If you know me, or have met me I'd like to think I'm a reasonably positive person. Although I might vent frustration in certain aspects of social media, in general I'm the kind of person that just gets on with it and makes it work. Either the original idea is strong enough, or I have the experience and skillset to make it successful campaign. Or both.
But, there are things that need to be said, terms that need to be killed off, sayings that are getting so common, even people who have no understanding of marketing or word of mouth marketing (let alone social media, or social business) are just dropping into everyday language - this needs to stop. Why? Well many of the terms are either incorrect, or just misguided.
Engagement, ROE, over strategising or under performance usually cover some of the terms in this list - you decide if you've heard them, or mentioned them before...just think about it as I break down each one in more detail.
1. Getting More Followers and Fans
Its almost like how many points you have in the social business game. Facebook vs Twitter isn't about how many followers, friends or likes you have. Attention to what you are doing only matters if people can move beyond noticing and into the more interesting realm of people investing their time and energy into what you have generated. This could be 100,000 or 100 people, its about how engaged they are. Yes, it really is.
2. Misdefined ROI
Lets take this back a little. Do you know what ROI is? Do you measure ROI throughout all parts of your business/sales/marketing activities? If you do - and I mean if you really do, then great. But think about those metrics you use for that and how success points from the ROI you are currently experiencing.
If you don't then please stop using horrible fluffy marketing terms for avoiding the fact that you don't understand it. People using this "Show me the ROI" or even worse "Show me the ROE" phrases when they don't even know what success looks like in everyday business - how can they get close to understanding this? Worse, using ROI arguments to try and stand up to a case that's really just a lack of business sense - Why do you even need to use Social Media, or Social Business? Just 'cos everyone else is? Drop it, its embarrassing.
3. Joining the Conversation
OK, now before I elaborate on this, I will be honest (as I always am in all my blog postings and consultancy!) - I have used this and have noticed myself use it a couple of times recently. BUT, in my defence, I have been doing this a while. Some people could call me an early adopter or just an innovative thinker, but using this in the early days was probably OK.
Things have progressed a bit over the past couple of years. It's not about joining the conversation. That's how horrible bots were spamming us in yahoo chat rooms in the 90's. (If you weren't there, you missed some great viral marketing disasters).
What conversations do you think you should join? For what purpose? With who? and why? (and why at that time?) - think about the intent and the intrusion factor here too. What allows you to join in on others conversations with marketing messages that are going to get ignored? Think rather, about the underlying value of being present and engaged with the right people who care about what you say.
4. The Next Facebook Killer
Arghhhhh! If you want to see the next Facebook killer then you're going to have to delete your facebook account, then get all your friends to do the same, all their friends (etc etc) and get them to join something else.
Its easy to latch onto something new and unproven, because then you're not accountable for its success. Understand what is available, what the choices are and make an informed decision based on research, strategy and study - then, make that work to the best of your ability. Its going to be enough to use the tools effectively to make your time worthwhile.
5. Social Media Experts
Please be careful out there. At the end of the day, its your business - just perform the checks and due diligence you would with any other advisor you would hire. Ask the right questions about results, about previous examples, strategies, time frames, accountability, privacy, social policies (some of these may or may not be relevant for your business, but all are important), successes, failures, mistakes (and why, how did these happen).
Read blogs (and I don't mean mashable in this case - or try and catch out people on the current mashable latest story) - I mean blogs on how to hire the best social media strategist, consultant, social media/business agency, or just a social business professional that knows what they're doing.
This is me, and if you're a social business / social marketing consultant and reading this - I've got some advice for you. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Do something amazing with social that you can show of, be proud of, speak at events about, inspire others, share mistakes (without fear). I did with TwitJobs, and continue to still be incredibly proud of what I've managed to achieve through social for the largest social based job site in the world. Allow the idiots, and TALKERS (not do'ers, like you and me) hang themselves alone with their broken promises, poor strategies and empty methods - I have no sympathy any more for the gullible.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to educate people further into the power of social business and help them make better informed decisions on hiring consultants, or social agencies.
6. Social Media Is Hype, Stale, Old, Over it or Pointless
I've met and spoken with a lot of people that go down this road. SOMETIMES it's the right road to go down. Social Business isn't a one size fits all solution. Its not for every business out there, for some it is indeed pointless in their overall marketing or growth strategy. But, (you were waiting for the but weren't you?) this isn't about them. Offer something constructive of your own, just do it better yourself. Teach, listen and learn.
Its about the people who moan and groan about unfollowing someone because they were talking nonsense, tweeting too much, or didn't meet their standards when they met them in real life.
Think its all a load of nonsense that you can live without? Fine - close your twitter account, your facebook, linkedin, (and probably your e-cademy), stop blogging and focus your efforts on something else. It's really no big deal.
7. Universal Constants
What do we need to do to get more followers on twitter? What do I put on my Facebook page? Should we have a Linkedin group? How many people need to manage social campaigns? How many hours a day should I spend? How long does it take to get X followers?
OK. Enough.
There is a lot of information, guides, how to's etc on all of this (just google it, you'll be amazed how much there actually is!) - the rest, you're going to have to find out by getting your hands dirty and getting involved in it too. After all, how you can you understand the processes if you haven't been involved.
Another tip - if you are talking to a social professional or agency, and as a business, you have done things that haven't worked, ask them why. OK - probably not in that way, but more like "what if I did this", or "what would happen if someone did this" and get a better overview of the outcomes of things you shouldn't do.
Jason Barrett http://SocialBusinessToday.net
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