to all the social media "experts" ... stop the rhetoric and deliver value. period.
This post has been a long time in the making for me. As an absolute FAN of Social Media I have been watching the space grow for quite some time now, and everyday I am fascinated by it's capabilities. I am intrigued by it's raw power. Social Media to me, in a marketing sense, is the evolution of "word of mouth". Where in the past the idea of word of mouth was pretty straight forward. If I do a great job for you, you will tell ten friends, and those ten friends will tell ten... So on and so on. Social Media leveraged the right way within the marketplace can and will be a very powerful tool in the world of marketing... IF and only IF all of the so called Social Media "Experts" would start telling the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
To All the Social Media "Experts" ... Stop the Rhetoric and Deliver Value. Period.
I want to start this post off with a couple of examples. Somewhat "colorful" illustrations of the teachings of MOST Social Media "Experts". AND after you read what I am about to say, and it offends you, I can and will share with you some links to blog post written by these so called "Experts" and prove to you what I am saying...
Client: "How do we get involved with Social Media??"
Expert: "Okay Mr. Business Owner... I need you to start a Twitter account, Facebook account, Plurk, account, and any other account you can find. Then I need you to start joining in on the global conversation. I want you to talk about your company values, your great specials, and above all, you really need to let people know that you are serious about your business and that you are transparent and authentic."
Client: "How do we control all of the conversation...??"
Expert: "Okay Mrs. Business Owner... I need you to go out and hire a Online Reputation Management team (we can share our fees with you on this later). One that will watch the global conversation and address any horrible thing that you do, and perpetuate the good stuff. AND what I need you to do is get obsessed with what everyone is saying about your company, because YOU getting obsessed about it will allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of your clients. We are the experts... Trust us. It will work"
I could go on and on, and I could illustrate maybe another dozen cases, BUT I think you get the point. OR maybe you don't. Maybe you are a client to one of these "Experts" who are really causing you to cause Social Media Suicide? Let's look at it this way...
When did it become cool that YOU become your number one best word of mouth agent?
When did it become cool to dilute and tamper with the true ideals of your business in the eyes of the public?
"...YES the transparency of Social Media does give us a new set of eyes that we have never had before. Being able to see the ideals of our customers and clients is HUGE..."
I am willing to bet that the TV advertisement sales guy did not tell you to fabricate testimonials and broadcast them to the public did he/she? I am willing to bet that you don't hire "goons" to patrol the streets and beat up everyone that says something bad about your business. NOW do not get me wrong, YES the transparency of Social Media does give us a new set of eyes that we have never had before. Being able to see the ideals of our customers and clients is HUGE but there is a better design to consider when thinking about how we go about this "listening". And there is definitely a better idea when it comes to how the conversation about our business happens. Two key things...
1. YOU are not your own Word of Mouth Agent... Word of Mouth is something you earn, both good and bad.
2. Reputation Management is just another word for good ol' "Customer Service". Great Customer Service = Incredible Social Media Buzz
Designing for Social Media
"Social Media has been looked at as a top layer strategy for quite sometime, but I challenge to say that Social Media is not a top layer strategy and it should not be executed as one..."
Social Media has been looked at as a top layer strategy for quite sometime, but I challenge to say that Social Media is not a top layer strategy and it should not be executed as one. Designing a solid Social Media strategy takes a deep level of ingenuity and creativity. Unlike other top level marketing strategies, Social Media should be the perpetuated result of a bigger idea. Social Media should be integrated within a top layer strategy... It's kinda like the stereo in a car. The car has the stereo in-it's self, then there is a amplifier, the stereo control the amplifier, the amplifier does not control the stereo. This is the relationship that top layer marketing strategies have with Social Media. You have to have a stereo before you can utilize the amplifier.
"It's not the individualized, and relatively limited voice of the sole Restaurateur that makes a difference, it's the collective rants and raves of the fans that resonate in the Socialsphere..."
I recently read a blog post a highly respected Social Media "Expert" wrote for the restaurant industry. An industry that I am very passionate about, and one that we at Paper Aircrane will be delivering solutions to very soon. But the Expert was giving direction to the Restaurateur that really belonged to the Patrons... Telling a Restaurateur to go into a crowded rooms and start yelling out it's offerings is pointless in the noisy rooms of Social Media. However; telling the Restaurateur to deliver an amazing, user-centric offering to as many of the people in the rooms as possible, and growing them to be big time fans, and brand champions will directly effect his/her Social Media strategy. They will do the talking on behalf of the Restaurateur, and it will be a lot more believable and meaningful... It's not the individualized, and relatively limited voice of the sole Restaurateur that makes a difference, it's the collective rants and raves of the fans that resonate in the Socialsphere...
Approaching Social Media this way takes real innovation and ingenuity. It takes a deeper type of thinking than just doing the obvious, and ineffective. Sometimes it may take designing a totally new Social Network that will foster the type of conversation that the client can find useful and relevant. I love what they are doing at Culinary Culture. Instead of labeling themselves as "Social Media Experts" and telling Restaurateurs to go out and amass Social Networks and start talking, they built an environment for people to do the talking on behalf of the Restaurateurs... Genius. Focusing on the "Foodies" gives the "Foodies" a solid reason to start talking. AND it's through this conversation that the magic happens. So in a nutshell... Social Media Experts, your consultation just got cut down to simple link, in some regards. All of your Restaurateur Clients should be trying to get involved with Culinary Culture. They should be PART of the conversation not THE conversation.
"Every industry is looking for the real Social Media Experts that can design Social Media Strategies that are integrated parts of a much bigger idea..."
Every industry is looking for the real Social Media Experts that can design Social Media Strategies that are integrated parts of a much bigger idea. An idea that can produce a solid ROI model, and can be tracked beyond "fluff" and rhetoric. The key will be in the layering. Social Media needs to be layered the right way in the marketing mix, kinda like the stereo and the amp...
Vincent Hunt is the Founder and Chief Design Officer of Paper Aircrane, a strategic Ideation Company tactical in conceptualizing and developing breakthrough ideas for new products, services and brands. A Groundbreaking Thinker, Compelling Speaker and Blogger, Vincent is sought after for his ideas pertaining to an evolving economic shift that he affectionately refers to as the "post-industrial revolution", his research in the area of disruptive innovation and the talent that makes it happen.


