Digital technologies and connectivity have transformed the way the world works. The cyber medium has transformed our lives including how we communicate, and how we do business. Social media platforms, and especially, LinkedIn, have led to a new paradigm for thought leadership as a catalyst for productivity and achievement in industry and government. For example, in my own work pursuits, LinkedIn has changed the methods and tactics of marketing, government, relations, strategic partnering, and business development. Those CV descriptions have all now meshed into interrelating components of building relationships for a company, product, or personal success. New corporate work descriptions that encapsulate the mesh include Chief Digital Officer, Chief Evangelist, and Technology Evangelist.
Wikipedia defines A technology evangelist as “a person who builds a critical mass of support for a given technology and then establishes it as a technical standard in a market that is subject to network effects. An evangelist promotes the use of a particular product or technology through talks, articles, blogging, user demonstrations, recorded demonstrations, or the creation of sample projects.”. Perhaps what is most exciting about the digital medium is that is an amazing vehicle for learning and sharing knowledge with peers, colleagues, and friends. Literally, data is always at your fingertips if you are connected to the Internet.
“Evangelism creates a human connection with buyers and consumers to technology way beyond typical content marketing means because there’s a face and a name relaying the story, expressing the opinion, and ultimately influencing a decision. And in a world of data-driven, and automated marketing technologies, evangelism is something you just can’t hand over to a robot.”
My personal passion has been promoting thought leadership insights and discussion on the the issues of cybersecurity, homeland security, and emerging technologies. The exponential pace of the Fourth Industrial Revolution taking place makes it hard for anyone to keep up. My way of contributing to the public discourse has been through Digital Evangelism. This incorporates writing articles, speaking at events and conferences, blogging on a variety of publications as an SME, and most importantly, networking on social media. Whatever your interests, profession, or causes, digital interaction is readily available as your own personalized tool. The digital quest is targeted and perpetual and it is the future.
Interesting article. For better or worse this is our future.