The Social Media Stepchild

I thought it was "me", seeing the deer in head light look when sharing the fun I have on Twitter, Linkedin and FaceBook. There is the "huh?" when I say anything with the word "social media" to "didn't know you can it as a marketing tool" .

There is progress, every time I see my doctor, she is more receptive now to using Twitter, Facebook page to share her expertise and knowledge, grow a following...but it did take a year...

Hi Shonali,

I tend to agree with your point. The last two days, I've spoken at two different PR events. The first one was for state-employees charged with improving perceptions of people with disabilities (among other tasks, but that was our focus on that day), and a PRSA event. At both events, I talk to dozens of people who didn't have a Facebook page -- let alone a Twitter account -- for themselves or their company, but they knew enough to know that online communication (whether they regard it as social or not) was important to help them achieve their goals. I had a long conversation with one women who has been trying -- FOR TWO YEARS!! -- to get her organization on Facebook. Her bosses agree that they should be on Facebook, but they've spent the last two years mired in HR and legal issues, dealing with concerns about security risks, negative feedback, etc.

That tells me that we have a lot of work to do ... and a lot of opportunity as PR people.

Thanks for staring the discussion ...

Heather
@prtini

What a terrific post, Shonali. I've been saying the same thing to my clients and peers and while they're often looking at me wondering what kind of crack I'm smoking, it's encouraging to know that I'm not alone. We are often so immersed in this "space" ... the place where so many of our friends are dialed into the online world and knowledgeable about social mediums, that we forget about the rest of them. The people running companies, making decisions, selling stuff -- all without the benefit of social media -- and who really don't "get it."

Augie Ray's blog post about the latest Forrester report backs up these points of view and if you've not read, I recommend it (I'm an Augie stalker - I love his blog and his brain).

I think our focus needs to be to step back and realize that we are pioneers in a new space. We are early adopters, as are the Fords and the Zappos and the Comcasts - and the host of other companies - large and small - who get and are actively using social media.

And we have to keep being patient. And keep teaching. And keep showing people the one thing they really want to know: if we do this, if we allocate resources and people power to this whole mysterious social media thing, how does it help our business. In both financial and non-financial ways.

As business people (and not just passionate so med evangelists), it is incumbent upon us to speak to business leaders in the language they understand - how this impacts the bottom line. What the potential is. How this helps us sell more stuff to more people - which is what EVERYONE wants to do -- no matter what business they are in. And it's also important for those of us immersed in the space to do regular reality checks - and make sure we dont' get all haughty and disdainful when people don't immediately "get" the benefits of integrating social media into their marketing efforts. It's a process. It takes time. It takes education. It takes patience.

What a great post! Thanks so much for sharing.

Shelly
@ShellyKramer
http://v3im.com

Shonali, I've had many of the same experiences. We do get caught up in what we do every day and I don't think we corporate America is all that close to being past the social media adoption curve.

Agree with Diane and Geoff that social media is just another form of media. But few executives have transitioned to that POV, especially when it comes to how they allocate budget. Furthermore, most execs wouldn't know where to start when guessing how much to budget for a YouTube video or managing a social network presence (e.g. Facebook).

Made several mistakes earlier in my career trying to evangelize benefits of social media and tell people who don't use it that they "don't get it." That approach got me nowhere. Firmly believe now that it's all about education. And comparing social media to something they know and understand. Thoughts?

Shonali, I didn't see Geoff's post or the Twitter conversation, but I have to agree (I think) with Geoff.

If we look at Gartner's hype cycle, from an outside-in point of view we (i.e. marketering/PR/comms professionals) are in the Trough of Disillusionment (http://www.gartner.com/technology/research/methodologies/hype-cycle.jsp).

Consumers/Customers have always been ahead of organizations when it comes to social media (technology). As Geoff said, they don't call it 'social media.' They just use it. Jason Falls has a great post on this very topic (http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2010/09/22/the-difference-between-craigs-list-and-social-media/)

Customers/Consumers are 'Plateau of Productivity.' They use these tools as it suits them. Hell, as a consumer I was using forums six years ago to connect with people about brands. The brands just weren't there.

This is a great conversation to have because organizations are still so very far behind.

Thanks Shonali!

Beth Harte
Serengeti Communications
@BethHarte

I've had similar conversations with my friends and family. And, I always come back to one key point: if the audiences are there, these people will find a way to "get it." Seems like Marketing 101 to me. Market to your key audiences in the channel that THEY prefer--not the channel YOU prefer.

@arikhanson

Good post as always Shonali.

I read it and thought about this > Graphic of The Social Media Bubble http://ow.ly/2O2w7

Anyone of us thinks that our life is the "norm". Of Course we don't think that when it comes to people living in other places speaking other languages.

We do, however, think that friends of ours, living in the same city, going to the same schools etc... live our version of the world.

Not so.

Shaun Dakin
@IsCool
@ShaunDakin
@EndTheRoboCalls
@PrivacyCamp

Geoff beat me to the punch about understanding/studying social media vs just using it. The lines are simply blurring between "traditional" and social channels.

It's a great relief to (maybe) get past the stage where social media is THE topic -- where we sit in the echo chamber and bounce theories and pronouncements around endlessly among ourselves. Nobody else cares.

As PR people, we have to understand social media is a tool, not a lifestyle. We have to create a culture of social media in order to do our jobs. We just don't have to inflict that self-conciousness on our very smart friends. Remember, they probably claim not to watch TV, either.

Lay people do not need to nor do they want understand the finite differences of social and traditional media. I think you're confusing professional interest with normal people going through their lives. Stats show we are done, people don't identify Skype chats, comment boxes or YouTube videos as "social media." They just use them.

Hi Shonali--great observation and discussion topic. It helps to hear a perspective on SM outside of the PR/Marketing/Communications realm. While those of us in the field are already adapting to the new tools at hand, I agree with your observation that there other business sectors that are still getting familiar with them. It's a challenge for us to keep educating ourselves so we can in turn educate and consult others on what works best for them and their business models.

All comes down to perspective and what lenses we see the world from. PR will never go away, it will just evolve and adapt to changing needs.