Marketer's Lab tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1541502 2009-11-16T11:18:52-07:00 Blog covering marketing tools, technologies and trends. Includes coverage of marketing technology vendors, related marketing industry news and other marketing technology related content. TypePad Do As I Say... tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54fc4d8e68833012875a91856970c 2009-11-16T11:18:52-07:00 2009-11-16T11:18:53-07:00 s your doctor fat? Is that same doctor espousing the virtues and benefits of a healthy lifestyle? Is your agency pitching the values of social media but not actively utilizing social media to build their own businesses? Apparently, that's exactly what's going on according to a recent RSW/US survey referenced in this AdWeek piece. CRoss

Agency Social Media Usage Is your doctor fat?  Is that same doctor espousing the virtues and benefits of a healthy lifestyle?  Is your agency pitching the values of social media but not actively utilizing social media to build their own businesses?  Apparently, that's exactly what's going on according to a recent RSW/US survey referenced in this AdWeek piece.  It seems agencies are in the same mode as many other businesses, falling into the common pattern of setting up presence on key social media platforms, but not actively participating on a consistent basis.

Social media is relentless, an always-on, 24/7/365 campaign.  It requires a steady stream of content and a level of participation that demonstrates you're an active part of the community.  Given all that, it's not surprising almost every business is struggling to figure out exactly how to tap into the benefits of social media without getting pulled into a resource-sucking social media black hole.  What was surprising to me was how many agencies are still struggling to fully embrace social media channels and tactics. 

"RSW/US (sponsors of the survey) president Mark Sneider attributed the respondents' limited engagement in social media to laziness and a lack of time."  I think Mark is probably right on the money with his assessment, which I would venture can also be applied to most businesses beyond the agency world.  If the ROI for use of social media was obviously equal to or greater than other channels, social media would be much more actively used by agencies.  At this point it seems clear even the "experts" are still tinkering with social media and working to figure out how to make it work. 

This research drives home a couple key points for me.  First, whether they've figured it out or not, agencies offering any social media services themselves need to be leading by example.  Like the fat doctor, I'm a little suspect of anyone who doesn't take their own advice.  Lastly, the exciting part of all this is it demonstrates social media is still a new, vibrant and emerging space.  Who wants to work in a medium where every tactic is known and everything has been broken down into a formula?  Social media is where the action is, personally I'm glad we all still have a lot to figure out. 


http://www.marketerslab.com/2009/11/do-as-i-say.html It's Not About Engagement tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e54fc4d8e688330128757b5a89970c 2009-11-11T15:40:45-07:00 2009-11-12T09:38:39-07:00 Engagement. I can barely hear the word engagement spoken by any marketing/PR/agency type without rolling my eyes. "It's all about engagement, dialog, interacting in new ways with consumers." (generic composite quote from Social Media experts, stated with a slightly condescending tone). We all "get" what the gurus are saying, of course Social Media provides new opportunities to engage interact with clients, prospects and peers. The thing is, engagement isn't the end-game, it's the raw material from which meaningful business outcomes can be developed. CRoss

Engagement.  I can barely hear the word engagement spoken by any marketing/PR/agency type without rolling my eyes.  "It's all about engagement, dialog, interacting in new ways with consumers."  (generic composite quote from Social Media experts, stated with a slightly condescending tone).  We all "get" what the gurus are saying, of course Social Media provides new opportunities to engage interact with clients, prospects and peers.  The thing is, engagement isn't the end-game, it's the raw material from which meaningful business outcomes can be developed.

One of the most useful little nuggets of wisdom that has stuck in my mind over the years is the phrase "Begin with the end in mind". This idea is especially helpful when it comes to developing a concise Social Media strategy.  Social Media (SM) is capable of generating leads, improving customer experiences, enhancing brand visibility and creating or deepening relationships.  Certainly not an all-inclusive list of what SM can be used for, but a handful of the major categories most organizations are focused on. 

While all the above mentioned items are equally worthy, and not mutually exclusive BTW, they each require a different array of tools, resources and approaches.  What I see frequently is marketers who have thrown their hat into the SM ring, but are not focused on specific outcomes or clearly defined priorities.  I need to be careful not to speak in absolutes here, there are plenty of Social Media-savvy marketers out there doing wonderful and amazing things.  That said, my thoughts are validated by the recent Social Media Benchmark Report from Business.com which confirms many marketers are "dabbling" in Social Media, in the game but still working to figure things out.

I am a huge fan of dabbling, but dabbling with purpose.  Think of engagement as fire, it can be used for heat, light or internal combustion to propel your SUV, but without any forethought on purpose you're likely to end up with nothing more than smoke.      

 

http://www.marketerslab.com/2009/11/working-a-room.html