#MAPmad #SoCol and the social life cycle

#MAPmad = Marketing – Advertising - PR mad

I’m speaking at Social Collective ( #SoCol ) end September here in London. It’s at an event committed to raising the bar in SoMe designed for an audience of intermediate to advanced level industry types. The perfect audience for my #MAPmad debate.

Recently, while in Soho downing a few drinks with Darika Ahrens and Paul Armstrong I discovered I was not the only one frustrated with the SoMe situation. Darika had already been doing her part to clean up SoMe as it relates to PR. Paul had already been planning some sort of SoMe smack down – ok, less smack, more getting down to the core of it.

The three of us will be sharing a stage to take on the more dysfunctional SoMe. The M in MAPmad?  that’s where I’ll be sounding off discussing the current landscape.

I struggle with the idea that SoMe is a tool that simply energizes, engages, and allows you to listen. Although I agree, all those things are important, (without them you are failing) I can’t help but want to roll my eyes when some SoMe superstar opens his gob and starts regurgitating the same thing over and over – you just know he doesn’t quite get it – he’s passionate though, bless him. (deep sigh)

We’re beyond energizing right? We’re all thinking in Social Life Cycles now, right?

Social Technology enables brands to create professional crushes between said brand and core audience, including:

1. Industry Stakeholders: <media, government, shareholders, talent>

2. Company Stakeholders: <employees, contractors, suppliers, customers>

Using Social Technology to lower the cost to serve or increase sales is the bare minimum you need to simply get a seat at the table. If you’re still touting that your Social ROI is all about soft attributes – then perhaps your clients can start paying you in soft attributes for your SoMe expertise?

I would argue that if your SoMe is not lowering the cost to serve or driving sales… you are not a SoMe expert or strategist ( or super star, or manager).  Driving sales should really be the litmus test that separates the SoMe people who can actually do their job and the rest of them who are just making noise.

–> a digital campaign has it’s place – but it has it’s place within the Social Life Cycle. It’s not about retro fitting SoMe into some campaign so you can tick off a box. This is about basic marketing that starts with insights, is followed by a strategic plan that considers your social life cycle.

The real work starts post sale but must be planned for pre-sale. This isn’t marketing that sees you through awareness, acquisition, retention, and up/cross sell. It isn’t. This is the business of creating a social life cycle between brand and core audience that breeds professional crushes.

• If you’re shopping for SoMe support – take heart – there are plenty of good <real> ones out there. But do your homework.
• If you are working in SoMe but not yet delivering the bare minimum <meeting objectives: lowering cost to serve or driving sales> it’s never too late. Brush up on your marketing skills, understand the customer life cycle, identify the key moments of truth specific to your business (an MOT is every single time your customer touches your business/brand>, take a few steps back and look at the bigger picture. Start looking at the Social Life cycle.

If I have triggered any thoughts, ideas or differences of opinion – as usual, they are always welcome.