EvoBloggito

Disconnected: Honey, I deactivated the Facebook account.

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Aug 23, 2010; Category: Zeitgeist; Tags: Business, social media; No Comments

I’ve never been a huge fan of Facebook, once I got over the initial curiosity and connected with a few friends. I really don’t care that much about what people I haven’t seen for more than 30 years are doing with their spare time. Some of whom I barely knew 30 years ago.

There’s no question that Facebook is valuable for some businesses, IF a large part of their market uses it. I have clients, such as Zooniversity, for whom being in front of their market on Facebook is very important. But that’s not the case with my business. If you’re a client of mine and Facebook is important to your business, I’ll see that your website supports and promotes your Facebook page. Other than that, I’m done with Facebook.

Frankly, when someone from high school whose name I barely recall—who I’m sure I didn’t know well enough to say “Hi” to in the hall—wants to “friend” me, and four other people from high school (none of whom I was close to) send messages recommending that I friend this person, I’m starting to feel just a little intruded upon. I know, I can adjust my privacy settings. But every time I look at the settings panel, I surrender to an overwhelming desire to go get a beer instead. Each and every time that happens, I feel like I’ve made the right choice.

There was a time when I tried to look people up on Facebook. That stopped when so many of the people I found turned out to be fans of Sarah Palin, or into doing some kind of “Farmworld” thingy, or just plain telling me more than I wanted to know. And everyone looked so old! There’s a reason I left my hometown, I’ve decided.

There’s actually a term for what I’m experiencing: social media fatigue (google it and you’ll find a lot of material). As far as I can tell, the term has been used for at least 2 years. But I think more and more people are starting to tire of being so connected, and feeling compelled to participate. Social media can be valuable and rewarding, but you have to be selective about how and where (and if) you participate. After careful evaluation (and a beer), it’s “so long, Facebook” for me.

So, if anyone from my distant past, recent past, or even immediate future wants to connect with me, just send me an email. But please, don’t tell me you’re a Sarah Palin fan.

The Surest (and most common) Way for Companies to Shackle Their Social Media Efforts

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Dec 18, 2009; Category: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing; Tags: Business, Communication, social media; No Comments

More and more companies seem to be getting the message: social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) presents great opportunities for making connections with their customers and would-be customers. And yet, many of them get it wrong, mostly because they fail to grasp that social media is not just another variation on broadcast media.

There is a scene in Cool Hand Luke, in which the warden (Strother Martin) says to Paul Newman’s character, Luke: "You ain’t gonna need no third set [of shackles], ’cause you’re gonna get your mind right. And I mean RIGHT." That’s what needs to happen with corporate marketing managers and small business owners before they venture into social media: they need to get their minds right.

Here’s an all-too-common scenario:

1. Marketing executive, experienced in managing marketing campaigns, ad campaigns, and PR campaigns, decides to "get into social media."
2. She has her ad agency create a blog and set up a Facebook fanpage. She gets her PR group to develop some social media-flavored promotional and marketing messages.
3. She assigns some junior staffers to create social media content using the messages: blog posts, Facebook updates, tweets, etc. All of this content has the hollow, promotional, not-fully-human, fingernails-on-chalkboard sound of corporate messages delivered out of context.
4. After several unfruitful months trying to make her messages "go viral," the marketing executive believes there is no ROI for social media. She tried it, and it doesn’t work. And she’s right. Her old-school, promotional, broadcast media approach to social media is guaranteed to fail. Every. Single. Time.

What marketing people and business owners need to understand is that creating an effective social media presence is like joining a conversation. Conversations happen between people who listen and respond to one another; they are not a series of carefully polished and self-interested messages. These kinds of conversations, based on listening and responding, generally lead to relationships, because we all value someone who listens to us.

Think of it this way:

How would you react if you were in a conversation with another person about how to barbecue spare ribs, and someone walked up to butt into the conversation with "I know you’re interested in spare ribs! This week only, I’m offering customers 20% off on all spare ribs, limit 5 lbs. per customer, offer void in combination with all other promotions." If you’re like most of us, you’d ignore that person in the hope that he would go away. If he persisted in pressing his own interests without making an honest attempt to form a relationship with you, eventually you’d probably excuse yourself. If you’re more direct, you might let him know that he’s interrupting a private conversation in which he is not welcome.

On the other hand, what if he walked up and hovered near you and the person you were talking with, listening intently for a few minutes before asking, "Excuse me, but how do you make sure your ribs stay juicy? Mine are often dry."? Most people would welcome him into the conversation, and within a relatively short period of time, would welcome any information of value that he brought to it (assuming he continued to listen and respond appropriately in your conversation).

You gotta get your mind right. And I mean RIGHT. Then start blogging and setting up Facebook fanpages.

The Social Media Revolution: Still Think It's a Fad?

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Oct 5, 2009; Category: Marketing, Video, Zeitgeist; Tags: Blogging, Marketing, social media, Zeitgeist; No Comments

This video, from Erik Qualman of socialnomics.net, purposely looks and sounds a lot like the most recent version of "Did You Know", an earlier version of which was published on EvoBloggito in January 2009. The video above is about social media as a means of engaging customers. If you’re in business, you need to watch it.

FYI, the data sources for the statistics cited in the video are listed at www.socialnomics.com.