Social Media’s Hypnotic Spell

Over the weekend and to tie into Tim Parry’s recent post, I read an interesting article on Social Media, its pros and cons and how it can be a classic case of marketing that’s “too good to be true.”

I have been in this game a long time and have seen what’s happening with Social Media also take place with websites, email and CRM systems, among other tools and channels. Does Social Media work? Sometimes. Is it done correctly? Sometimes, but often not. What’s the outcome you hope to achieve?

If it’s strictly buzz, then perhaps Social Media is a wise investment. I’ve always said that “Buzz without biz is just noise.” Social Media needs to be defined by a plan, complete with goals. It needs to be considered as part of your marketing mix. It needs to be tested and re-tested and then tested some more.

Does Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Blogs and Twitter hold promise? You bet. But, as the article I read pointed out, it’s hard to determine long-term effectiveness as a case study does not yet exist. (If you have one, please share). And, the results often cited are the exceptions rather than the norm.

To me, it again boils down to relevance. If it’s relevant to the target audience(s), they will respond and you can track and measure your results. Our current president seemed to use social media well to get elected and raise funds, yet I do not see that strategy being pushed to seek input from his country, the voters he represents on current issues. Dell, Ford and Starbucks are oft-cited case studies, but what about others?

Heck. I’ve seen it work well with some of my clients, but the key is always moving forward. The lifespan of what’s working in emerging channels is much shorter than traditional media.

The potential is there, but more refining needs to be done and let’s hope that overuse, misuse and just plain poor strategy and tactics don’t doom the potential that social media holds. Look no further than the history of email to learn from past mistakes…