The New Catch Phrase: Social Media
Posted by Kelly Downing on Thu, Jun 02, 2011 @ 02:02 PM
Don’t you just hate buzzwords, clichés and catch phrases? We’ve seen them all come and go. In recent years, we’ve seen social responsibility, organic growth (not as in produce), transparency, word-of-mouth, viral - and the list goes on and on. The recent phrase on the tip of everyone’s tongue is social media. Social media expert, social media guru, social media strategy…you see these phrases everywhere.
Honestly, it annoys me. It’s like advertising you are a “one-trick pony” (like that cliché?).
As annoying as it is, if you are in marketing or public relations, it must be part of what you do; however, I stress “part.” Social media should be viewed as another tactic in your marketing arsenal. It is not the newest, greatest fad. Fad, by definition, is a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group for a short period of time. I think we can all agree that social media, in one form or another, is here for the long haul. Something that has had such a profound impact on the way people interact and communicate will not just quietly fade away. Social media should not be looked upon as a fad, but rather as an evolution of traditional media.
In Lou Imbriano’s eBook “Guidelines to Social Media in Sports”, he compares Twitter to the CB Radio. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. Imbriano writes that the CB was “technology that allowed you to make statements to many and engage in conversations.” Sounds strangely familiar to Twitter.
Social media is a stable of new tactics that derive from traditional forms of media. It’s available to everyone, from individuals to corporations, and it’s free. You should view social media as one tactic to support your overall business and marketing strategy, similar to your website, advertising, PR, etc. It is one piece of the puzzle, and needs to be looked upon as such. Social media will not solve all your problems. Social media will not turn your entire company around. Social media will not sell out your new product. However, an integrated approach including operational adjustments, marketing structure, traditional media, and social media will help you achieve your goals.