All in Social Media
Over the past few weeks we witnessed a few monumental explosions of social media reactions. One over statements made by Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty.” The other one was from now former public relations executive Justine Sacco, who made of the infamous #HasJustineLandedYet Tweet. Both situations fall into the always attractive “hindsight is 20-20” silo.
Despite its various quirks and idiosyncrasies - I love Facebook. In my opinion, it is still the best social media platform for me both professionally and personally … at this time. But Lord Facebook did you test my patience and scared the hell out of me on Thanksgiving.
Something we don’t talk about much in interactive marketing is what's broken or perhaps on its deathbed.
Regular readers know I have a severe case of #FOMO about my industry and its insanely ascending evolution. As if that isn’t enough to keep my mind in overdrive, I am the same way about technology, trends, tactics and strategies that might have outlived their usefulness - or are ready for an overhaul.
Many social media experts will have you believe that content is the key to successful marketing messages. There is a great deal to be said for that. Don't forget, however, that regardless of content type, you might as well not generate any content at all if your message misses the mark on creating an action.
If you hang out on the Internet long enough, you accrue friends from all over the globe. Some of them you end up meeting sooner or later at a conference, which is nice because it’s always good to have one more person you can hit up for a quick iPhone charge. Then there are others you may never meet face-to-face.
There is a popular misconception that social media is only beneficial in a B2C environment. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I'm going to explain why. Let’s start by examining how most people perceive social media being used in a consumer-related capacity:
We’re part of an interconnected web of social media, content and integrated marketing professionals. However, many of us till operate in a vacuum and don’t engage enough with our brothers and sisters. In an ongoing effort to help us all grow - I want to develop a stream of consciousness with you that is not bound by a particular subject.
Be polite. Don’t slouch. Comb your hair.
You thought it was just nagging when Mom used to say those things. But she had a method to her madness. The woman who brought you into this world wanted to ensure you always made a good impression.
I’ve been running my big ol’ yapper at a lot of conferences and conventions in the past few years.
Speaking about social media and integrated marketing suits me well. I’m passionate about both topics, and my animated rants are just what event organizers need to keep people awake during that slot after the box lunch and before the mid-afternoon peanut butter cookies are served.
I'm going to dispel a social media fallacy right now: Not only is it OK to delete a comment, post or thread – in some cases you should.
With that out of the way, I can say that I hope his overly lifted face rots in hell, where he will spend an eternity being relentlessly tormented and ridiculed by bullies. Now that I’ve given you a tiny hint about my personal opinion, I think it's time to create a post that is open for debate.
If you thought Part One was a bit daunting, then you might as well delete any reference to this post. The following lists are what I refer to as "data points" that would be used from an analytical standpoint to break down each and every one of the categories on a per-social-channel basis.