Something’s been gnawing at me lately, and it’s taken some pondering to figure out exactly what it is. But I think I’m frustrated that we’re not doing a better job of carrying social media into the places it really matters: the businesses that don’t understand, don’t believe, or both.
We’ve established some traction and a rather comfortable community around social media now, replete with some gurus and thought leaders, figureheads, even some who are willing to rock the boat.
We have collected a mantra of sorts, and a series of social media truths. We may even be right about some of them. But our translation skills sometimes leave a bit to be desired.
It’s comfortable in the echo chamber, because we can put one of our sound bites on Twitter and readily and immediately have the comfort of a bunch of replies saying “Amen”. We can put a post on our blog that outlines the truths we hold to be self evident as social media advocates, and we can be confident that there will be a trove of comments lauding us (or at the very least, merciful silence).
But what good is any of that if we aren’t moving anything forward? What are we doing for those who are not yet sold on any of this?
If we’re going to claim that we possess knowledge that others don’t about the possibilities of social media, it is not okay to sit smugly by and play the “if you don’t get it, shame on you” game. It is not okay for us to say that we understand these things, and that companies had better get with it or perish. It is not okay for us to declare things dead without suggesting – in practical, applicable terms – what may replace them.
Businesses are listening and wondering how all of this affects them, but what they’re most often hearing in return are our generic sound bites instead of answers. What, exactly, are we doing to carry our causes to their doorsteps and accept that there are answers we must be able to give? Answers like:
Why should I care? Not theoretically or philosophically, but how is this affecting my company and my industry and what are the real implications of my business adopting this or not?
Is our current method of communication and customer service really broken, or is it just not the “ideal”? Are there incremental changes that can be as beneficial as earthshattering ones?
Is the additional work we’re creating to adopt these practices going to bear out in terms of increased *something*? Is that “something” going to grow our business?
What of our current practices are enhancing our ability to succeed with social media, and how do we integrate them? What of our current practices are hindering same, and what are the consequences to eliminating them?
If we’re successful with this, can we sustain it and meet the increased expectations for our brand?
If we fail or stumble, can we reasonably expect to repair damage and move on? What risks are we taking? What damage is irrevocable, and how do we avoid it?
Will our company be more committed to itself through these efforts, or are these changes unwelcome? If they’re unwelcome, why is that, and should we be examining that first?
I don’t claim to have all of the answers yet, but I’m sure as hell working on finding them for the businesses who are asking, even when they’re uncomfortable. To me, the answers to these and other questions (and the ability to ask them in the first place) are what is going to separate the difference-makers from the people who are working from their same, tired script waiting for someone to feed them the next line.
Stump speeches about the virtues of social media don’t convince me anymore, and I can sure as heck tell you they’re not convincing business owners who are faced with crises of revenue, sales, operational efficiency and human resources.
What impresses me are the people who are eschewing a one-size-fits-all approach and finding new ways to frame these challenges in ways that make sense for the companies – and the people behind them – who are taking all the chances.
1. We are. 2. We’re smart enough to know that you can’t force anyone to pay attention — they’re not ready for the message until they come looking for it. 3. While marketing will tell you otherwise, let us not forget where marketing has gotten us — it was innovated out of a need to create demand, nay to create markets. We have markets — markets are conversations, everything else is a transaction.
Rotkapchens last blog post..Economist Finds True Believers in Business Value of Social Software
1. We are. 2. We’re smart enough to know that you can’t force anyone to pay attention — they’re not ready for the message until they come looking for it. 3. While marketing will tell you otherwise, let us not forget where marketing has gotten us — it was innovated out of a need to create demand, nay to create markets. We have markets — markets are conversations, everything else is a transaction.
Rotkapchens last blog post..Economist Finds True Believers in Business Value of Social Software
Amber – enjoying you posts, site and twits. Getting my feet wet and trying to swim in the ocean of social networking sites, your insight has been helpful so thanks!
Amber – enjoying you posts, site and twits. Getting my feet wet and trying to swim in the ocean of social networking sites, your insight has been helpful so thanks!
Amber,
I agree with you 100%. Unless they’re actionable, sound bites are just that — mini tidbits of [hot] air in 140 characters or less!
I don’t think there are blanket social media solutions for enterprise yet (or maybe ever). I think it varies by vertical, strategic imperatives and various other key business requirements.
I always frame my approach with clients around what their end goal is, and then select which tools (social media or otherwise) from my arsenal will have the greatest impact in forwarding those objectives. For some, social media has been the primary driver; for others, it’s been less effective.
In either scenario, however, it’s about trying *something* [tangible] vs. waxing about it, and putting those learnings into real world application. The biggest deterrent to adoption in business is offering valid reasons why they should, making those tries even more critical then ever in formulating a solid business case.
The questions you posed are right on in terms of evaluating the “why’s” and “how’s” of that equation, but I think the most realistic way to consider it is that “social media” may not always be the answer. The flip side of that, however, is that social media could very well be the most powerful one.
Amber,
I agree with you 100%. Unless they’re actionable, sound bites are just that — mini tidbits of [hot] air in 140 characters or less!
I don’t think there are blanket social media solutions for enterprise yet (or maybe ever). I think it varies by vertical, strategic imperatives and various other key business requirements.
I always frame my approach with clients around what their end goal is, and then select which tools (social media or otherwise) from my arsenal will have the greatest impact in forwarding those objectives. For some, social media has been the primary driver; for others, it’s been less effective.
In either scenario, however, it’s about trying *something* [tangible] vs. waxing about it, and putting those learnings into real world application. The biggest deterrent to adoption in business is offering valid reasons why they should, making those tries even more critical then ever in formulating a solid business case.
The questions you posed are right on in terms of evaluating the “why’s” and “how’s” of that equation, but I think the most realistic way to consider it is that “social media” may not always be the answer. The flip side of that, however, is that social media could very well be the most powerful one.
Thanks for your post. I just subscribed to your blog recently so I’m new to your voice. As a person tasked with growing a locally owned, service based business in Nashville… I grapple myself with how best to incorporate social media and new marketing efforts into my daily, weekly, monthly marketing/sales efforts. The reason I commit to at least learning as much as I can, spending time blogging, reading blogs, commenting, and twitter is simply to learn by living it.
Thanks for your post. I just subscribed to your blog recently so I’m new to your voice. As a person tasked with growing a locally owned, service based business in Nashville… I grapple myself with how best to incorporate social media and new marketing efforts into my daily, weekly, monthly marketing/sales efforts. The reason I commit to at least learning as much as I can, spending time blogging, reading blogs, commenting, and twitter is simply to learn by living it.
Amber,
I think you’re dead on. Different businesses need to be approached differently. Not all media outlets affect each business the same. They come in different shapes and sizes. Strategies need to be tailored to fit each business on a case by case basis.
For example, I’m having an extremely difficult time figuring out how to best leverage the tools I have at my disposal. I can’t seem to get it together for my sales position with a Chicago-based IT reseller. However, this isn’t my duty either.
I have less answers than you, but asking the right questions (or creating the right challenges) can really get the wheels turning.
I’m pleased to have found someone unwilling to become complacent like so many others.
This refreshment comes at a perfect time for me. I’ve been irritated lately to see so many “gurus”, “experts” and the like floating around thinking about what they’re new cool job title is going to be.
Take care,
Emil
Emil Wischs last blog post..Holiday (and beyond) Gift to All My People. What’s Yours?
Amber,
I think you’re dead on. Different businesses need to be approached differently. Not all media outlets affect each business the same. They come in different shapes and sizes. Strategies need to be tailored to fit each business on a case by case basis.
For example, I’m having an extremely difficult time figuring out how to best leverage the tools I have at my disposal. I can’t seem to get it together for my sales position with a Chicago-based IT reseller. However, this isn’t my duty either.
I have less answers than you, but asking the right questions (or creating the right challenges) can really get the wheels turning.
I’m pleased to have found someone unwilling to become complacent like so many others.
This refreshment comes at a perfect time for me. I’ve been irritated lately to see so many “gurus”, “experts” and the like floating around thinking about what they’re new cool job title is going to be.
Take care,
Emil
Emil Wischs last blog post..Holiday (and beyond) Gift to All My People. What’s Yours?
great post. I agree that it is easy to echo the constant discussions about social media – how to, why, when, etc. And for those in the conversation, the significance of it all just makes sense. However, how do we break away from those in the know and bring it to those in need?
It reminds me of some of your earlier posts on how to teach others about social media.
Hi Amber.
I too would like to qualify my response by waving the ‘newbie flag’. However, from that perspective my thoughts are that SM offers a unique opportunity for businesses to build legitimate, meaningful relationships with their client base in a digital age. That’s pretty amazing. My husband & I were introduced to SM when we decided to do college ministry. We found that we can love on 20somethings through SM almost as effectively as we can as when they are sitting in our living room. My eyes are getting a bit wider, as I have been Twittering for almost a month, and I definitely see this demographic is MUCH larger than just 20somethings. Now, this gives the Mom & Pop that can’t make it on Main Street anymore because people don’t ‘do things like they did 50 years ago’ some hope doesn’t it? Maybe, just maybe they can operate the way their Granpappy & Nanny did after all in this new world of online everything. Maybe things aren’t all googled up after all. Wishing good things for SM and all you good SM peoples! @DevotionL
Laura Smiths last blog post..DevotionL: @domestic_diva I am most certainly glad He did =). praying for:peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard ur hearts& minds
great post. I agree that it is easy to echo the constant discussions about social media – how to, why, when, etc. And for those in the conversation, the significance of it all just makes sense. However, how do we break away from those in the know and bring it to those in need?
It reminds me of some of your earlier posts on how to teach others about social media.
Hi Amber.
I too would like to qualify my response by waving the ‘newbie flag’. However, from that perspective my thoughts are that SM offers a unique opportunity for businesses to build legitimate, meaningful relationships with their client base in a digital age. That’s pretty amazing. My husband & I were introduced to SM when we decided to do college ministry. We found that we can love on 20somethings through SM almost as effectively as we can as when they are sitting in our living room. My eyes are getting a bit wider, as I have been Twittering for almost a month, and I definitely see this demographic is MUCH larger than just 20somethings. Now, this gives the Mom & Pop that can’t make it on Main Street anymore because people don’t ‘do things like they did 50 years ago’ some hope doesn’t it? Maybe, just maybe they can operate the way their Granpappy & Nanny did after all in this new world of online everything. Maybe things aren’t all googled up after all. Wishing good things for SM and all you good SM peoples! @DevotionL
Laura Smiths last blog post..DevotionL: @domestic_diva I am most certainly glad He did =). praying for:peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard ur hearts& minds
Amber,
It’s hard to say which businesses are listening and how many of them are interested. However, I find that often the inner sanctum of bloggers spend far too much time preaching about the right and the wrong ways to use social media. No one, especially successful business people, want to hear preaching. They want solutions. They will decide how to use the tools; not we bloggers living in our safe places. Good conversation starter.
Lewis Greens last blog post..Will Social Media be Outsourced?
Amber,
It’s hard to say which businesses are listening and how many of them are interested. However, I find that often the inner sanctum of bloggers spend far too much time preaching about the right and the wrong ways to use social media. No one, especially successful business people, want to hear preaching. They want solutions. They will decide how to use the tools; not we bloggers living in our safe places. Good conversation starter.
Lewis Greens last blog post..Will Social Media be Outsourced?
Amber,
It is precisely the need to address the points you raise that the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) have formed a Social Media (Web 2.0)work Group under ACT (Agents Council for Technology). I chair this group and we are tasked with providing education, a road map for implementation and a guide for effective use of appropriate SM in the Insurance Industry. We too are searching for the answers. – Thanks.
Amber,
It is precisely the need to address the points you raise that the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) have formed a Social Media (Web 2.0)work Group under ACT (Agents Council for Technology). I chair this group and we are tasked with providing education, a road map for implementation and a guide for effective use of appropriate SM in the Insurance Industry. We too are searching for the answers. – Thanks.
Amber,
I think that your search for insight into the true efficacy of social media is, once again, dead on. As an emerging industry of its own, social media has yet to prove itself to the vast majority of its potential audience. To be sure, there are many signs that there “really is a there, there” when it comes to the potential benefits of the use of social media. However, much of the current conversation within the “echo chamber” does seem to have something of the quality of the Sadducees debating the finer points of their system of religious thought from the perspective of what would best benefit the Sadducees themselves.
The Motrin mommyblogger incident, the attempted lynching of Chris Brogan, and Twittermania in general demonstrate a degree of pseudo-religious fervor within the ranks of the social media universe. They do not, however, demonstrate the practical usefulness of the underlying principles, processes and tools themselves.
I am not a social media practitioner, but rather an experienced product management professional seeking to understand how the use of social media complements the toolset already at our disposal. I can see promise from the several months that I have been trying to understand what we have here. However, as you point out, there is still a very great deal of practical experimention to conduct, and results to evaluate, before the approaches suggested by the emerging social media industry can be “mainstreamed”.
The “echo chamber” may well be useful in refining doctrine, establishing a hierarchy and/or evolving the equivalent of factions, sects, or political parties for the social media industry itself. However, the chamber is, by definition, somewhat inward-looking. Answering the questions that you have posed is the path to wider adoption of social media tools. No amount of “choir practice” within the echo chamber will bring in converts in numbers, even if it does enliven the services for the current congregation.
Once again, keep up the good work! And Happy New Year to you and yours!
Mike
Amber,
I think that your search for insight into the true efficacy of social media is, once again, dead on. As an emerging industry of its own, social media has yet to prove itself to the vast majority of its potential audience. To be sure, there are many signs that there “really is a there, there” when it comes to the potential benefits of the use of social media. However, much of the current conversation within the “echo chamber” does seem to have something of the quality of the Sadducees debating the finer points of their system of religious thought from the perspective of what would best benefit the Sadducees themselves.
The Motrin mommyblogger incident, the attempted lynching of Chris Brogan, and Twittermania in general demonstrate a degree of pseudo-religious fervor within the ranks of the social media universe. They do not, however, demonstrate the practical usefulness of the underlying principles, processes and tools themselves.
I am not a social media practitioner, but rather an experienced product management professional seeking to understand how the use of social media complements the toolset already at our disposal. I can see promise from the several months that I have been trying to understand what we have here. However, as you point out, there is still a very great deal of practical experimention to conduct, and results to evaluate, before the approaches suggested by the emerging social media industry can be “mainstreamed”.
The “echo chamber” may well be useful in refining doctrine, establishing a hierarchy and/or evolving the equivalent of factions, sects, or political parties for the social media industry itself. However, the chamber is, by definition, somewhat inward-looking. Answering the questions that you have posed is the path to wider adoption of social media tools. No amount of “choir practice” within the echo chamber will bring in converts in numbers, even if it does enliven the services for the current congregation.
Once again, keep up the good work! And Happy New Year to you and yours!
Mike
Hi Amber
Good post. I have been tracking Enterprise IT and related matters as an industry analyst for a long time and recently have been looking at the role of social media.
The biggest problem advocates have is the ‘magic bullet’ mindset. If you are a business leader or CIO, then the sound bites you mention that get fired at you from the social media camp are just part of a constant stream of ‘magic’ propositions that hit you from IT vendors, management consultants, analysts, and, indeed, other advocacy groups such as the open source movement, cloud evangelists, etc.
Beyond this, there is a tendency for advocates to think far too generically, assuming that everyone has the same business problems and objectives, all weighted in the same way. This is not the real world. Culture, objectives, constraints, workforce composition, level of regulation, nature of IT landscape, etc, vary immensely between industries and organisation sizes, even between individual companies who might look very similar from the outside.
Against this background, it is impossible to generalise on the ‘actual’ impact of social media in business, not to mention the perceived relevance by business decision makers, as it is all so dependent on the environment. Adoption practicalities too are also dependent on context.
I picked up on one aspect of this recently, the cultural dimension, in a recent article I put together which discusses a snippet from a research study we conducted a few months ago (see here), but even that is only part of the equation.
The practicality of social media adoption, which is most productively considered alongside broader collaboration, BPM/workflow solutions, and emerging ideas in unified communications, is something we at Freeform Dynamics will be spending a lot more time on in 2009.
Meanwhile, I would urge social media enthusiasts to turn the telescope around and adopt a bit more humility. Enterprise 2.0 is just one part of a big complex set of things that’s going on in terms of business evolution, and it is important for advocates to get a handle on the bigger picture and understand where their ideas fit into the greater scheme of things.
Cheers
Dale
Hi Amber
Good post. I have been tracking Enterprise IT and related matters as an industry analyst for a long time and recently have been looking at the role of social media.
The biggest problem advocates have is the ‘magic bullet’ mindset. If you are a business leader or CIO, then the sound bites you mention that get fired at you from the social media camp are just part of a constant stream of ‘magic’ propositions that hit you from IT vendors, management consultants, analysts, and, indeed, other advocacy groups such as the open source movement, cloud evangelists, etc.
Beyond this, there is a tendency for advocates to think far too generically, assuming that everyone has the same business problems and objectives, all weighted in the same way. This is not the real world. Culture, objectives, constraints, workforce composition, level of regulation, nature of IT landscape, etc, vary immensely between industries and organisation sizes, even between individual companies who might look very similar from the outside.
Against this background, it is impossible to generalise on the ‘actual’ impact of social media in business, not to mention the perceived relevance by business decision makers, as it is all so dependent on the environment. Adoption practicalities too are also dependent on context.
I picked up on one aspect of this recently, the cultural dimension, in a recent article I put together which discusses a snippet from a research study we conducted a few months ago (see here), but even that is only part of the equation.
The practicality of social media adoption, which is most productively considered alongside broader collaboration, BPM/workflow solutions, and emerging ideas in unified communications, is something we at Freeform Dynamics will be spending a lot more time on in 2009.
Meanwhile, I would urge social media enthusiasts to turn the telescope around and adopt a bit more humility. Enterprise 2.0 is just one part of a big complex set of things that’s going on in terms of business evolution, and it is important for advocates to get a handle on the bigger picture and understand where their ideas fit into the greater scheme of things.
Cheers
Dale
Amber,
I couldn’t agree with you more. Just before the Holidays I had a conversation with one my colleagues about this very subject. “Gurus” need to stop bitching and start acting. It is a hard truth, but the echo chamber is old and outdated. Instead of pretending that we know what to do in this space, the conversation about social media needs to evolve and shift into how to leverage the various social media tools that are available to businesses. After all, the social media landscape is constantly in flux and in perpetual evolution. It seems that every time you blink something new is available or updated. However, I think in 2009 Darwin will pay social media a visit which will raise all sorts of new issues.
Cheers and have a Happy New Year!!
Miguel
Miguels last blog post..Death Watch: The Editorial Review
Amber,
I couldn’t agree with you more. Just before the Holidays I had a conversation with one my colleagues about this very subject. “Gurus” need to stop bitching and start acting. It is a hard truth, but the echo chamber is old and outdated. Instead of pretending that we know what to do in this space, the conversation about social media needs to evolve and shift into how to leverage the various social media tools that are available to businesses. After all, the social media landscape is constantly in flux and in perpetual evolution. It seems that every time you blink something new is available or updated. However, I think in 2009 Darwin will pay social media a visit which will raise all sorts of new issues.
Cheers and have a Happy New Year!!
Miguel
Miguels last blog post..Death Watch: The Editorial Review
I understand the concern but whose responsibilities is it? I don’t think it’s ours unless you are directly affected by it. You have too many of your own responsibilities and things to do with your own life than worrying about different types of businesses, especially the ones who don’t even care to ask and are too ignorant to try to understand.
I understand the concern but whose responsibilities is it? I don’t think it’s ours unless you are directly affected by it. You have too many of your own responsibilities and things to do with your own life than worrying about different types of businesses, especially the ones who don’t even care to ask and are too ignorant to try to understand.
Amber, you’ve hit upon the crux of the matter once again. Much of the discussions among social media elite is more philosophical and academic in nature, and while there is value in this discourse, those sentiments mean very little to businesses looking at possibly including social media in their toolbox.
I think all of us (not just businesses) are looking for leaders who’ll stop talking about what doesn’t work, and give real pointers about what businesses *should* do. Thank you for setting the tone for 2009 – we’ll be lining up behind you as you carry this banner forward!
Kellye Cranes last blog post..Don’t Forget to Take a Holiday
Amber, you’ve hit upon the crux of the matter once again. Much of the discussions among social media elite is more philosophical and academic in nature, and while there is value in this discourse, those sentiments mean very little to businesses looking at possibly including social media in their toolbox.
I think all of us (not just businesses) are looking for leaders who’ll stop talking about what doesn’t work, and give real pointers about what businesses *should* do. Thank you for setting the tone for 2009 – we’ll be lining up behind you as you carry this banner forward!
Kellye Cranes last blog post..Don’t Forget to Take a Holiday
Amber, I’m glad Kellye shared this post via Twitter. Like her, I’m excited about the tone you’ve set for 2009. While I currently handle internal communications, I do understand what you are saying about stepping up the ante versus continually presenting the same arguments. My plan is to actively include the leadership in one piece of new media. For example, they have been informed that they will participate in an internal business blog and they each will own one month. My team will be there to support them, but they will choose the topics and write the post. So now they will experience it versus just hearing about how blogs, if used correctly, can encourage two-way communications. The stat this one piece of the plan is based on is that employees want more two-way conversation, but aren’t always comfortable asking questions in a public forum. Measurement will happen, and I am excited about the opportunity.
Susans last blog post..Guest Towels
Amber, I’m glad Kellye shared this post via Twitter. Like her, I’m excited about the tone you’ve set for 2009. While I currently handle internal communications, I do understand what you are saying about stepping up the ante versus continually presenting the same arguments. My plan is to actively include the leadership in one piece of new media. For example, they have been informed that they will participate in an internal business blog and they each will own one month. My team will be there to support them, but they will choose the topics and write the post. So now they will experience it versus just hearing about how blogs, if used correctly, can encourage two-way communications. The stat this one piece of the plan is based on is that employees want more two-way conversation, but aren’t always comfortable asking questions in a public forum. Measurement will happen, and I am excited about the opportunity.
Susans last blog post..Guest Towels
This is an interesting arguement. It appears that as a society I see two camps.
In one corner, we have the social media gurus, experts, leaders, and difference makers. In the other corner you have companies so scared about their current situation they don’t know what to do. They look at you silly when you use the word twitter, viral marketing, etc. I call these folks dinosaurs but again, this is my take.
In the middle are many of us trying to figure it out, how to monteize social networking, become better at personal branding. I continue to read, discuss, question, and learn.
In my opinion, we’re going to hear too many stories of, “Why did I wait so long” or “I should have been more open-minded.” Business is changing whether we like it or not. The key is how well we positions ourselves in this changing enviornment.
Nice post 🙂
I work in one of those industries that do not yet embrace social media to its fullest extent (Interior Design/Architecture) I think, one of the key elements is quantity/quality of industry users.
While it can be used in endless ways depending on the users needs and interaction, it is difficult to do and prove its value without the proper groups of people involved.
I have met and interacted with some great people through Twitter, etc, several in my field, but not many. While it is frustrating, I will continue to sing its praises and try to recruit the non-believers…hopefully they will catch on soon 😉
Chris Rossis last blog post..nonsense, babble and mumbling
This is an interesting arguement. It appears that as a society I see two camps.
In one corner, we have the social media gurus, experts, leaders, and difference makers. In the other corner you have companies so scared about their current situation they don’t know what to do. They look at you silly when you use the word twitter, viral marketing, etc. I call these folks dinosaurs but again, this is my take.
In the middle are many of us trying to figure it out, how to monteize social networking, become better at personal branding. I continue to read, discuss, question, and learn.
In my opinion, we’re going to hear too many stories of, “Why did I wait so long” or “I should have been more open-minded.” Business is changing whether we like it or not. The key is how well we positions ourselves in this changing enviornment.
Nice post 🙂
I work in one of those industries that do not yet embrace social media to its fullest extent (Interior Design/Architecture) I think, one of the key elements is quantity/quality of industry users.
While it can be used in endless ways depending on the users needs and interaction, it is difficult to do and prove its value without the proper groups of people involved.
I have met and interacted with some great people through Twitter, etc, several in my field, but not many. While it is frustrating, I will continue to sing its praises and try to recruit the non-believers…hopefully they will catch on soon 😉
Chris Rossis last blog post..nonsense, babble and mumbling
Ohhhhh miss Amber, beautiful, funny and a human barometer in the social media world. As everyone else has already told you, you are dead on with this post. But I’ve noticed that even more than than soundbites of advice, the people in my network only offer soundbites of criticism, i.e., why “so and so company sucks because they don’t respond quick enough” or “they just don’t understand social media”. Ok, great, so you’ve identified the problem. But rather than stop with the (mostly unfair) criticism, why aren’t people taking more time to TEACH businesses how to interact with us on our terms. And I think that people need to be more forgiving of companies that try to accommodate our preferences and then screw up badly in the process. I don’t get mad at my one year old when he breaks something around the house because he doesn’t know any better. I think we need to extend that same grace to companies willing to be more interactive with their customers. It’s a whole unexplored playing field and i’m glad you have the kahunas as usual to call people out on it 😉 ((mwah))
Ohhhhh miss Amber, beautiful, funny and a human barometer in the social media world. As everyone else has already told you, you are dead on with this post. But I’ve noticed that even more than than soundbites of advice, the people in my network only offer soundbites of criticism, i.e., why “so and so company sucks because they don’t respond quick enough” or “they just don’t understand social media”. Ok, great, so you’ve identified the problem. But rather than stop with the (mostly unfair) criticism, why aren’t people taking more time to TEACH businesses how to interact with us on our terms. And I think that people need to be more forgiving of companies that try to accommodate our preferences and then screw up badly in the process. I don’t get mad at my one year old when he breaks something around the house because he doesn’t know any better. I think we need to extend that same grace to companies willing to be more interactive with their customers. It’s a whole unexplored playing field and i’m glad you have the kahunas as usual to call people out on it 😉 ((mwah))
Good–and timely–post. As with all the tools at our disposal, shouldn’t we be focusing on which ones are the right ones for our specific clients/organizations at the right times and places to interact with our customers/employees/key stakeholders? That’s the rub, for me.
Like you said, we need to better understand the challenges and problems leaders and executives are facing in this turbulent times–layoffs, declining revenues, increased risks. Those are the real issues. How social medial helps these folks tackle those issues–that’s what we, as communicators, are here for.
Keep up the good work and great posts!
Arik Hansons last blog post..My New Year’s Resolutions: Five things I resolve not to do in 2009
Good–and timely–post. As with all the tools at our disposal, shouldn’t we be focusing on which ones are the right ones for our specific clients/organizations at the right times and places to interact with our customers/employees/key stakeholders? That’s the rub, for me.
Like you said, we need to better understand the challenges and problems leaders and executives are facing in this turbulent times–layoffs, declining revenues, increased risks. Those are the real issues. How social medial helps these folks tackle those issues–that’s what we, as communicators, are here for.
Keep up the good work and great posts!
Arik Hansons last blog post..My New Year’s Resolutions: Five things I resolve not to do in 2009
Amber, I promoted this post on my blog…I hope you don’t mind.
Susans last blog post..Let’s provide solutions in the new year
Amber, I promoted this post on my blog…I hope you don’t mind.
Susans last blog post..Let’s provide solutions in the new year
Yup, right on, Amber, right on. The “echo chamber” is not where we’re going to make any sort of change or difference. We need to bust through the walls and make this new marketing thing tangible for real, live people.
Fayzas last blog post..Awesome things? About me? Okay!
Yup, right on, Amber, right on. The “echo chamber” is not where we’re going to make any sort of change or difference. We need to bust through the walls and make this new marketing thing tangible for real, live people.
Fayzas last blog post..Awesome things? About me? Okay!
And therein lies the nub. It’s great being in the comfort zone of a social media bubble – after all, hardly anyone on the inside is going to use a needle to prick that bubble.
But what about the kids on the outside that see the bubble and want to play in it? As you say, that’s who we need to be addressing now.
If you don’t mind, I looked at this recently (real-life offline use of online practices), and I’d like to share the link here if anyone’s interested?
http://dannybrown.me/2008/12/28/turning-towns-into-cities/
It won’t happen overnight; it may not even happen next year; but it needs to happen. Otherwise, we may as well just call it Socialist Media as it’s very inward-facing.
Cheers for an insightful look as always, Miss N.
Danny Browns last blog post..Why 2009 Is Going To Be YOUR Year
And therein lies the nub. It’s great being in the comfort zone of a social media bubble – after all, hardly anyone on the inside is going to use a needle to prick that bubble.
But what about the kids on the outside that see the bubble and want to play in it? As you say, that’s who we need to be addressing now.
If you don’t mind, I looked at this recently (real-life offline use of online practices), and I’d like to share the link here if anyone’s interested?
http://dannybrown.me/2008/12/28/turning-towns-into-cities/
It won’t happen overnight; it may not even happen next year; but it needs to happen. Otherwise, we may as well just call it Socialist Media as it’s very inward-facing.
Cheers for an insightful look as always, Miss N.
Danny Browns last blog post..Why 2009 Is Going To Be YOUR Year
Amber, Hello
It is encouraging to see you starting to address the issue you have raised. As a business owner, I would much prefer to see who your clients are and what project initiatives you have worked on, and the success and failures as opposed to how many followers you have.
Don’t get me wrong, if you are here in the space we call SM to socialize, that’s fine,have a zillion conversations with each other, but if you are here for commerce,and too in fact market your services to business, then we need to know your track record. No one is talking about their clients, no one is talking to other businesses, and what has worked and what has not. All I see, notwithstanding a few exceptions are SM folks talking to other SM folks, and preaching the gospel
In closing, know that I love this space, and I believe in this space and have put all of my marketing chips for my business on the SM square. But when I see the Business Week magazine nominations, I question just how many of those folks nominated even have any real clients, other than other SM folks, and any on the ground experience of actual SM campaigns.
Lastly, know that this is not an attack, just something that has been bothering me as of late,
Amber, Hello
It is encouraging to see you starting to address the issue you have raised. As a business owner, I would much prefer to see who your clients are and what project initiatives you have worked on, and the success and failures as opposed to how many followers you have.
Don’t get me wrong, if you are here in the space we call SM to socialize, that’s fine,have a zillion conversations with each other, but if you are here for commerce,and too in fact market your services to business, then we need to know your track record. No one is talking about their clients, no one is talking to other businesses, and what has worked and what has not. All I see, notwithstanding a few exceptions are SM folks talking to other SM folks, and preaching the gospel
In closing, know that I love this space, and I believe in this space and have put all of my marketing chips for my business on the SM square. But when I see the Business Week magazine nominations, I question just how many of those folks nominated even have any real clients, other than other SM folks, and any on the ground experience of actual SM campaigns.
Lastly, know that this is not an attack, just something that has been bothering me as of late,
Amber:
I think that one of the biggest challenges facing SM today is that it is seen as a tactic and not really a strategic offering. So, rather then looking at the brands and trying to make real changes, too many companies decide that if they have a Twitter account or they’re playing on Facebook, everything will be good. People forget that the companies that we usually hold up as great users of SM (say, Zappos) are companies that are already doing great work. Zappos isn’t doing great work because they’re on Twitter, they’re on Twitter because they’re a great company. Does Comcast having a Twitter account suddenly make them customer focused? I don’t mean to pick on Comcast (or Twitter!), but it’s just too easy for us to look at things superficially because that’s really easy for everyone involved.
Lastly, by selling it as an individual set of tactics means we put it into competition with other forms of media. So we don’t talk about SM being part of a total plan, we say “Hey, SM is much more valuable then other media you’re using. Use more SM and you’ll be all set.” What we should be talking about is how SM can enhance a variety of communication channels with audiences.
David
David Polinchocks last blog post..MediaPost Publications – WOM: Real People Win Deals, Corporate Blogs Spin Wheels – 12/30/2008
Amber:
I think that one of the biggest challenges facing SM today is that it is seen as a tactic and not really a strategic offering. So, rather then looking at the brands and trying to make real changes, too many companies decide that if they have a Twitter account or they’re playing on Facebook, everything will be good. People forget that the companies that we usually hold up as great users of SM (say, Zappos) are companies that are already doing great work. Zappos isn’t doing great work because they’re on Twitter, they’re on Twitter because they’re a great company. Does Comcast having a Twitter account suddenly make them customer focused? I don’t mean to pick on Comcast (or Twitter!), but it’s just too easy for us to look at things superficially because that’s really easy for everyone involved.
Lastly, by selling it as an individual set of tactics means we put it into competition with other forms of media. So we don’t talk about SM being part of a total plan, we say “Hey, SM is much more valuable then other media you’re using. Use more SM and you’ll be all set.” What we should be talking about is how SM can enhance a variety of communication channels with audiences.
David
David Polinchocks last blog post..MediaPost Publications – WOM: Real People Win Deals, Corporate Blogs Spin Wheels – 12/30/2008
Read the latest findings from MIT’s Media Lab Professor Alex Pentland’s Honest Signals. The echo chamber — what the book refers to as gossiping — is a big danger for idea markets. I think you’ll find his general sociometer findings to me incredibly refreshing, too.
Geoff Livingstons last blog post..Work Ethic 1.0: Good Stewardship
Read the latest findings from MIT’s Media Lab Professor Alex Pentland’s Honest Signals. The echo chamber — what the book refers to as gossiping — is a big danger for idea markets. I think you’ll find his general sociometer findings to me incredibly refreshing, too.
Geoff Livingstons last blog post..Work Ethic 1.0: Good Stewardship
So often the social media space is proselytized with an almost religious fervor, yet concrete results (for non SM organizations) aren’t always in evidence.
I consult (and teach) online marketing, and while my clients are interested in SM, the question isn’t whether it’s cool or even potentially useful.
It’s how SM fares in comparison to other (less sexy) media channels, and the question I always end up asking is “where is our time best spent?”
A recent “Reasons for writers to Twitter” post built an impressive list – only one of which had showed any concrete evidence of a revenue benefit.
The rest were glitzy, but hardly compelling to a freelancer looking for his next paycheck.
Social media can be incredibly useful, but like any media channel, it has to be relevant and yes, profitable.
TC/Copywriter Undergrounds last blog post..TV Show Leverages Twitter With One-Two Mystery Pitch
So often the social media space is proselytized with an almost religious fervor, yet concrete results (for non SM organizations) aren’t always in evidence.
I consult (and teach) online marketing, and while my clients are interested in SM, the question isn’t whether it’s cool or even potentially useful.
It’s how SM fares in comparison to other (less sexy) media channels, and the question I always end up asking is “where is our time best spent?”
A recent “Reasons for writers to Twitter” post built an impressive list – only one of which had showed any concrete evidence of a revenue benefit.
The rest were glitzy, but hardly compelling to a freelancer looking for his next paycheck.
Social media can be incredibly useful, but like any media channel, it has to be relevant and yes, profitable.
TC/Copywriter Undergrounds last blog post..TV Show Leverages Twitter With One-Two Mystery Pitch