You are definitely ignoring the fourth type. There is still a BIG portion of corporate America that is still downplaying, denying or ignoring the shift in how these tools are affecting the way we all do business. I often feel that those soundbites (and yes they drive me as crazy as they do you) are aimed at them.
In my brain, it really breaks down to two types. Those of us who believe and those who probably never will (or will far too late). Time to stop begging the uninitiated to jump on board... those that are in the know to take the efforts to the next level.
I also wonder if all of the recent wave of Social Media books is keeping us stuck in that gear. Everyone seems to have put out their 1.0 book about web 2.0 and it is forcing us to stay focused on the basics. Time to shift gears...
Unrelated side note to my rant. I completely agree re the need to dial back the Jet Blue, Dell, Comcast, Ford's of the world. Companies with massive resources who are willing to risks will likely continue to benefit from these tools. Love the idea of focusing in on how small to mid size businesses (read: the rest of us humans) can leverage these tools in the face of limited (if not non-existent) resources.
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
Yep, that was a deliberate omission, Michael - as you say, there are some that just don't care, so let's concentrate on those that do.
You may have a point on some of the books around - maybe the first half should have been on basics, and then really kick it up a notch in the second half? We can only repeat the same stuff so often. I guess time will tell...
MSchechter
· 2 months ago
Dont get me wrong, I get it on the books, you kind of have to introduce yourself... but don't you think that someone in a world of people who have done it differently would say. "If you want to learn the basics, read x, y and z. Now lets really talk about what all this means and what's next"
I am sure it is coming, but too many people are wasting time speaking to the uninitiated...
scottmonty
· 2 months ago
While our company may have "massive resources," as you say, that doesn't mean that massive resources are necessarily being leveraged toward social media. And with a social media staff of exactly two - including me - I'd say Ford's is among the leanest out there.
As to risks, it's not all cut & dried. In a traditionally conservative environment, taking the risks inherent in some social media activities is a big step.
Scotty - I'm looking forward to your talk with Awareness, Inc.
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
It is a big step Scott, and one that Ford (amongst others) have been rightly praised for taking. Although would you count outside agencies (like Maggie Fox's in Toronto) as an overall part of the Ford team (while being outsourced)? But if the same names get mentioned all the time, people may start to feel that it's only the "big boys" that can make social work - and that doesn't really benefit anyone.
scottmonty
· 2 months ago
True, although I've heard the phrase "if Ford can do it, so can you" a number of times. :-)
And you're right - agencies are part of the extended team as well. It does go beyond our own infrastructure.
sue_anne
· 2 months ago
I think a social media staff of two is pretty common. A social media staff of two as a percentage of all the employees @Ford compared to others does make it pretty lean.
sue_anne
· 2 months ago
When I went to the Google Grantee conference a few months ago, I was being picked on because in regards to employees I represented the largest organization at the conference. (EMQ FamiliesFirst currently has around 1,400 employees serving 6,000 children and 18,000 children and their family members in California.) What I kept having to point out is that our communications department only has 3 employees, who are responsible for all aspects of communications / marketing / PR (branding, collateral, and the huge online marketing piece - both our web site(s) and social media). For an agency trying to raise awareness in a state as large as California, that's very tricky.
I do think it's all about being smart and finding what works for your organization and what doesn't.
OldChinaHand
· 2 months ago
But if everyone comes to know all the answers. what will become of the gurus? How will we recognise the social media mavens if they're not telling us what to do?
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
Wouldn't it be better being able to walk for yourself as opposed to hand held? ;-)
John Haydon
· 2 months ago
Danny - It's funny that you mention this. I've noticed a small group of experts, who all have books out, basically promoting each other and repeating each others ideas. They even review each others books! When oligopolies like this form, the market eventually demands a different voice.
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
I think that's where Michael above was going as well, John. It reminds me of the old movie studios where some of the big players had stakes in each other's companies so they'd switch stars between studios to keep profits ticking over. It may be fun for a while, but eventually you can have too much Marilyn Monroe and want for Doris Day... ;-)
John Haydon
· 2 months ago
Markets will always demand alternatives. Doris Day was hot, wasn't she...
sue_anne
· 2 months ago
I can't remember the blog that talked about it or the link, but there was a story awhile back about an actual blogging collective where they were strategically working together to raise the profile of each other's blogs. They were geographically diverse, and they actually took it to the next level of having physical conferences with the entire group. We talked about it on a hashtag chat one night about whether or not it was ethical.
Stacey Monk
· 2 months ago
just want to say i hadn't seen it by i'm loving the new layout of your blog ;)
daninordin
· 2 months ago
You have some great points here. On the subject of holding up larger brands as an example of "how to do it right," do you think that part of that philosophy has to do with the American obsession with becoming a big brand? Think about how many books are devoted to becoming a millionaire and developing the "millionaire mindset," or the proliferation of books about how Big Brands were made.
In terms of Social Media, I agree that we need to start looking at the ways that smaller companies find success with it (I certainly consider my business a minor success story on that front), but I also think that we're living in a culture that seems to have a strange relationship with small business. On one hand, we keep playing lip service to this concept that small business/entrepreneurs are the backbone of the economy; on the other, we churn out huge and embarrassing numbers of books each year devoted to showing the little guy how to become Big, get rich beyond their wildest dreams, and get a vacation house in Boca. If we're truly going to change the conversation, we have to be willing to embrace being small.
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
That's a good point you make there. There does (did?) seem to be a culture of "big is better" in a lot of America, and not just from a business viewpoint. Look at the rise in popularity of SUV's, for example. Does this stem from the years when the US dollar led the way globally? Perhaps - and if so, then the recent and ongoing financial situation may just make many re-adjust views on what's better.
Which can only be good news for the little guys :)
daninordin
· 2 months ago
I think what we're starting to see is a nation rethinking their ideas of success - and realizing that sometimes, making enough money to keep you in a comfortable lifestyle is Enough, and that big houses, vacation homes, cars, etc. aren't really the point of life.
At least I hope that's the case, and I'm not just wearing my Hippie Shades again ;-)
gacconsultants
· 2 months ago
It's good to see that your blog focuses on progress and not getting stuck in the mud with the crowd. There's a lot of people talking, but very few that are blazing the trail and leading the evolution of how the world communicates.
Jackie Adkins
· 2 months ago
"Quit using the “you can’t measure social media ROI” soundbite."
Amen, man! I can't help but argue that this is coming from people who are too lazy or don't want to take the time to figure out how to measure ROI. Buckle down and figure out how your specific company or client can measure it and apply it.
Mmkay, I'm done :)
sue_anne
· 2 months ago
I was talking with @thebrandbuilder about a similar issue in regards to success stories and that's who is being invited to speak at conferences. I'm worried that even next spring's conferences (SXSW & NTEN NTC10 specifically) are going to be having the same people say the same things about the same success stories / case studies. We do need to introduce new voices into the mix, and we also need to talk about failures as well as successes.
While there are non-profits (and other companies, but I work for a non-profit) succeeding on Facebook. There are many, many others who are really struggling to gain any traction. While there are great success stories about non-profits who have succeeded in leveraging a crisis to their social media advantage, what about the non-profits who don't have that crisis and are just slogging their way through? What are good measurements for success there?
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
Great points all round, Sue-Anne.
I agree, and I mentioned this a little while back (and many shot me down for it, ha!), but it is becoming the same names, the same topics, the same conferences. TV stations lost viewers because of repeats - the same will happen here if it doesn't move forward. The onus is on the organizers to not go for the "names" just to sell tickets but, like you say, get the thinkers instead. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
With regards the charities that are doing everything without "reward", the main metrics I would look for would be how many people did we touch, and is there a long-term gain there? So donations may be down, but is awareness up? Have more people signed up for the newsletter, or an upcoming special event? What may not be clear today can be crystal clear after 3-6 months. Often charity can be seasonal (as far as giving periods from folks), as well as geographical. If it's an international charity, find ways that it could effect local people too.
It's not easy, and sadly charities are the ones that need visibility the most and are getting the least. This is why things need to be shaken up.
Thanks for some great views!
sue_anne
· 2 months ago
I have another comment. Your post has inspired me to say a lot Danny. Here's one of the tricky things to address. One of the reasons why social media "experts" have time to blog / speak at conferences / write books is because that's what they do. It's difficult for me to find the time to attend a conference with all the work on my desk. Finding time to put together a presentation, thoughts and then actually go present would take away from the work that I do and that just doesn't add up for me right now.
This applies to blogging as well. Finding the time and mental energy / focus to blog about the work I do while still doing all the work is hard. And, I'm single with very few demands on my time outside of work. People with families and other obligations are just stretched too thin.
tessacarroll
· 2 months ago
Social media is changing business and in order to stay relevant, it's important that all businesses get in on the game. Whether you're an early adopter or a toe dipper, get your information out there. Stop parroting what needs to happen and actually do something. Like it or not, times are changing and social media is leading the way.
Thanks so much for this post. I'm one of the newbies you're discussing and feel like a "fish out of water" while swimming in an "ocean of information" and trying to connect the dots while "staying afloat." Our literary agency is now on Twitter and we're growing our network. I've got 49 followers and am following 84, so have barely got my own feet wet. We're developing our social networking strategy and will launch our blog soon, so I think we're headed in the right direction.
Something that concern me: As the point person (publicist who happens to enjoy research & development) in this endeavor of guiding our company into the 21st century regarding social media, I don't want to make any mistakes. I realize mistakes are inevitable and do choose to learn from them, but I don't want to hurt my company by making a huge faux pas along the way.
I see alot of information regarding "What to do." How about information about "What Not to Do" or "Pitfalls to Avoid Along the Way"?
Thanks.
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
Ha, that's a lot of fish quotes there! :)
Good point. Yes, we only learn from our mistakes (and boy have I made a few along the way, and no doubt will make many more!), some "what not to do" recommendations will be appearing soon.
All Comments
In my brain, it really breaks down to two types. Those of us who believe and those who probably never will (or will far too late). Time to stop begging the uninitiated to jump on board... those that are in the know to take the efforts to the next level.
I also wonder if all of the recent wave of Social Media books is keeping us stuck in that gear. Everyone seems to have put out their 1.0 book about web 2.0 and it is forcing us to stay focused on the basics. Time to shift gears...
Unrelated side note to my rant. I completely agree re the need to dial back the Jet Blue, Dell, Comcast, Ford's of the world. Companies with massive resources who are willing to risks will likely continue to benefit from these tools. Love the idea of focusing in on how small to mid size businesses (read: the rest of us humans) can leverage these tools in the face of limited (if not non-existent) resources.
You may have a point on some of the books around - maybe the first half should have been on basics, and then really kick it up a notch in the second half? We can only repeat the same stuff so often. I guess time will tell...
I am sure it is coming, but too many people are wasting time speaking to the uninitiated...
As to risks, it's not all cut & dried. In a traditionally conservative environment, taking the risks inherent in some social media activities is a big step.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
@ScottMonty
And you're right - agencies are part of the extended team as well. It does go beyond our own infrastructure.
I do think it's all about being smart and finding what works for your organization and what doesn't.
In terms of Social Media, I agree that we need to start looking at the ways that smaller companies find success with it (I certainly consider my business a minor success story on that front), but I also think that we're living in a culture that seems to have a strange relationship with small business. On one hand, we keep playing lip service to this concept that small business/entrepreneurs are the backbone of the economy; on the other, we churn out huge and embarrassing numbers of books each year devoted to showing the little guy how to become Big, get rich beyond their wildest dreams, and get a vacation house in Boca. If we're truly going to change the conversation, we have to be willing to embrace being small.
Which can only be good news for the little guys :)
At least I hope that's the case, and I'm not just wearing my Hippie Shades again ;-)
Amen, man! I can't help but argue that this is coming from people who are too lazy or don't want to take the time to figure out how to measure ROI. Buckle down and figure out how your specific company or client can measure it and apply it.
Mmkay, I'm done :)
While there are non-profits (and other companies, but I work for a non-profit) succeeding on Facebook. There are many, many others who are really struggling to gain any traction. While there are great success stories about non-profits who have succeeded in leveraging a crisis to their social media advantage, what about the non-profits who don't have that crisis and are just slogging their way through? What are good measurements for success there?
I agree, and I mentioned this a little while back (and many shot me down for it, ha!), but it is becoming the same names, the same topics, the same conferences. TV stations lost viewers because of repeats - the same will happen here if it doesn't move forward. The onus is on the organizers to not go for the "names" just to sell tickets but, like you say, get the thinkers instead. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
With regards the charities that are doing everything without "reward", the main metrics I would look for would be how many people did we touch, and is there a long-term gain there? So donations may be down, but is awareness up? Have more people signed up for the newsletter, or an upcoming special event? What may not be clear today can be crystal clear after 3-6 months. Often charity can be seasonal (as far as giving periods from folks), as well as geographical. If it's an international charity, find ways that it could effect local people too.
It's not easy, and sadly charities are the ones that need visibility the most and are getting the least. This is why things need to be shaken up.
Thanks for some great views!
This applies to blogging as well. Finding the time and mental energy / focus to blog about the work I do while still doing all the work is hard. And, I'm single with very few demands on my time outside of work. People with families and other obligations are just stretched too thin.
Tessa Carroll
VBP OutSourcing
www.blogs.vbpoutsourcing.com
Something that concern me: As the point person (publicist who happens to enjoy research & development) in this endeavor of guiding our company into the 21st century regarding social media, I don't want to make any mistakes. I realize mistakes are inevitable and do choose to learn from them, but I don't want to hurt my company by making a huge faux pas along the way.
I see alot of information regarding "What to do." How about information about "What Not to Do" or "Pitfalls to Avoid Along the Way"?
Thanks.
Good point. Yes, we only learn from our mistakes (and boy have I made a few along the way, and no doubt will make many more!), some "what not to do" recommendations will be appearing soon.