Social Media Hype: What Firms Fail to Realize
Mel Lester has posted some interesting insights about the hype surrounding social media on his site.
I have to say I agree with his take. Let’s look at some of Mel’s observations.
I suggest that social media is much like trade shows a decade or two ago. We set up our exhibit booth and waited expectantly as hundreds strolled past. Several, in fact, stopped to talk with us. We left enthused because we had engaged in more conservations with potential clients in two days than two months of sales calls could have produced.
But the shortcomings with trade shows were much the same as they are with social media. You see, most firms failed to do the hard work to turn those conversations into sales. And most firms will fail to do the hard work to make social media actually generate new business. But enthusiasm will run high, at least for a while, because of all the connections (the modern substitute for conversations) being made.
Mel also talks about the lack of engagement in systems like LinkedIn.
I would expect members of the Society for Marketing Professional Services group, in particular, to be talking to each other. But there are only 17 discussions currently listed, some posted months ago, and a relatively small number of people who have provided most of the posts and comments. This is a group with 1,893 members.
And he addresses the lack of engagement experienced by those A/E firms who decided it was a good idea to set up a Facebook page.
I checked several A/E firm Facebook pages and found a similar trend. While some have attracted an admirable number of “fans,” the back-and-back forth postings generally don’t come close to that seen on the average personal profile.
In all, the article is worth a read and serious consideration.
Actually, I think Mel is a little too soft on social media. From my standpoint, It’s foolish to believe that anyone on Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter cares to see what amounts to very lame and very short press releases about your firm.
I’m going to the SMPS national conference this week and my initial observation is way too much emphasis has been put on social media. There are at least seven sessions on this topic. And they will be heavily attended. But my gut tells me that will be a big waste of time for many marketers attending those sessions.
Mel also says alludes to the idea that “doing social media right” means a big commitment of time and resources. I don’t believe that to be true. I’m writing this post while sitting on my 22-minute train ride home. While I might not be doing social media “right,” I think I’m doing it “righter” than most people/firms in our industry. And I have to tell you; I spend a very small percentage of my time on social media. And the costs…much lower than every other marketing endeavor employed by my firm or me.
Gotta go, here’s my stop!
