be read by clicking on thumbnails provided hereunder (in French, et oui c'est la vie 🙂 ).
Disclaimer : Source and copyrights : Courtesy copy with permission from 'Le Soir'
I like the journalist 'Introduction title the 75 chosen ones' which kinda reminds me the best seller movie Matrix with Neo... I guess SAP Mentors are all one kind of Neo 🙂
Featured in this article : Thomas A. Anderson also known as Mark Finnern and/or Craig Cmehil, Community Evangelist powering SAPMentors. (tip : Follow them on twitter !)
Disclaimer : Source and copyrights : Courtesy copy with permission from 'Le Soir'
Publication in the Belgian ICT specialized magazine ‘Datanews’
Publication Date : January 15th, 2010
It is always nice to be published in a general newspaper but in order to expand the maximum coverage, especially to ICT geeks and all users type of SAP, I also wanted to share the news through professional magazines, such as Datanews. I was fortunate to engage some talks and wild ideas with belgian journalist through networking.
Datanews publishes a weekly magazine, in which, I managed to get into the ‘Careers’ Page, promoting the SAP Communities and the SAP Mentors. For the record, as Belgium is mainly speaking French and Dutch , the cherry on the pie came from the publication being translated and published in French and Dutch !
SAP Mentor : Activateur de Communauté (French Version)
Disclaimer : Source and copyrights : Courtesy copy with permission Datanews
Link to the pdf article 'SAP Mentor : Activateur de communauté" (or click on the thumbnail)
SAP Mentor : De troepen motiveren ! (Dutch Version)
Disclaimer : Source and copyrights : Courtesy copy with permission Datanews
Link to the pdf article (Dutch) : SAP Mentor : De troepen motiveren'(or click on the thumbnail)
Publication in Belgian HR Monthly magazine :'RH Tribune' : Alternative to conventional training : Virtual Learning Class (VLC)
Publication : July 2010 Monthly edition.
This summer, it was a bit different as I got a request from a journalist writing for the RH Tribune. The RH tribune is a key leader in providing specialized information to Human Resources professionals here in Belgium, to the french and dutch speakers communities.
The journalist wanted to know 'my' experience and views on alternative learning tools such as the 'Virtual Learning Classes' (powered by Adobe Connect technology) held at SAP Education Centers.
To my knowledge, in Belgium, the VLC are not quite picking up (probably the olf 'european fashion way' compared to the US diving into new technologies channels) so I also introduced the public SAP Mentor Monday (and replays) which is using the Adobe Connect technology.
My views and comments were introduced in the July monthly edition, in their Alternative Learning subject. The interview was held in Dutch and the article was wrap up in Dutch as well.
Disclaimer : Source and copyrights : Courtesy copy with permission RH Tribune
Full pdf excerpt of article : Alternative to conventional training : VLC
Wrap Up
Throughout this blog entry, we have seen that, with the right networking connection, the adequate speach and lots of motivation/inspiration, we can promote SAP Mentors and the SAP Communities in the general press as well as the 'specialized' press such as ICT and Human Resources.
Will you take up the challenge for your own country ?
Thank for your reading me until the end and improving your French and Dutch skills 🙂
Looking forward to hearing from you with your own local press testimonies.
See you online,
All the best,
Martin
