Social media: it’s everywhere. You’re either on the bandwagon or you’re living in the Stone Age. Love it or hate it, it’s revolutionized the way we market and the way we communicate. Here are some of the most brilliant and insightful quotations about social media from around the ‘net.
“How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin of Seth’s Blog
Mr. Godin is often a font of invaluable advice. Here he’s dead on target. If you have any hope of keeping up with other people in this increasingly fast-paced world, the postal service (which requires extra time to write correspondence, steadily growing expense for postage, and occasionally obscene delays in delivery) just isn’t going to cut it much longer. People have caller ID and use it wisely when it comes to telephone campaigns. And if you’re looking to market your brand in this day and age you can’t rely on your mama or papa’s advertising tactics. Heck, you can’t even rely on your older brother’s tactics. Things are changing that quickly. Embrace them!
“This is no longer a gimmick. This is how the American people want to receive their news and want to hear from us.” – Nick Schaper, new-media representative for House Minority Leader John Boehner
Even politicians are acknowledging this is the way forward. Reaching out via social networking allows them to efficiently access their constituency – and indeed, the entire world – in a way never before possible without tremendous effort, expense, and unpredictable results.
“Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.” – Brain Solis of FutureWorks
It’s very important to recognize that the social in social media counts for a lot. It’s easy to be impressed with the technology of a new feature when Twitter releases new bells & whistles to enhance your tweeting experience. It’s not so easy to withhold judgment until you see how people actually use them. And it’s the people who drive every single aspect of social media. Understand people, and you have a major leg up in social media marketing.
“There’s a reason there’s only one Times Square and only one Las Vegas. We don’t want to be swimming in ads.” – David Spark of Socialmedia.biz
“Think like a publisher, not a marketer.” – David Meerman Scott of DavidMeermanScott.com
Traditional ads and ad fads are dying and dying fast. Nobody wants to be screamed at by flashing banners or booming voices congratulating them on winning an Apple iPod. Many people do little more than scan print ads – if they even notice them. But a company that shares substantial content and slips in an ad in the process, or grows its brand by establishing itself as an authority through publishing sound material, is going to get places a lot faster than a company that relies on old advertising tricks. End of story.
“As social media, or whatever you want to label it, becomes more prevalent, there will be blunders. We’re in experimental mode right now.” – Steve Hall of AdGabber
It’s OK to be a newbie in social media. We’re all newbies, in a way. Even social media experts are discovering new tactics and angles every day. There’s no one guaranteed way to market successfully through social media, because it is such a personal medium that’s eternally in flux, as new technologies and standards emerge all the time. Don’t be afraid to strike out at first. It’s vital that you take the swing. Even the biggest and best in the social media spotlight had to find their way to the pinnacle by working it out as they went along. Don’t be discouraged!
“Those who ignore the party/conversation/network when they are content and decide to drop in when they need the network may not succeed. It’s pretty easy to spot those that are just joining the network purely to take – not to give. Therefore, be part of the party/conversation/network before you need anything from anyone.” – Jeremiah Owyang of Web-Strategist.com
This is as straightforward a concept as can be. But if you need a concrete example, imagine you’re in a department store (and for the purposes of this example, imagine you’re into perfume and make-up…). Are you more likely to appreciate a sales clerk who grabs your wrist and sprays you with potentially offensive perfume, or a sales clerk who gently engages you by offering a free makeover? Do you like the aggressive salespeople who are clearly working on commission more than a knowledgeable member of the support staff at the customer service desk?
You don’t want to be the sales clerk chasing people down with noxious perfume for the sake of a sale. You want to be the cosmetics clerk who contributes meaningfully to the shopping experience by being present, being patient, being polite, and being persistent. And by persistent I don’t mean not taking no for an answer, but persisting in keeping a smile going and making small talk like you genuinely care. Or be the expert at customer service who knows just where to direct a customer when he/she’s looking for a product, which leads to a sale. Contribute to the community regularly and in a positive manner, don’t just use the community when you need it.
And you can be both an expert and a regular Joe. You can position yourself as someone who, through good communication with others and/or publication of strong content, knows enough to trust when it comes to needing a product or service. You can also position yourself as a real person and not just a marketing ploy by proactively answering questions, offering advice, spicing it up with opinion, and generally keeping an active presence in the community. The time will come when someone wants that free makeover…
Or, if you ask nicely, the time will come when someone wants a spritz of perfume without being accosted. (I speak from personal experience, as can anyone who’s ever been to Macy’s in Herald Square.)
“You need to clean out those old sources of your social-media diet that are no longer nourishing, dust the cobwebs off those old connections to keep them polished and valuable, and clean out the dirt from the corners of your social life where you haven’t ventured in months.” – Eric Fulwiler
Along the lines of the previous quotation, this reminds us all that there’s no point having a social network in which we’re not social. Contribute regularly and make sure your contacts know they’re being seen and appreciated.
“As a general principle, the more users share about themselves, the more others in the community will learn about them and identify with them.” – Matt Rhodes in Social Media Today
Remember – sociology and psychology, not technology. People are the power in the powerhouse that is social media. Be an authentic person, even if you only present a professional face on social networks (rather than your private life). Gain trust organically, the old-fashioned way – by letting people get to know you!
“Quit counting fans, followers and blog subscribers like bottle caps. Think, instead, about what you’re hoping to achieve with and through the community that actually cares about what you’re doing.” – Amber Naslund of Social Media Today
It’s OK to pat yourself on the back when you hit a million fans, but what’s the point of having a million fans if you don’t know how to utilize them? Fans, followers, and subscribers are your audience. Your audience is your potential patronage. Set goals and listen to the way people respond to each tactic you employ while trying to achieve those goals. Stay fluid in your methods. Adjust based on how your audience reacts. Eventually you will accomplish what you need to accomplish, even if it simply starts with a single sale. [Quotes via Mirna Bard]
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