Living the Dream

The article linked below talks about how you're beginning to see major brands abandon the dot-com URLs that they've been pushing in their campaigns since the mid-to-late 90's for the "big three" social networking spaces available on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

I've been stressing for some time that the idea that savvy users are going to seek out your site for information is one that is past its prime.   The mantra today should be write once, and deliver everywhere you have interested consumers of that information.

There are some things, though, that are very different about using social media for marketing that these brands should be thinking about before they abandon their traditional campaigns.

Encouraging "Fans" is implied benefit

When you encourage someone to "become a fan" on Facebook, or to "follow you" on Twitter, you're creating an opt-in consumer relationship.    This implies some sort of benefit to the consumer who is opting in.    If you encourage this relationship, and then use these mediums only to spit back the same material that you are pushing in traditional campaigns, you risk user backlash.

You've got to be willing to give up complete control of the message

The bigger the brand the more (usually) carefully controlled their image.   When you start to utilize social media for marketing, you could be venturing in to uncharted territory.    You're saying to your audience that you want to build a relationship with them – and this implies a back-and-forth that requires you be willing to give up some control of the message in exchange for genuine interaction with your audience.   Savvy brands understand and capitalize on this – but if you're unprepared for it, it can catch you off guard.

You're committing to response

If you say "Follow us on Twitter" and people do, you need to be ready to respond when users lob questions or criticisms your way via @youruseraccount replies or mentions.     Especially in regard to responses to criticisms, silence can be deafening.

You're taking the good with the bad

Social media channels can be fantastic tools for building a brand, and they can grow organically and rapidly – but by the same token, when there is a problem or concern with your business or brand, word spreads just as quickly.    Understanding how these tools work, and appropriate uses for each requires that brands using them be committed with appropriate time and resources to make them successful.

Know the tools

There's nothing worse than watching a company or organization attempt to use a social media tool and fumble badly because they're not aware of appropriate use, lingo, or etiquette.  I have seen several news organizations, on air, encouraging Twitter followers to "twitter us with updates".    When I hear this I cringe – because in a split second, an organization who is attempting to broaden their reach by embracing social media tools has suddenly destroyed any faith I had in their understanding of the technology.   Instead of seeming savvy, an organization that is meeting me where I'm consuming, they come off as users – and it destroys any benefit.

Check the link below for the article that inspired this post.

Ads Drop Dot-Com URLs in Favor of "Facebook Us".

Watching Sydney go from shy, clingy, needy Sydney to confident, independent, self-assured Sydney is one of the greatest things I've ever had a chance to be a part of.    And it's also one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever experienced.

Every day that I'm with her, talking to her, teaching her, showing her more of the world – it's another day that she's more embarrassed by the fact that I'm there, lurking in the background, watching over her.  

I know that this is the way of things – you do your work as a parent to prepare you children to live their lives with an ever-lessening need for your intervention.    Knowing it doesn't make it any less painful.   Joy – and pain.