What Do You Think When You Hear Social Media?

Whilst speaking to a few friends about Uber in Glasgow yesterday the main term that they often mentioned was “social media advertising”.

Now these friends shall remain nameless for their own protection from other social media aficionados ;)

As we all know, it’s bad to think of Social Media in terms of Advertising because the term Advertising as we know it is derived from traditional advertising and the paradigm that goes along with it. This paradigm has existed for so long as a ‘one to many, broadcast style’ approach of ‘buy our products and services’ but now it is consumers…people that have the real power when it comes to social media, and this ‘power’ must be respected by businesses, companies and organisations. The one to many paradigm must change to ‘one to a few’, even a ‘one to one’ style of engagement. This has to be embedded at the heart and become the real ethos of any social media strategy or plan otherwise the real benefits of social media will never be realised.

So…what do you think when you hear ‘social media’?

Kelly Felix

This outlook is far too academic and simply doesn’t hold true in real terms. If you want to make money you have to see social media as advertising. Social media is THE new advertising. Use to make networks, build a brand and sell. There is a difference between selling and spamming believe you me.

Consumers have no real power. Consumers provide a voice and are of huge benefit to companies who. An conduct market research with little expenditure.

The saying any publicity is good publicity hold true consistently and to think that consumers have more power over corporations because of social media is a native outlook.

All this paradigm nonsense needs to be torn up. We are in the digital age, traditional methods are now obsolete and like it or not but social media IS advertising.
http://www.consultuber.co.uk Darren Healy

Thank you for your comments Kelly. However I cannot disagree with you more.

Quite simply social media is NOT the new advertising, no matter how much traditional marketers wish it to be. Advertising is a broadcast to many tool. Social media presents ways to meaningfully engage on a 1 to 1 basis with your customers, address complaints, conduct market research, crowdsource ideas – I didn’t know advertising enabled such things? Can you tell me how it does this?

Yes in social media you can sell where appropriate. BUT you do it on your customers terms, you are in their world, and have to respect that. They can, have and will switch off if they don’t like what you are saying. They may even take it further and cause a movement against your company or brand, which to the world’s knowledge has happened on several occasions.

This leads me to my next point:

“Consumers have no real power” – you say we are in the digital age but where have you been? Social Media toppled Bank of America’s $5 usage fee for debit cards in less than a month; social media nearly destroyed the brand values of Netflix recently; social media made McDonalds pull a recent #hashtag campaign because they got it all wrong and opening themselves up to negative comments. Just a few of many examples.

And such is the growing power of social media. Consumer complaints can go viral and cause serious brand damage within days or even hours.

Social Media will always have winners and losers. The winners will be the people and businesses who get it, understand that a mindset change is needed to engage with people on their terms; in their world. Then there will be the people who simply don’t get it, and approach it still latching on to old ways of thinking; in their own world. Because the consumers won’t be there believe you me.

I wish you good luck in your social media efforts and please feel free to ask us for some advice which we will gladly provide.

Regards,

Darren
http://www.consultuber.co.uk Darren Healy

Oh and I also forgot to mention – for a brand that makes excellent use of traditional media with social media take a look at Old Spice, just to name one for now.

Is traditional media obsolete?

Darren
Victoria Leyton

Why does it have to be one or the other, or rather a replacement of one with the other? I work in a University where we have “embraced” the use of social media as a way of communicating with current and potential students and also to create a more modern and accessible image for Higher Education. I believe that it very much depends on what sector you work in as to what form of media you use – one size does NOT fit all.

I still think that there are consumers out there that actually don’t give a monkeys about social media and while it may have set out initially to be a meaningful way to link with customers, opinions and the like, I think that for a portion of society it can alienate rather than empower.

Just my view! Victoria
Victoria Leyton

Thanks Darren.

My comments on “alienate rather than empower” stem from some of the work/projects I am involved in around the topic of social innovation. This is a relatively new and developing area of thinking, and as such can be supported by the use of social media to disseminate findings and link up with experts, practioners and the general public. While it is good for the promotion of something new and dynamic, social media as a tool for everyday use, can be a bit of a turn-off for folk.

I am of the view that social media is something that works for the majority of young people and for people who work for businesses that happen to be social media “savvy”. However there are many older people in society that social media does not touch, stimulate or empower because (a) they do not want or are able to engage with the digital world in general (b) it is not regarded as relevant in their lives and (c) the instant pace of social media (Twitter and the like) turns many folk off using social media. This generation is totally overlooked by social media and by its very format is not geared up to encompass the overwhelming majority of them.

Personally I see a role for social media and currently use it for business reasons and linking with Academics worldwide, however I know of many folk that in their personal lives, couldn’t care less about social media and it’s value / purpose.

Many thanks,

Victoria
http://www.consultuber.co.uk Darren Healy

Thanks for taking the time to share more about that last point.

I would argue then by your own logic that it is not social media that is the stumbling block but the people themselves; or rather their own attitude to it. I can safely say from first hand experience that social media and web 2.0 is not exclusively accessible to only young people. There are numerous resources across the web from reputable consultancy firms backing this up.

I would also take this further and say that these are the sort of people who once complained about and did not use the internet before social media and web 2.0 ever started to emerge! I think that organisations need to realise a growing number of older adults are taking advantage of the web right now. They can’t afford to ignore them.

It’s no secret that senior citizens have typically been slow to use new technologies, including social media. But trends show older people are actually among the fastest-growing demographics online.

Yes people may not care about social media and can happily get on with their lives. I’m not arguing that they can’t. Are they any less enriched by not involving themselves with social media? No far from it and again that’s not what I’m saying.

The fact is, people will do their own thing as individuals, but to say that social media will alienate people is wrong. If anything people alienate themselves through their own actions or inactions – which happens in everyday life. Does not being involved in social media alienate them from their colleges, peers, family and friends? I think we can both agree the answer is no.

Thanks for your comments.

Darren