Comments on: Social Media – Over Hyped?

By: David

David — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:03:10 +0000

I can see where you are coming from here Skip. Social Media is evolving and certainly is going to develop and be more powerful than today.

My gripe with the current situation is that people are being misled into thinking that social media is all you need to know to be successful in marketing (see Danny Brown's note above) and that it is powerful enough to change elections and win big awards.

I have no idea how big social media will be in the future and I don't know how it is influencing the situation in places like Iran. When change does come to that country I tend to feel that it will be the people there becoming an active opposition that makes the change not me changing my Twitter avatar.

I do believe that we are finally getting the opportunity to see the "Information Super Highway" that we used to keep hearing about, actually start to exist. That is pretty cool!

By: Skip Bensley

Skip Bensley — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:44:42 +0000

I look at social media like a streaming universal tricorder. If your an old trekkie you'll appreciate the reference, if all you know is the current trek, the universal tricorder was like a wiki device it could answer anything after scanning a moment. It was connected to a much larger computer and you had answers if you needed them in seconds. Social media is not over hyped and its not even begun to affect change they way it eventually will.

By: David

David — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:48:49 +0000

And there is the big problem. While social media can be used as a really good tool to enhance many marketing programs, it's a serious mistake mistake to believe that is all you need to do.

How long will it be before companies start getting annoyed that the promised ROI just never seems to appear?

This is an exciting time to be involved with marketing – there are just so many options today.

By: David

David — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:44:11 +0000

@smwade @Craig Stark Indeed, social media can be a really good marketing tool, but it is clearly far from being the only one.

Interesting just how many people are getting on the bandwagon with SM seminars, courses etc. If I'd been awake, I should have joined in the fun.

@sjhalestorm @deborahbraidic I guess there is just no of knowing how effective the Iran campaign on Twitter has been. Certainly a lot of hype, but I haven't seen any changes in Iran. It's easy for us to sit here and change our avatar and write encouraging comments. The US Government seemed to want to make sure Twitter didn't shut down for planned maintenance at that time. Great opportunity for conspiracy stories!

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:33:42 +0000

I sat down with a potential client and they asked me how I was going to market them using social media. I passed it back to them and asked them what their marketing plan was. They said, "Social media." So I asked them if that's the only marketing they want to use. They said yes. I asked why. The reply: "Because A-list blogger X said so." So I asked them if their customers are using social media; did they do market research before calling me to see where their customers are. They said no; but they trusted Blogger X.

There's a huge danger of being sucked in by all the hype around social media, social media marketing, social marketing; call it what you will. It's not a marketing killer. It's not a PR killer. It's not a mainstream media killer. It's an enhancer. It's not a world changer; it's a view changer. Use it, but don't discount traditional, proven techniques - combine them instead.

Oh, and the potential client? They were convinced that A-list Blogger X was right, so I politely declined.

By: deborahbraidic

deborahbraidic — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:23:34 +0000

Fabulous post. I opted not to turn my avatar green over what is happening in Iran because, at the end of the day, its not helping anyone except me – its helping me feel as if I am “participating” in what is going on, but I'm not.

And, I agree that Twitter can't be awarded any prizes because it is just a tool – it's like giving a prize to a hammer instead of the person who built the house.

By: sjhalestorm

sjhalestorm — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:16:55 +0000

I'm also getting a little tired of the hype - there is a ton of value in social media, but the potential is limited when the most common subject of social media is social media.

Should Twitter be awarded a Nobel Prize...No, probably not. But, Twitter did (is) play(ing) a larger part than green avatars. Iranian citizens do not have access to social media sites due to government interference. Twitter.com is (reportedly) blocked, but people outside of Iran have been setting up proxies and sending them to Iranian bloggers for them to get information out to the world.

If Twitter deserves accolades, it is for their open-source coding. If social media is everything it is hyped to be, it has needed the publicity to get going. Social media can reach full potential when it is a fluid part of society and we no longer think about it consciously.

Good post, thanks.

By: Craig Stark

Craig Stark — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:14:23 +0000

David;

I tend to agree- SM is a part of an overall marketing strategy and tool kit. One channel alone does not make a successful campaign nevermind a long term strategic impact on a company/brand/product.

That said SM does work and it's powerful in the right hands – laureates aside

By: smwade

smwade — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:17:11 +0000

I'm glad somebody recognizes that Social Media is simply another utensil in the marketing tool belt. I attended a seminar in Plano the other night where a marketer I greatly respect was speaking on social media. What fascinated me is that there were hordes of non-marketers present to learn how to get rich using new media. I almost wanted to scream. Basically, if you don't know marketing, then your skill at utilizing social media will be mediocre at best, or you'll simply resort to "advertweeting" (e.g. spamming).

Learn how to appropriately market your product. Become a member of the online community. Don't abuse what's intended to be a fun social network for the sake of trying to make money.

As far as Twitter receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, I respectfully disagree with that notion in the same way I'd disagree with giving an artistic award to the paintbrush that decorated the Sistine chapel.

Bottom line: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. are all great online communities that enhance my relationships. If people need what I sell, I've made our company easy to find through these networks, but I'll log us off if I ever feel we're abusing the privilege of being there and damaging other people's enjoyment of the sites.

Learn how to market before you begin Tweeting! Learn to drive before getting behind the wheel!

By: tdhurst

tdhurst — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:00:36 +0000

Giving Twitter a prize would be like reward a nobel prize to the newspaper industry rather than a writer.