THE TWITTER STAMPEDE

Interactive advertising "Admaven" Nicholas Kinports says "Everybody Hates Social Media." It's a good post that discusses some observations in the marketplace regarding trends in the promotion of social media marketing.

I replied to his post with my observations, and build upon them here for further discussion.

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RE: Everybody Hates Social Media

I sense that a lot of companies and clients are just now becoming curious about social media marketing because the traditional media din has been deafening. CNN reports, newsprint articles, and online columns have been hammering the business community with forecasts for a “new age” in marketing where consumers are calling the shots – and social media is the best/only way to reach them.

This has a lot of marketing folks scrambling to take action fast, so as not to get left behind. But in the rush to Twitter and Facebook, I think they’re missing out on something fundamental to marketing of any kind: strategic planning. First, many are simply new to the idea and don’t yet fully understand the potential value in social media marketing. I would recommend these people become familiar with its nuances on a personal level so they can identify potential business applications for the medium. Having someone explain to you how it works can only produce a dim glimmer in the lightbulb above your head.

Second, once there is a better understanding of how people interact in these popular communities, I think there must be time set aside for the development of a coherent plan and strategy for integrating social media efforts with existing and planned initiatives across channels. In other words, you can't just start Twittering and expect a return on the investment. You have to strategically build it into the mix.

I don’t personally hate social media, but I do believe ubiquitous media coverage is inciting an online stampede of well-intended marketers destined to get it all wrong. Like anything, taking the time to get it right, which can also mean spending the money, can pay huge dividends down the road.