I’ve been processing this post for several days now. I wasn’t quite sure what I was on about. I knew I was seeing a lot of unnecessary errors and bandwagons headed for a crash but I wasn’t quite sure how to articulate it.  I think I just figured it out.

The social space is becoming overcrowded and far too noisy with good intentioned but severely misled individuals and brands. The result? A whole lot of noise. For most this isn’t a big deal, simply unfollow or look elsewhere. I have that tendency to slow down, lend a hand or an opportunity for some banter to see how to improve the situation – when I feel so inclined.

What’s the core underlying problem?

1. Zero strategy.  If you have no online consumer research or market understanding to identify a key insight from to then build a strategy… you are just making noise. And by default, developing a strategy usually means you need some solid understanding of marketing basics.
2. Complete disregard for the future.  Sometimes you have to start with your Exit Strategy. Or at least start from where you want to be a year from now, sometimes it makes sense to look four years out. Knowing the end result allows you to work backwards effectively calculating where you start.
3. Perception that SoMe is a FB profile or a series of tweets. It’s anything but that. (deep sigh) The get rick quick mentality needs to go. It doesn’t work for diets, money or in this space either. Facebook Fan Page with x number of fans is not an objective without a clearly defined purpose and reason.

Has anyone seen the #Nestle Facebook Fan Page yet? HAH! Thanks to @HoffLimits for the link.

I think I understand the difference between Online Marketing and Social Media… or as someone recently pointed out to me… not Social Media… but Word of Mouth (WOM). I guess we’re finally starting to enforce some nomenclature

Online Marketing which takes traditional marketing but makes it web ready evokes this reaction:

Social Media … or as it’s now being referred to, WOM evokes this reaction:

The difference? One broadcasts, manipulates and parades as butter when we all know it’s a version of. One uses humans, social tools to facilitate and enable… think; community managers, brand evangelists or better yet the public who fall in love with your brand – brand fanatics. Truly – there are people out there with a gift for building, nurturing and growing a community! We’re not saying throw everything else out… we’re saying that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right! And getting WOM right as part of your marketing plan is ridiculously powerful.

I remember asking several people who appeared amazing-at-life a few questions including: If you could talk to yourself at 20 yrs of age, what would you say? – one response still rings true: “Buy your weaknesses, sell your strengths!”

If you’re looking to hire some really great and truly social types who absolutely get WOM. You want to chat to Barry Furby of Fresh Resources.

Two very different things. We all know that text book knowledge is one thing… actual hands on work experience is another.

My point is this – Social Media and the world that it is needs to be played with, practised, fudged, screwed up, excelled at and train wrecked so you can learn what <not> to do.

Reading about it is great. Living it is necessary. 

Beware all you newbies to SM. Beware of those so called experts who are really newbies dressed up in lamb’s clothing. If your expert is suggesting you play in, utilize, leverage or act in this space ask to see some ID.

This reminds me of something Nana used to say: Don’t do what I do. Do what I say. – It didn’t work then and I can’t imagine it working now.

For a broad stroke visual of what Social Media is, find my post “What the Hell is Going on!”

For a kick ass workshop on SM – email me – I take requests!

I feel like I keep saying the same thing but with different spins. Not necessarily a bad thing… so here I go again… more reasons why I believe Small is the New Big.

Landscape:

1. The power has shifted from the boardroom to the people. Don’t believe me? Ask me about: Dell, H&R block, Bernard Lachance, Facebook changing their policy, Digg.com and Hollywood layers, The Streisand Effect – I could seriously go on and on and on.

2. The people are now able to move mountains as big as or bigger than large corporations. They are leveraging each other to create a force to be reckoned with. When you mobilize a million men, you make history. Must I remind you of the million man march?

3. Big companies are not as powerful as they once were. Big companies tend to be hesitant to admit that their landscape has changed. That the playing field is no longer a one way street, that the consumer is flexing a mighty muscle when it comes to products, brands, services and more. 78% of consumers trust the recommendations of their network. Hello?!

4. When big companies make themselves small, they step into a world of ridiculous opportunity. They step into a world where they sqaure off with the consumer: brand to face. What you do at this point will determine whether you thrive or get ousted over the heads of millions of consumers rushing to the edge of a cliff, whereby, upon arrival, your big brand is chucked off to the sound of cheers and applause. <dramatic! I know!>

So what can a big brand get from this space? Great question, two lines of thought come to mind:

1. Built in R&D. Ridiculously more cost effective than what you have now. Find your consumers… go to them… listen to the conversation… what are they saying about you? What can you learn, leverage, apply or change as a result of this? Imagine you engage mr. consumer – thank him for telling you your website is shit and then ask him to keep talking… keep telling you what it is about your site that is shit. Then… wiat for it… you act on the suggestions and circle back wtih Mr. Consumer… thank him for his redderick, time and two cents and give him X, Y, Z for his effort. What do you think Mr. Consumer is going to do? He’s going to tweet, blog, fark, digg his friggin heart out about how kick ass you are. People! Acquisition and Retention are great… but I raise you a Fanatic!

2. The other train of thought is to offer incentives, promotions, rewards and reasons to turn your audience into your biggest fans. Give away 100 of your products in exhange for customer reviews on your blog… Hmmmm… interesting – non? Give them a reason to tell the world what you did for them and how their world can get in on the game too.

Meeting is imminent – I have to run, but I leave you with this! What would happen to your sales if you took 5% of your average customer base and turned them into fanatics?

<sigh> I love this space… it is so just and honest, and candid and transparent. The way it should be.

K – I gotta bolt!

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