Speaking & Interviews

I enjoy speaking to groups both large and small about the value social media can bring to companies and organizations, how to overcome the challenges enterprise companies face in getting started with social media, and practical tactics for creating an internal infrastructure on which to build a successful social media strategy. I’m also happy to be interviewed on social media topics, and, as a former journalist, I won’t waste your time.

If you’d like to find out more, email me at dave [at] dbthomas [dot] com.

Testimonials

“We’ve had Dave speak at several MarketingProfs events, and you definitely should not hire this guy. Go look somewhere else, please, far away from Dave Thomas. We need to keep the wisdom, warmth, humility and humor he projects from the stage all to ourselves. Go on — SCRAM!”
Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs

“David was an amazing discovery for us at Ragan Communications. We host events throughout the world, so we’re always on the lookout for great speakers. David fits that bill. He is funny, intelligent, informative and compelling. This is a rare quality in speakers (would that it were not so!) He is also quick on his feet. After watching him at our recent Social Media Summit, I told David, ‘You are now a Ragan regular.’”
Mark Ragan, CEO, Ragan Communications

“David was one of the fab speakers at the Ragan/Cisco Social Media Summit! He is a great storyteller both in his slide creation and delivery. The perfect mix of humor, information and insights! I was also impressed by the overall impact he has had on the SAS adoption and implementation of social media. I look forward to seeing him present again to follow their evolution.”
LaSandra Brill, Senior Manager, Global Social Media, Cisco

“Would you recommend this session to a colleague at a future conference?”
YES (100%)
participant survey results from MarketingProfs seminar

From Twitter:

“Best presentation so far at #RaganCisco. Actionable and multi-level. Thank you!”
@jfouts

“@DavidBThomas is a perfect example of what works best to communicate via social media: stories, opinions, character.”
@drombaut

“@DavidBThomas killing it on stage…”
@LenDevanna

“Your #mpb2b session was one of the highlights for me and coming early on the first day was a great way to kick things off.”
@RonCasalotti

Previous speaking engagements and interviews

Social media could have consequences at work
Interview about corporate social media policies with Amanda Lamb of WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC
July 1, 2010

Can 11,000 employees speak with one voice?
How SAS is taking social media from grassroots to an integrated strategy
Presentation at Ragan Communications’ Social Media Summit at Cisco
June 9-11, 2010

Social Media Guidelines, Necessary or Limiting?
Interactive workshop at MarketingProfs Business-to-Business Forum 2010
May 3-5, 2010

Social Media for SAS User Groups
Presentation to SAS user group leaders at SAS Global Forum 2010
April 11-14, 2010

The State of Digital Marketing 2010
Panel discussion hosted by the American Marketing Association with Forrester’s Emily Riley and Razorfish’s Pete Stein, moderated by Piet Levy
March 2010

9 Musts for Establishing a Corporate Social Media Policy
Guest post on the 1to1Media blog
March 9, 2010

Business Analytics Gets Social at SAS
Interview with Frank Reed for Marketing Pilgrim
Jan. 29, 2010

How SAS keeps employees happy — and keeps growing profitably
Interview with Tim Walker for Hooversbiz.com
Jan. 25, 2010

From Fad to Function: Operationalizing Social Media within Corporations
Online panel discussion presented by Shift Worldwide, with panelists Adrian Dayton, Kevin Flynn and Melissa Giovagnoli
Jan. 21, 2010

Social Media for SAS User Groups
Presentation to national leaders of SAS User Groups
Dec. 5, 2009

Case Study: SAS’s Leap Into Social Media
Interview with Kimberly Smith for MarketingProfs’ “A Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Social Media Program”
Nov. 2009

Inside The Firewall: Lessons For Internal Communicators
Panel discussion at the Social Media Business Forum with Lee White and Ryan Boyles
Oct. 23, 2009

How to Reap Benefit for Your Company from Social Media
Panel discussion at MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer with Aneta Hall, Heidi Ob’bayi and Sean McDonald
Oct. 21, 2009

B2B Social Media
Panel discussion at BlogWorld and New Media Expo with Kipp Bodnar, Kyle Flaherty and Mica Veihman
Oct. 15, 2009

Problem Solved: How Do You Convince the Boss That It’s Time to Go Social?
Interview with Claire Coyne for MarketingProfs
Oct. 6, 2009

Social Media at SAS
Presentation to the Triangle Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators
Sept. 8, 2009

B2B Social Media Panel
Panel discussion at SocialFresh Charlotte with Kipp Bodnar, Jeff Cohen and Nathan Gilliatt
Aug. 24, 2009

Social Media at SAS
Presentation to the Raleigh Public Relations Society with Becky Graebe
May 26, 2009

Social Media at SAS – Turning a Great Reputation Into an Online Asset
Interview with Melissa Giovagnoli for Networlding
Dec. 18, 2008

Video

Here’s a video interview where I discuss some of the ways we got social media off the ground at SAS. I touch on issues of social media governance, organization and policy – all topics that I have addressed in speaking engagements.