As we’ve raised our flag on the continent of social media – I’ve had some interesting encounters with people professing the new tool du jour (last year it was Second Life, this year it seems to be Twitter). While tools are useful and should part of an overall internet marketing strategy, I’m convinced that social media mirrors real life unlike any other form of marketing. It’s about engagement. Forget the pitch – old school PR people. Forget the war talk of target audiences and blitzes. Think authentic conversations and relationship building. Think emotion.
These conversations are creating and destroying reputations, making news travel faster with many more points of view, and changing the dynamics of information absorbtion. With the proliferation of visual, app heavy, data rich mobile devices, this will only increase. Being aware of all the conversations isn’t something most companies are doing. Even fewer companies are actually participating in the conversations. Save a few dollars this year and you’re going to miss out on the conversations (that you’re competitors might be tuned in to and participating in). While you can’t lead every conversation, or even necessarily be a part of it – my recommendation is to at least be aware that these conversations are happening or that they have happened.
There are lots of tools that can help monitor these conversations – alerts, specialized search for blogs and microblogs, RSS feeds, and more. There are a lot of larger companies that, out of necessity, will have to move slower – legal, strategy, and corporate communications people that will over rule the internal evangelist in the know. And this will cause reputations to be enhanced or compromised.
But beware the quick fix. Its a social media savvy word we live in. That means you – big budget PR firms and big budget Ad cats. This isn’t a one way or even two way street – its chaotic conversations everywhere, all the time. And, people or companies that break the social protocols with short sighted approaches will sacrifice brand equity.
The only approach that I believe in is a strategic approach that supports overall brand ideals and extends the core values online.
- Duncan Alney
Duncan -
Great post! I think you hit the nail on the head — that you have to know the conversation is happening and be aware and then lead the conversation after that. However, you don’t talk much about search? What about those people not actively engaged in social media (about 80% of the Internet).
See you Tuesday!
Jenni
Comment by Jenni Edwards on June 20, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Zoo sex.
Zoo sex.
Comment by Zoo sex. on May 7, 2010 at 10:32 pm