Social Media Cat Herding
We’ve all tried it: combining efforts into one glorious strategic plan. We may have even been mentally derailed by those who wont play nice – nice, meaning, following our lead. Perhaps we’ve been waiting for a social media policy roll out from up above that will entitle us to much more ‘power’. What it all comes down to is this: frustration, confusion and stalemates.
What happens if we dont get that buy in across our organization? What if that social media policy never comes to fruition? Will you throw your hands up in ultimate anger or continue to fight your own good fight?
What if, for a second, you suspend your frustration and desperation attached to these outcomes? Better yet, think about what you will do when they dont happen. Which, basically, is right now. Right?
Do all social media efforts at your organization need to be coordinated together? Probably not. Would it be best if they were? Most likely. Without a policy, you can still ‘act as if’ when needed, and if this doesnt help, then, you move on. Its not about your ability to achieve buy in, its about your ability to communicate the importance of the purpose of the medium. If people disagree or really feel they need ‘their own’, then, so be it.
What you can do is do your best work in the efforts you do have. By doing so, you show the value of the medium, and the strategy you’ve been working from in your own little corner of the organization. When others see the interactions and connections you’ve been able to make, either via comments and conversations, web traffic or attendance at events, perhaps herding wont be neccessary.
The best pied piper shows outcomes and doesnt need a fancy meeting, webinar or invitation to collaborate.
Connecting
We’ve all been talking about how social media can accelerate the spread of news. But does it spread the rate of action among those who join or support causes? A recent Business Week Article speaks to the effect that social media has had on the relief efforts in Haiti.
To see actual change happen via the web makes my heart swell. Not only have many people donated money, but time as well. In this day and age, to see so many countries come together regardless of affiliation and status shows that we arent as different as we seem.
As a communicator and strategist, this effort speaks to connecting to people on their level. Being able to show visual footage of the aftermath of the quake in Haiti had to have a big impact in the relief that was sped their way. Not only were organizations able to set up quick communication outlets but also a way to process and receive funds.
For civilians who are reaching out YouTube and Twitter were ways to provide access to the torment worldwide. It was not a silent tragedy that we talked about, yet did not see or feel: you can see and feel the pain visually in real time.
If nothing else, what we can learn from the communication that brought us closer to our human companions in Haiti is that the web and social media can be used for good – not evil. Their purpose is to bring us all closer on a human level, not to divide, be it through money or belief.
What can you do with that thought? How can you apply social media to connect rather than monetize or sound off?
Will Social Media Save Conan?
Well, it looks as though Twitter definitely has Conan’s back. Mashable highlights the sentiment after Conan submits his letter to NBC letting them know that he wont just roll over for Leno.Add to this the several ‘Save Conan’ type pages and groups that have sprung up on Facebook and you start to wonder what this sentiment can actually do.
H&M had a similar issue recently regarding trashing unsold clothes. Consumers were outraged. But will they actually boycott? Hard to say when such trendy clothes are so cheap. Especially in this economy.
And what about those who say they’ll leave Facebook if they dont *insert complaint here*? Have they actually left? No. Does social media really have the power to change the big things or does it just produce a blip of bad press? Sure it spreads news faster than most traditional outlets, but without consumer action it becomes more hot air.
Will we work to save Conan? Will we boycott other NBC shows to dip ratings? Or will we let a 20 year old American staple slip away.
Why Lady Gaga Matters
Everyone has an opinion, but for those who love her the reasons are many: shes different, shes hot, her music is danceable, etc, etc. But when it comes to marketing professionals, the reasons are important lessons we all could learn from.
Viral Visual Marketing. By now we’ve all heard about how Ms. Gaga was one of the top searches via Google for 2009. And why? Because of her outrageous get ups. People want to see what she wore at whatever event just happened. And they want to compare and share, giggle and drool. No matter if its for better or for worse, people were interested. In the entertainment industry, thats currency.
Mix Trusted with Not Yet Tested. Whether its working remixes with Beyonce or Flo Rida or reviving 80’s pop synth beats, Lady knows how to use what works. Instead of staying on the safe side, she mixes the trusted with the strange: outfits made of bubbles, vocal usage along the lines of Marilyn Manson and Lil Wayne. Its this creativity that keeps us interested and entertained.
Ugly Can Be Beautiful. Just because its not like what you and I are used to, that doesnt make it less artful. Shes been criticized for wearing odd outfits and makeup when shes ’such a pretty girl’, but thats what makes her unique. Gaga does not have to resort to an ass wiggle or a boob pop: but when she does, its for a much different effect. The oddity and juxtapositions are what makes us uncomfortable but are the cornerstones of her schtick.
Do Different Proud, Not Meek. One thing we can all learn is how to do something full out. If you’re going to be different, then, gosh darn it, do it balls to the wall. To do it half assed just takes away from doing it at all. It falls short of its intended purpose. Stand behind your bubble outfit or burning your lover and your bed with your bra that fires sparks. Dont talk about it or the why of it all. Just create. Just do.
How are you doing things differently? Is your creativity bound by something, and if so, why?
On Losing Your Passion
Well its bound to happen: you wake up one day and just dont give a damn anymore. It may be more subtle than that: you’re sitting at work and decide you just dont need to go that extra step anymore.
Some say that complacency isnt all that bad because, hey, at least you have a job and are getting paid, right? But shouldnt we all be happy at work? Yes work is called work for a reason but what good is life if most of your time is spent unhappy and bored?
Did you truly lose your passion for the work, or is it something else? Are other areas of your life lacking? Do you have an issue with a boss or coworker? Sometimes its not as easy to identify what the issue is when you think you just dont care about your career focus anymore.
Here are three ways to lighten the mood and figure out if you’ve really lost that lovin’ feelin’:
Read. Take time out from your day to actually read – not just delete – feeds in your RSS reader. Do you find that you’re bored or lack enthusiasm for the content? Has your focus and interest changed? Can you find new feeds that are more interesting? Start to think about what content would make you happy or that you’re excited to read more about.
Write. Cant stand the thought of blogging again? Why not write about it? If thats not suitable, journaling is always a great habit to pick up. Doing a free writing experiment – never lifting your pen from the page and continuously writing for 10 minutes or more – can be a great way to unearth whats blocking or bothering you.
Look. At other jobs. At career changes. At friends who love their jobs. At degrees. At your working relationships. AT your attitude. Maybe what you need is a sea change or perhaps just a new outlet. It could be as simple as finding a new hobby or getting out frustration via exercise. Whatever it may be, being proactive rather than wallowing in complacency will always make you feel better, because you are taking action.
What do you do when you feel passion lacking at work? Have you found ways to pick it up again or have you jumped ship?
Office Ignorance: How is it slowing you down?
Interoffice mail. Fiefdoms. Committees. Lack of technical knowledge. Sound familiar?
Traveling through my work day recently, I realized that a lot of time and money are spent on making things right after someone goes about their business ignorantly. Sometimes, its not their fault: they dont know how to set up a new printer profile, hire an outside vendor or how people get certain campaigns set up. They just didnt know better or have the skills to figure it out on their own. But, thats not their fault – or is it?
When does ‘Office Ignorance’ become more than just a nuisance? When it costs money? Maybe someone screws up big time, in an obvious way and they get canned or have their budget stifled. But what about the larger resource we all lack: Time.
Can and should people of all statures be held accountable for taking the time to figure out how things work? When does is stop being your problem and become theirs? The truth is, it doesnt. You have to have a fantastic poker face, carry on and ‘get-r-done’. This can take a toll on even the best of us. The most people savvy employee will reach their boiling point.
Then what? Do you lose your best and brightest because they just cant deal with inconsistencies and lack of planning? Even worse, they stay, continue to appease you and become complacent never pushing the envelope for creativity. This benefits you in the short term, but in the long run defeats the purpose of hiring great people. You also do yourself a disservice by never learning how the company ‘machine’ works – making you less of a prospect should you try to find another job.
But should employees rock the boat? How do you deal with Office Ignorance creatively? Has it ever caused you to rethink your current situation?
How I Use Social Media: A Love Story
Well, Not Really. LOL
Recently, there have been many discussions regarding how people use social media. (See @bradjward ’s post) He’s not the only one. Many of us have been rethinking how we use the different tools in our social media arsenal. (See also, @robin2go ’s post)
With the recent addition of Twitter to Linkedin updates, it brings up the point again: why do you use social media? Do these audiences blend? Why do you use each platform? Take a sec. Think about it.
I realized recently that my Twitter use was more immediate and constant: I knew people would always be there for a quick catch up, a funny quip, to take part in a strange moment in my day or to ask a question. Because of this these people are actually closer to me than those who follow other social networks or in real life. Yes, there is some cross over, but for the most part, they are more cued in to me and my daily life. I only feed my professional blog to Twitter, and manually post my dating blog there. In my daily life, I only encounter 1 other person who is active on Twitter. (@peteypumpkin shout out!) And, this is a person I see at work. In my personal life, none of my close friends IRL Tweet.
Facebook is more a repository for photos, family, non-tech friends, and close friends. I would never cross stream my Twitter feed to Facebook because Facebook for me is more personal – not more close – but the audience is not primarily work or technology focused. I tend to post more information about hobbies in Facebook, more running/rowing/krav info and event information. I do occassionally cross promote but rarely post informational links to my personal Facebook within Twitter. For the most part, they are separate. At one point I did feed a few items to Facebook: Freindfeed, Last.fm, etc. I’ve since ceased. It only gummed up the works and made Facebook less social and more ‘look at what I’m doing on the internet’. Who needs to see that? My professional blog is the only feed I have currently into Facebook. I manually post my dating blog there as well.
Linkedin is a very Rolodex process for me. If I meet professionals I add them there if they have an account. If I talk with them on Twitter, met them in real life and had a few drinks/think they’re a cool person, I’ll add them to Facebook as well. Linkedin to me is my online resume: it shows my work experience, my blog, Twitter, and who I connect with professionally and groups that interest me. I manually post once a week to the status something work related, but overall I find the status option useless. I cannot see a real use for Linkedin socially as it is too segregated – why would I do the things in there I can do in Twitter and have them be searchable?
Why do you use social media? Do you feel feeding status’ is useful to your ‘audience’?
Facebook: New Media Teacher
It happened again: Facebook updating its home feed look and added other functionality. As you can imagine, this sparked yet another rebellion by hundreds of thousands of angry users. But, given the outcome of past rebellions against its updated look and feel, does it pay to even rally? Yes, the TOS rebellion went the users way (at least a little bit), but that has nothing to do with the ease of use of the site.
Here’s something to consider: perhaps Facebook is doing us (and themselves) a favor. They force us to change the way we use the medium. They try out new ways of viewing content on us and we adapt. Maybe instead of feeling jilted at the loss of the status quo, we should be thankful for exercising our media use savviness.
Since it seems the majority of social network users spend the most of our time in Facebook, it makes sense that it becomes a familiar freind. Something we take for granted until it is changed. But wouldnt it make sense for us to embrace these changes, enhancements, as a learning experience? Since some of people use only Facebook, the changes being made could aid in being media savvy, and help when they do venture out into other networks. Not only will they be mentally agile, they’ll also be able to have the expereince of different streams of information and functionalities.
Forget PR, Its Marketing Thats Dead…
For some reason, PR has been attacked lately. I put it out of my mind until yesterday, when, while sitting in a meeting, I realized that PR being dead is old news. Its marketing’s death thats the new(er) scoop. With that I backtracked and read PR is Dead: Was I Supposed to Care on Todd Defren’s blog. In it, he references Hubspot’s Marketing Blog Post ‘Is PR Dead?’.
I can say it: back in the day (circa 2004) I thought I was built for PR. I quickly learned that, being that I detest cold calling and seemingly dirty reciprocal relationships I, in fact, was not. But now, does PR matter – no, we all know that. PR is as relevant as the paper its printed on, those which we no longer read. True, stories pitched may end up online, but with the social web, spun webs are very easily cut. Such brand recognition can be built via real people and experiences, which are just – if no more so – powerful than print in big media.
In steps the next on the way to slaughter: marketing. Marketing: ‘the commercial processes involved in promoting and selling and distributing a product or service’ is seemingly dead too. On its own. No longer can any tactic: PR/Advertising/Marketing, be utilized in a vacuum. Integrated communication, which was once seen as ‘huh?’ by my colleauges is now, whether defined as such or not, the way ‘marketing/pr/advertising’ is living.
Marketing is an old hat. It thrived on one way communication and being all about what the company wanted to say to get what they needed. Now, integrated marketing communication and social networking strategies are opening what used to be a dirty business into a hopeful and honest give and take. Companies can (well, should) learn from what is said about them and their products and make changes. No longer is this novel or a ‘cool thing’ to do. Its commonplace and expected. To not have such makes a company seem outdated or uptight, possibly hiding something.
And who can be loyal to that?
Google Reader Shared Items
- Google Goes Social with Google Buzz February 9, 2010 Ben Parr
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- How to choose an email subject line for maximum deliverability February 8, 2010 Blue Sky Factory, Inc (Blue Sky Factory, Inc)
- News: Frenemies of Facebook -- II - Inside Higher Ed February 8, 2010 (author unknown)
- Athletes Confused by Olympic Social Media Rules February 5, 2010 Mark McClusky
- Check out more than 400 higher ed websites with a single click January 26, 2010 Karine Joly
- Recruitment Messaging: Focus! January 25, 2010 Eric Sickler
- Tweets From Front Lines of Haiti Relief January 15, 2010 Nathan Hodge
- Twitter’s Answer To Facebook Connect January 15, 2010 Michael Arrington
