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Clarity

Blane Warrene

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area

Write and speak on financial services technology, social media, small business and product development. Co-founded Arkovi Social Media Archiving in 2009 and successfully sold to RegEd in 2012.

I advise individuals and institutions on effective use of technology in a digital world. This comprises marketing and social media, compliance and choosing the right solutions for you.

$4.17/min

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19 Reviews

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Social Media Startups Product Management Blogging Public Speaking Presentations Business Process Executive Management Integration Wealth Management

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Social Media Archiving

Co-founded Arkovi Social Media Archiving and pioneered the social media compliance field in financial services. Continue to advocate and guide financial services firms on the use of social media post-acquisition of Arkovi by RegEd.

http://www.arkovi.com

Public Speaking and Presentations

Extensive experience with public presentations in live, interview and webinar formats.

http://www.financial-planning.com/video/social-media-adoption-why-so-slow2684904-1.html

Privacy & Security - Digital Communications

Striking a balance of managing social media marketing with compliance - and understanding who to optimize for the right privacy and security while being engaged.

Podcasting

Produce a weekly podcast, including development of editorial calendar, manage the audio and call-in process and distribution.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reged-social-media-archiving/id484577548?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Startup Management & Fundraising

Co-founded and managed Arkovi from 2009 to 2012. Managed process of acquisition by RegEd and provided successful exit to our investors. Retained 99% of our customers in transition.

http://www.arkovi.com

Answers 3
Reviews 19

Answers

Blane Warrene answered

Are reviews a good feature for a business marketplace?

Reviews are a powerful capability that gives credibility for transparency. You also have to be prepared for those open conversations - as you know from referencing those three sites. This means committing to authenticity (as cooked reviews are a major mistake some have attempted) and navigating the appropriate moderation of reviews.

It really is driven by what your B2B goals are on your business site. Some sites have handled building credibility through questions and answers (i.e. Quora, LinkedIn, et al). There you can allow users to rate answers - and also allow for flagging of those that don't pass the genuine test.

I call it the Amazon effect (others use eBay) as they were among the first to offer reviews on a massive scale. It is powerful and influences decision making, purchasing and attitude toward products, services or even the site itself.

Having designed policies for social communications, customer service communications and more in B2B environments - I've seen reviews work well and not so well. It can be done - but requires judicious planning for rules of moderation and engagement, and for how readers of reviews can reward or flag them.

I'd be glad to hold a follow up on this and talk through those elements.

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Online Reputation Management

Online Marketplace

Marketplaces

Blane Warrene answered

What are some of the best blogs for entrepreneurs?

Definitely start with those who have successfully built up a business that has led to revenue & stability. These would include:

37 Signals - http://37signals.com/svn (a really nice balance of tech, operations and effective best practices for running a business you want to work at)

Buffer - http://blog.bufferapp.com - a strong example of transparency and letting your audience get to know you

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Content Marketing

Blogging

Blane Warrene answered

What types of questions should I be asking before I sit on a board of advisors for a new startup?

When being asked to serve in an advisory role where you are not being compensated and will not have authority (I.e. Like a board member) you still should ask some fundamental questions. You are in effect exposing your credibility to how this business operates in the market and how market sentiment will impact you.

You want to identify some sense of financial health (you would be getting this by default if you were being compensated as an advisor)

I would suggest speaking to a board member will be beneficial

I would also do some homework to establish your own sentiment on this company if they have any public visibility (including searching for their team members on social networks)

Also ask:

- who are competitors
- how do you differentiate and head off roadblocks set by more established competitors
- what is your position in funding and when do you need additional rounds (impacts how your recommendations can be put to use in realistic fashion)
- who are you trying to reach, both influencers and prospective customers

This should give you a beginning picture of the company and help you decide if you can really help.

I've both recruited advisory boards and served on those boards as well as serving as a board member.

I'd be glad to dive into specific due diligence or other factors if you have more specifics about your possible participation. Glad to hold a brief call to discuss.

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Advisory Boards

Startups

Reviews

It was a true pleasure working with Blane while we were both at ValMark. His approach to managing people and challenging his employees to learn new concepts was refreshing and rewarding. His industry knowledge added a tremendous value to the company as new ideas, concepts and sales were implemented. I was sad to see him leave ValMark and hope that we can work together again should the opportunity exist.

Cindy Arnold Source: LinkedIn

In the time that I have had the pleasure of working with Blane, his knowledge of Technology and making investments more efficient (i.e. Albridge data aggregation, Fusion, Programming, MS Access, etc.) has left an everlasting footprint on the ValMark organization. Not only did Blane play a crucial role in our organization as the Director of Investment Technology, he also went out of his way to make sure to gather feedback from departments and serve as a liaison between compliance and technology. Blane's experience and knowledge as well as his willingness to work across the "boundaries of IT" and apply himself to the company as a whole is an asset to any company.

Matthew Wojtecki Source: LinkedIn

Blane has been one of the best managers I’ve ever worked with. His knowledge of technology and operations is vast and his ability to mentor and manage his staff is remarkable. I have had to privilege of working with Blane on the implementation of AdvisorConnect (back office product built for Pacific Life). Given the opportunity to work with Blane again would be a blessing. Blane’s great sense of humour, personality and his ability to make the work place fun are some of his great qualities.

Ilya Conyette Source: LinkedIn

Blane brought technology solutions to ValMark in a short period of time after he joined the company. He was always very professional and easy to work with.

Todd Childers Source: LinkedIn

Blane's expertise in the Social Media space is unparalleled. Since joining the RegEd team Blane has been a Social Media evangelist both internally and externally, helping our employees and our Clients better understand the value it brings. This expertise combined with Blane's business acumen has helped us dramatically expand our reach into both existing and future clients. It has shown us that a Social Media program is table stakes for competing in today's digital world.

Jim Olevano Source: LinkedIn

Blane took over product management of AdvisorConnect Back Office system during a very critical time. He brought the type of leadership one needs during the product's nascent age. His temperament, knowledge and understanding of technical aspect and issues were commendable. He had an excellent communication and client relationship management skills. I have no doubt Blane will be a great asset to any company he works for.

Hozi Saboowala Source: LinkedIn

Blane is a great product manager. He has a wealth of both industry specific and technical knowledge. It was privilige to work with him and I would welcome the opportunity to work with him again in the future.

Secil Oz Source: LinkedIn

Blane is truly one of the best managers and mentors I’ve had the pleasure of working for. He is an extremely knowledgeable individual with solid technology and business expertise in the industry. He has always demonstrated the highest level of integrity as a leader. I would welcome the opportunity to work with him again in the future.

Helen Hsu Source: LinkedIn

Blane was one of the best project managers and mentors that I have worked for. He has a wealth of industry knowledge that he is always willing to share. His communication skills are great at all levels. I would jump at the chance to work on another project with him.

Gayle Vartanian Source: LinkedIn

I highly recommend Blane Warrene. I have worked with him both at ING Advisors and Pacific Select Group. I like his work ethic, and the fact that he understands the DNA of the independent producer and how the independent broker dealer functions. These traits are important to have especially for someone in technology who gets the relationship aspect of a producer's business.

Kevin Beard Source: LinkedIn

If there's a project anywhere that Blane is managing, invite me to the team! Blane is the most personable and technologically savvy project manager I have worked with to date. In addition, he possesses a profound understanding of the business needs of broker/dealer organizations. An added plus, Blane warmly and wisely mentors all members of the project team. In response, they contribute their very best to the team, and stretch themselves to grow through additional challenges. Blane also has a great sense of humor! I count it a privilege to have worked with Blane and his team (on an online documentation project for a Web-based application).

Jenise Cook Source: LinkedIn

Member since September 2013