Questioning God
December 4, 2009
There’s groupthink in any industry, but I think ours in Social Media is full of it to an extreme extent.
Because it’s so relatively new (although some of us has been interacting socially on the web for 15 years before the tools got nifty pastel gradients and friendly icons reminiscent of songbirds) people are busy looking for any validation of their beliefs due to either their inexperience, their need to be like others, or simply professionally being able to point to someone else.
Unlike any other marketing/PR/customer service/etc. function, social media crosses so many barriers and traditional silos that it literally scares people. We who live “in the biz” forget that this isn’t second nature and intimidating to most not just because of the tools but the impending culture shift, contradicting what years of B-school and hierarchies reinforced.
And what do people do when they’re scared? Come together. At times through religion. Add into the mix it’s digital and many people over 40 don’t have much value for bits and bytes and/or culturally don’t understand their significance, you have a flock of converts under attack looking for leadership.
The Universal Law (Benefit) of Social Media
However, in order for our industry to grow, and for the real, universal benefit of social media – connecting people to make things happen, whatever that “thing” is to you – true progress is going to be made not by parroting the current leaders of the social media industry, but by taking their experience and trying new things. Working it. I say this with the utmost respect, but the only real difference between them and everyone else is the willingness to try something and do the hustle to make it work, and being willing to fail (which by the way, is much easier said than done, and one of many reasons to respect thought leaders).
After all, there is no formula when dealing with people; and this is dealing with people to the largest extent. Every situation you’re going to want to draw on yours and others experiences, real data, ask hard questions and be willing to listen to the answers, even if they don’t match your initial thought.
You need to be willing to act quickly, decisively, and comport to the needs of your community, not necessarily your needs.
So go out, be fruitful, be an evangelist for your brand, love your users, love your community, and charge on. We might have different sized caravans – or lone riders on a trusty steed. But if you want to make things happen – be that trailblazer with your own ideas.
Multichannel Social Media Overload And The Hard Truth
May 5, 2009
First, read this on how social media really works.
Back? Okay. Taken a Tums if you’re a shill? Good. Hope you feel better now.
I preface my post with that link because I think there’s a cadre of people who need to calm the &^*$ down and stop the noise. It’s not the number of Twitter status updates that’s going to get your company or product noticed. It’s if your product/service rocks and is compelling, and then being willing to be part (not try to own) the conversation.
The Hard Truth
There’s quite a few people now – in fact, the majority in number but not in weight of so-called experts – who are going down this path of being constant interference. Whether it’s constantly 8 or 10 Tweets in a row, or the only Facebook status updates someone does are “come to my seminar and you’ll be *insert betterment here*” it’s just too much.
I fully believe those folks that turn up the pitch level are sacrificing making something great… something that they’re passionate about – for a get-rich scheme, or a multi-level marketing pyramid. People are generally afraid to be themselves, and feel like this is some sort of pitch arena. Like Facebook was made for people to stuff their sales down your throat, and it wasn’t. It was meant to connect people, and hold people together.
Let’s remember that the next time (whomever you are) hits the tweet or status button four times in a row for your *insert betterment here* package. And remember this is a community, and what normally happens to the guy who goes door to door in your community? Uh huh. Unless you’ve converted to four religions in the past five years and bought two sets of Encyclopedia Britannicas, you’ve probably ignored them.
Even Though You Didn’t Tell Me, I Know You Faked It
The other side of this issue is the passion equation. Is it your true passion – or is it just your job? You can tell the people who are on social media to be on it – they figure they HAVE to be. There’s a great post by Stacy Lukas (Her snark/sass is on Twitter too) that touches on this.
For the “jobbers,” who do the Holy Trinity and say their social media Hail Marys, you can see the lack of passion, the weaving of the press release, into their posts. They live in the shadow of the real deal, attempting to fill niches already filled.
It’s not a part of their life, it’s a check box ticked.
So the next time you put together something for social media – think about if you’re being authentic, if you’re doing it right.
I leave you with a thought from Merlin Mann:
Zappos is on Twitter, but they also put millions of dollars on awesome service before then. Having a twitter account does not make you Zappos. Having the resources to serve your audience makes you Zappos. Registering and responding to an email does not make you Zappos.
p.s. – Yep, just looked at the posts, this is officially the start of my fourth year on this blog. More on that next time. But thank you all.
Detroit’s Ultimate Social Media Bar
April 20, 2009
There’s a bar that’s “got” the core concepts of social media from the beginning, better than most companies and establishments – but there hasn’t even been a Tweetup there.
The place embraces all the tenants of social media; but doesn’t as a part of a contrived strategy but just because it is simply the best thing to do.
How does it do this?
- It encourages conversation. The bar is round, not square, so that you can have a conversation much easier. I’ve met so many new friends – and had great memories with old ones – in part due to the conducive nature of the layout to conversation. No awkward leans; and it’s way easier for a group of three or four to have a chat at the bar without getting a table; and that’s really important when meeting new people.
- It helps others out. The story NPR had told, about helping out another local pizza business by buying ALL of it’s inventory it’s first night and then promoting it at THEIR bar, is fundamentally what social media is all about. Promote each other with reckless abandon, and the results will come back to you.
- The Park Bar found a niche and stuck to it. The Park is a little out of the way, just a block off of Foxtown and a block off of Grand Circus Park, tucked away across from what was once a beautiful building. But, it, next to Cliff Bells, has carved out a great niche of being great for bringing new people around for AND as a beloved spot for us locals. It doesn’t try to be Hard Rock; it doesn’t try to be Hockeytown; it is what it is.
- It is loyal to it’s community. You can’t turn on the TV for a non-Detroit sports team, plain and simple. You can ask, but it’s not going to happen. It’s community is Detroit, and that’s how it is.
I think the lesson for us all is that none of these social media tenets or ideas are new; they’re very old but wrapped up today in slick ajax and a bubbly font. In short, the Park Bar has found success using the ideals of social media, and it doesn’t even have a Twitter account.
(Photo Sourced from the Park Bar’s MySpace Page)
Let There Be No Doubt – Yes Social Media Can.
November 6, 2008
Editor’s Note: I’m going to stay away from the politics of this issue, but aim to talk more about the method.
What happened Tuesday was due to a lot of different factors, but undeniably, online and social media had a cornerstone role play in the election of Barack Obama.
Barack’s team almost flawlessly (note: one of the key players was involved in Facebook, should give you a clue) executed a social media and online strategy that raised hundreds of millions of dollars and mobilized thousands of people. I’m willing to bet the person who’s going to make the most money next cycle is a set of smart, conservative online strategists because I’m sure the Republicans are taking notes.
Seeing the power of their website (really, presence) – and now, with their transition site – it’s very obvious Barack “gets” online media. But what are the lessons to take home to your business or organization? Here are four I came up with.
1) Small payments work. Companies like 37signals blazed the path for this, but online can be a powerful way to raise small amounts of money from large amounts of people. I’m glad to see Motor City Connect, a social media business site here in the Detroit area, adopt this low-cost, high-value model and I hope it works for them.
2) It’s about touchpoints. Every post-analysis and my own experience showed that this was a “high touch” campaign. He/They did a masterful job of taking you “along for the ride,” engaging you in the story, all the way down to the thank you text message after victory. It was like a great TV show or movie, you were part of the action, you were involved.
3) They’ve created long term political capital they can draw on. To be sure, I expect emails on policy at some point. Not as much as during the campaign, but that database of 3 million or so names and emails is sheer gold for moving forward agendas. This has a business application in that you need to remember that all of your campaigns can build upon eachother, even if you switch firms or agencies (always get/keep your data!).
4) The power of cohesive, emotionally-connecting branding works. The Obama campaign, even in counties they lost, due to the money they raised and the presence they were able to project, were able to gain six to ten points over John Kerry’s performance, even in areas they knew they were going to lose. That made the core urban areas put them over the top in tough races. They opened their message/branding of “Change” to many more people than before. I can’t tell you how many republicans I know voted for Obama, because in part, it was a cohesive message, and John McCain appeared erratic because of such consistency.
Of course, there were a multitude of factors to his victory. But I’m sure that without the social and online media components, he wouldn’t of made it out of the primaries.
Three Tips On Blogging To Help A Friend
October 23, 2008
So I saw a tweet this morning, where a friend of mine was told that “he shouldn’t blog anymore.”
Well, that’s really extreme. The whole point of the internet is share your voice, right? And everyone has something to say.
But, as with so many things, it’s how you say it. Sure, maybe some folks shouldn’t blog – but this guy has been bringing folks together for awhile and has some really valuable information. He should have something to say.
I had to put some thought into his “ask,” which is – What are 3 tips to be a better blogger?
Getting it down to three is a challenge. So here’s my three, and I’d love to hear yours.
1) Content is King. Voice is Queen. (not my words, it’s via Merlin Mann). Have a voice that is uniquely you (amazingly, you come packaged with one right out of the box), and stand for something. I’m an unabashed urbanist. My friend Beverly (who incidentally won “Blogger of the Year” yesterday for her Global Business Perspectives blog) truly believes that by bringing down walls, we can bring the world together for peace. And SHOW that voice. Be a zealot. Make a statement. Let your passion for what you do or you’re talking about come through.
There are a lot of people who disagree with both of us – but I also know people who disagree with us read us and are actually really valuable members of the community. Few are going to make time to read a milquetoast.
2) Tell a Story. If you sit down and watch REALLY good TV or a movie that engages you, it’s because there’s a storyline. What does this post today have to do with what I wrote last week? How can I build upon that knowledge or revelation? How can I serve my readers by expanding on the paths they’re interested in? Go listen to a great storyteller. Take your readers with you and help them as you’re doing it.
3) Write Every Day. Every day, you should put some sort of effort into your blog, even if it’s 15 minutes. I do not think you should have to post every day, however. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit.
3.5) Write For Your Mentor. Who is it that you would want to impress so much so that if they read your blog they would find it so compelling that they wanted to meet you? Who is your gold standard?
There are no shortcuts. This takes effort. Your first few posts (as mine did) are going to stink. That is OK, as long as it’s your voice and your passion that comes through.
p.s. I will answer the question – when not to blog. When you don’t care about the subject that much, and/or when you have no energy for it. If a blog is part of your SEO scheme, or another traffic gizmo, that’s when it becomes useless. No question, it has those benefits – but they only can be maximized if you do it right.
