"What is your social media marketing strategy?," wrote Lee Odden on his Online Marketing Blog, in March 08. I had to mention the date because I think his blog post was ahead of it's time. No, Odden doesn't owe me any money nor do I owe him anything in return. Though, I do owe myself (and you) one thing, and that's perspective on where we are (and should be) with social media today. And, that's where Odden hits the mark.
Odden wrote about social media being an "effective marketing channel." I often talk about it as being an "effective public relations tool." Both are correct, but very different in strategic development and execution. One step further, my friend Adam Metz talks about himself as being the "how to guy" (and agency) for strategic creation AND tactical execution of social media. Then there's your "Pink Floyd" of social media, Brian Solis, as Metz aptly coined. The "visionary," talking about the culture of social media. I've also heard Social Media Club's Chris Heuer be very Solis-esque.
So, yes, "There is No Secret Sauce," as Metz explains in his eBook of the same name - when it comes to social media strategy and execution. And, as you've (hopefully not) just realized - there are a lot of different kinds of sauces to choose from. Ketchup is ketchup is ketchup, yet all brands are different, and some are better than others.
I think this is why I had such a hard time swallowing the social media press release. There's no one way of doing anything. Is there? Aren't our approaches based on our respective experiences, and how we were taught to swallow and spit them back out? So, how is it that one document can be the guide for every way that we disseminate information, socially? Maybe it was just meant to be the starting point of the conversation?
Steve Rubel, Chris Brogan, Brian Solis, Jeremiah Owyang, Tara Hunt, Clara Shih, Adam Jackson, yours truly (some of whom are mentioned on Odden's blog post above) are all not the same person. Every one of those "experts" in this economy are going to do quite well, if not doing so already. Why?
Social media is new. It's like the film business was in the 20s. You could take big risks, experiment, identify some stand out talent, and make big bucks. The real question is who will be standing on the long tail, 6 months from now, maybe even 5 or 10 years from now? I have to point back to Odden. I'm not suggesting that we should add yet another expert to the list, but have to give you a virtual slap upside the head - and remind you (and myself) that social media IS AN "effective marketing channel."
I reminded a client's social media developer vendor of this in a meeting when I said, "It's not about the technology." He disagreed. Sure, the technology enables us to do great things. But, we create the technology for a purpose, not the other way around. Well, we're supposed to. Twitter got lucky.
And, if that technology doesn't exist, we can create it. That's the power of companies like Gigya, and why it is still around, and growing. It innovates to serve the purpose of its client's marketing and public relations objectives. Not the other way around.
So, who will be left standing? It will be the “digital agency” that isn’t afraid to let its marketing and public relations heritage shine when developing social media strategies and integrating them within their overall marketing and public relations programs. Oh yeah, and being able to execute on that doesn't hurt either. Most folks fall down over their ideas, and trample themselves. But, I digress...
There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of social media “experts” out there which know how to drive social media strategies and tactics for clients, but so few who can actually take those clients – on a road trip with their marketing and public relations programs to show their clients' customers the benefits of trusting their brands, now and forever.
See you on the road…
