If you're not using social media, you shouldn't be selling social media
October 04, 2009 | 8:52 pm
I was recently scanning the annual Top 101 issue of Progress Magazine (or is that monthly--it seems like every issue is the Top 101?!). I noticed a few ads for local agencies and development shops. I've also been checking out the sites of other agencies while planning for some upcoming changes at Brightwhite. Most everyone these days is claiming to offer social media consulting services.
Here's the thing:
Next to none of these companies actually use social media. Those that do use things like Twitter or their 'blog' to promote themselves. They retweet the same accounts that everyone else is already following (mashable, scoble, techcrunch and digg). They offer nothing of value and they don't engage the community, their followers or anyone at all.
On top of that, I'm told by a few people that work at local agencies that they're actually prohibited from using Facebook and Twitter at work.
Seriously?
I get that sites like Facebook, when used at work constantly, can be counter-productive. But really? How do you expect your staff to learn about the value of social media and be able to pass this understanding on to clients if you don't allow its use during work hours? You're missing some major opportunities.
It's generally agreed that CEOs and presidents of companies should be involved in social media. The number of those that actually are on social media is pretty low though.
So why on earth are all of these companies that claim to sell social media not drinking the koolaid? I think the answer is simple and twofold:
- They're busy people and Twitter, blogging, Facebook et al are serious time vampires.
- They're afraid no one will listen.
Number two is actually frightening for many people. The fact is though, until you actually take the time to engage your followers and share what you know, rather than bleating the news or blabbing on about what you've done (spamming, essentially), you'll never truly get social media.
And that's a shame, because these same agencies are the ones trumpeting the value of it without really understanding it. You can't sell what you don't do.
There are a few shining lights locally. Trampoline has a great blog, and many of their staff are contributing to it. Colour is doing amazing things with social media. Sadly, these examples are few and far between.
I hereby issue a challenge to all of the wannabe 'social media' consultants: start using the technology and start using it well. Trust your staff to use Twitter and Facebook appropriately, and actually move into this century. It's not that I think we're perfect by any stretch, but at least we're learning as we use the tools. We're generating business through Twitter, this blog, Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn. More importantly, we're able to take this experience, apply it to our client's businesses and help them to generate results.
The next time your agency claims to be a social media maven, ask to see their blog and Twitter feed (to start). Check to see if they're getting comments on the blog. Make sure they're @ replying to their followers and engaging their audience in their tweets. If they're not, maybe you should be looking elsewhere.
Even the big guys
Even the big guys are being forced to offer social media services despite their lack of knowledge. A few months ago Shel Holtz was slamming Ketchum Communications -- one of the biggest, oldest PR firms in the US -- for this very thing.
As a PR instructor, you wouldn't believe the push back I've had from my institution for running a student blog, creating Facebook events and tweeting. They are terrified of people's ability to comment negatively about the school.
The fact is, if you don't open the dialogue, they'll say it anyway and without your participation.
You've got it. I don't know
You've got it. I don't know how many times I've told clients this. You can pretend nothing is being said, but you'd be wrong.
Completely agree. Only
Completely agree. Only recently I came across a company spamming everyone in the region to sell their 'Twitter training' course, not cheap either. A quick search revealed them to have been using Twitter for just 2 weeks themselves.
I suggest a third reason why these peeps aren't actually DOING it.
They don't need to. There are enough potential victims out there, particularly small businesses, suitably scared about being left behind on all this social media stuff, prepared to believe what any half-convincing outfit tells them. Sometimes it's made worse when respectable training bodies engage the same old trainers to deliver the goods because they are tried and trusted, despite the fact that they may have no experience of social media themselves.
It reminds me very much of the 'wild west' days of the internet - 10 years ago we were awash with 'web designers' with no idea about it but plenty of front, which meant an awful lot of naff sites and out-of-pocket customers.
Good point!
The comparison with the desktop publishing/web design craze is quite apt.
This extends to post secondary education too: I truly believe that the only people who should be teaching this stuff in universities and colleges are those who have had ample practice in the real world.
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