Going from "social medi-huh" to "social medi-ah" to "social medi-hmm."
Social media is my new frontier. I will honestly admit I didn't really "get it" at first. Through my wife's encouragement, I finally got on Facebook (I totally missed MySpace at its height). And a co-worker really opened my eyes to the potential of Twitter. Now I'm on board. I've embraced it and I'm learning. Most of all, I'm putting it to use.
I don't feel like I'm too behind, because this is a nut everyone is trying to crack. What's a surefire way to create buzz? What makes a video go viral?
Once treated as an afterthought, it's becoming more ingrained in my work. I'm reading everything I can get my hands on and participating in other campaigns as much as possible. Honestly, it's been a mixed bag of results.
I had a social medi-huh moment, where the tactic sounded good, but the execution left me scratching my head. The new Stephen King book, Under the Dome, went on sale Tuesday (11/10). Weeks ago, they launched a scavenger hunt on Facebook, where participants hide 5,196 excerpts of the book anywhere on the Web and post clues on FB to their locations. Then seekers find the text and piece the novel pages together. There's no spoiler alert. The excerpts only add up to a few pages of a book that's over 1,000 pages long. I played and hid a clue on this blog site. Did anyone find it? I doubt it. I felt like the kid no one looked for in a game of hide-n-seek.
Then there's the social medi-ah moment. Not only does it make you take action, there's immediate satisfaction from it. I love the simplicity and the socially conscious message of skip1.org. You "skip" a purchase or activity (lunch, movies, etc.) and donate the proceeds you would have spent to feed a hungry child. Then you spread your message of giving via Twitter, Facebook, etc. (Thanks for the heads up Chris Brogan.)
Tis the season for giving, but I don't think it really influenced my desire to participate (maybe).
I also walked out of the bookstore with the new King book.
Whether I liked the tactic or not, I was made aware of both through social media efforts. So if others like me still take action, does that make them both successful? That's social medi-hmm — something to think about.
Bottom line, I'm broadening my knowledge base. I'm trying to increase my area of expertise. I'm learning how to integrate social media metrics with traditional media measurements. I'm also getting schooled on how to leverage blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, and user-generated content sharing sites like YouTube. (See? I'm spouting terms like an expert already.)
Six years ago, my new frontier was mobile marketing. I read. I talked to vendors. I upgraded to a smartphone. Now that it's a relevant marketing tool, I have a level of understanding of its uses and potential.
You want agencies to want you? You think you can do that by still just writing TV spots and print ads?
What are you doing to keep yourself relevant in this business?
Quick contest: I'm really feeling left out of the Under the Dome contest. The first person to email me with the clue I wrote on FB and tell me the location of the excerpt wins a prize. You don't have to "friend me" to find the clue I wrote and you must cut and paste the entire clue into your email. (Save the comments. I know it's a badly written clue. No wonder no one played with me.)
The prize is a small token of my appreciation for reading my blog. Send answers to clifton@professoradman.com. Campbell-Ewald employees are not eligible. It's not fair if you can run down the hall with your answer or shoot me an office email. I'd just disqualify you anyway for not following directions. Please include your mailing address. You must have a U.S. address. Remember the prize is small. Don't make the shipping costs more than what the prize is worth. I apologize to my readers overseas. The winner will be announced Friday (11/14/09).
I don't feel like I'm too behind, because this is a nut everyone is trying to crack. What's a surefire way to create buzz? What makes a video go viral?
Once treated as an afterthought, it's becoming more ingrained in my work. I'm reading everything I can get my hands on and participating in other campaigns as much as possible. Honestly, it's been a mixed bag of results.
Then there's the social medi-ah moment. Not only does it make you take action, there's immediate satisfaction from it. I love the simplicity and the socially conscious message of skip1.org. You "skip" a purchase or activity (lunch, movies, etc.) and donate the proceeds you would have spent to feed a hungry child. Then you spread your message of giving via Twitter, Facebook, etc. (Thanks for the heads up Chris Brogan.)
I also walked out of the bookstore with the new King book.
Whether I liked the tactic or not, I was made aware of both through social media efforts. So if others like me still take action, does that make them both successful? That's social medi-hmm — something to think about.
Bottom line, I'm broadening my knowledge base. I'm trying to increase my area of expertise. I'm learning how to integrate social media metrics with traditional media measurements. I'm also getting schooled on how to leverage blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, and user-generated content sharing sites like YouTube. (See? I'm spouting terms like an expert already.)
Six years ago, my new frontier was mobile marketing. I read. I talked to vendors. I upgraded to a smartphone. Now that it's a relevant marketing tool, I have a level of understanding of its uses and potential.
You want agencies to want you? You think you can do that by still just writing TV spots and print ads?
What are you doing to keep yourself relevant in this business?
Quick contest: I'm really feeling left out of the Under the Dome contest. The first person to email me with the clue I wrote on FB and tell me the location of the excerpt wins a prize. You don't have to "friend me" to find the clue I wrote and you must cut and paste the entire clue into your email. (Save the comments. I know it's a badly written clue. No wonder no one played with me.)
The prize is a small token of my appreciation for reading my blog. Send answers to clifton@professoradman.com. Campbell-Ewald employees are not eligible. It's not fair if you can run down the hall with your answer or shoot me an office email. I'd just disqualify you anyway for not following directions. Please include your mailing address. You must have a U.S. address. Remember the prize is small. Don't make the shipping costs more than what the prize is worth. I apologize to my readers overseas. The winner will be announced Friday (11/14/09).
Hi Clifton, Excellent post here. Originally saw it on linked in so you know. It's nice to read your honest and fresh perspective. Thanks again for taking time to share.
Twitter: @Shea_Park
FB: Shea L. Park
Linkedin Shea L. Park (Ad-Spark)
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Hi Clifton,
Your post is interesting because it nails down 2 important characteristics of social media.
By the way, I see many companies that are doing social media marketing like "old marketing" -> they want more (think 1 million facebook fan) and aren't truthful (think company blogger that isn't a company employee and it's not disclosed).
I think in social media less is the new more and trust is the new path to build (so you'd better not be misleading)
The 2 important attributes I see in your post are 1) relevance and 2) social
So in my book, I keep myself relevant by trying to find the relevant people for my business (in my case subject matter expert in social media marketing
Hope I wasn't off topic
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The title of the article is what grabbed me, the honesty and touch of humor is what kept me reading. And I loved this:
"I felt like the kid no one looked for in a game of hide-n-seek."
-- Marketers need to know how to use social media really well inorder to pull of a gag like the King one. However, risk leads to reward, so I'm glad they tried it.
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