Innovation can happen anywhere. Even at big, established, blue-chip companies there’s always a way to communicate better with your customers. Just ask Charlie Treadwell, Cisco’s Online Community Strategist.

Charlie has single-handedly cultivated a vibrant Facebook community of more than 70,000 fans of Cisco’s Networking Academy. And in an innovative twist, people who have no direct connection with the company are allowed to manage the page’s content: with administrative access, these Cisco fans can update the Academy’s page and keep people posted on the community’s doings.

Charlie’s there too. Treadwell, aka CharlieAtCisco, reports detailed analytics — including quarter-by-quarter comparisons of page views, unique views, photoviews, video plays and fan activity — to all who care to see. With such information at his fingertips, Charlie has a solid command of the page’s cultural zeitgeist. He knows when to let it be, when to interject, and when to remove objectionable content. (Ever mindful of Cisco’s fans, he even notifies users before removing their content, carefully explaining his rationale.)

Check out Cisco Networking Academy’s Facebook page to learn from Charlie’s best practices. You’ll notice:

* A significant number of comments from fans unprompted by a moderator
* Fans answering each other’s questions with thoughtful feedback
* Detailed and thorough answers from the Cisco Networking Academy team (employees and community ambassadors)
* Fan video submissions in the video tab
* More than 450 discussion topics ranging from VLAN configuration to job posts

The most remarkable aspect of the page is that it has a life of its own.
The conversations are initiated and sustained by the community with thoughtful moderation.

To learn more about Charlie, follow him on twitter – @CharlieatCisco

Millions of people today are experiencing Twitter for the first time. On June 5 I appeared on a radio show in Los Angeles to share my thoughts on how Baby Boomers can get the most from their Twitter experience. Here’s what I shared:

Understanding what you hope to gain from Twitter will help you have a rewarding experience. My favorite benefits are using Twitter in the following way:

1. As a personal classroom. Follow people who teach you. Place them into lists and use TweetDeck to keep track of them. These are there lists I created and an example of someone I am following in each list.

• Poetswriterslifelovers (@MargaretAtwood)

• WorldChangers (@NickKristof)

• BusinessHeavyHitter (@Tom_Peters)

Everyone on the list teaches me something every day through the articles, quotes and commentary they share.

2. As a search engine on steroids. Run your Google search on search.twitter.com for real-time results. Use the advanced search to specify tweets based on location, whether they contain links, and more.

3. As a behind way to get behind the scenes access to personalities. (@alyssa_milano, @andersoncooper)

4. As a way to get shopping benefits. Get coupons, discounts and special access from your favorite brands (@bestbuy, @nordstrom)

5. As a way to make new friends and business contacts. Demonstrate you care by paying attention to your followers, respond with comments and over time, you’ll create meaningful relationships.

6. Getting closer to existing friends. Follow your friends for the every day details of their lives. You’ll feel closer to them – or decide to unfollow them! (@slarkpope)

The purpose of Twitter is yours to find. These points may make it easier to see why so many people love it.

Happy Tweeting

- @ZachBraiker