Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn… many of us are feeling the pressure to try to make sense of the world of social media to avoid getting left behind. The good news is that you can take some of that pressure off by re-framing how you look at social media tools. In a very refreshing article, Eric Karjaluoto discusses what social media can mean for your organization.
In short, Karjaluoto argues that social media is just a tool, and jumping onto every platform for the sake of it is as backwards are saying “I just bought a screwdriver. What should I fix?” (My favourite quote from the article).
Define your problem/purpose first, and then see if there is a social media tool that fits the job. If none fit, then you don’t need them. Social media is absolutely NOT about free advertising. As Karjaluoto argues, if you “push” your message out like you would with traditional advertising, you’re sure to fail in the social media realm. Here are some great clips from the article:
I often lament the hubbub around social media. It’s not that I question its necessity or importance; rather, I dislike how it’s upheld as the answer to all our problems.
At a talk about a year ago, one audience member stood up and asked a question. Her company wanted to use social media, but they were scared about what would happen if people said bad things about their products. As a result, she asked how they could minimize negative comments on the web about their products. In her search for a way to control the message, she missed the most basic solution: Fix your stuff.
Publicists used to try to “handle” situations, and many likely still do. Instead of doing this, I ask you to use this feedback to your advantage and learn from it. Have someone cursing about your product? Talk to them and find out why they’re so frustrated. In the past we used to pay for focus groups, now we get real-world feedback for free. Quite a bargain, isn’t it?
Social media is only interesting when it’s social. That means that we need the discussions, debates, and back-and-forth. In my opinion the only way you get to that is by being who you are and letting the chips fall as they may. Most people are pretty interesting once you strip off the layer of corporate varnish we all seem to wear.
Full article can (and should) be read here.
Tags: facebook, linkedin, myspace, Social Media, twitter