The 543 Group

All Media Is Social

Industry buzzwords are fascinating, partly because some tend to define a new phenomenon in terms laypeople can understand, but also because some try to do exactly the opposite - describe what might otherwise be considered ordinary or common in some extraordinary way as to render it special.

Such is the case with "Web 2.0" and "social media" - the current buzz phrases given to all things new and different on the Web, whether they involve more than one person at a time or not.  Blogs, mash-ups, viral events, wikis, and such.  Are the ideas really that new?  Or is it just  technology that has made them new to the online world?  I recently advised an agency, in jest, that they begin to claim the 'Web 3.0' space before someone else grabs hold.  They considered it for a while. 

What does 'social media' mean anyway that makes it that new?  The word "social" is derived from the Latin word "socius" meaning to associate or create a bond between people.  Hence, societies are groups living and doing things together, and why all simultaneous group activities online seem to be marked as social.

Since the beginning of advertising and marketing, the goal has been to establish a bond or association with the prospect or customer through messaging and content.  Today many call that creating a brand dialog and, thus, all forms of marketing media, online and off, are intended to create a social relationship with prospects and customers.  Since most such Websites today are associated with some product or service trying to generate that same bond with consumers, it is worth considering the idea that all media is social.

This in no way detracts from the many new and amazing forms of online, dynamic and interactive experiences being put forth for both commerce and amusement, but their goal of making social connections and establishing bonds is not new.  What is groundbreaking, however, is that the tools and technologies now available are actually letting consumers create and influence brands themselves, and the messages those brands are sending out to attract others.  Lest we forget, gaining that kind of insight from consumers, while still engaging them with compelling experiences, is very smart social business.

Playing Small Ball

"You can't just buy people's attention anymore.  You must engage them."

This is the word from BBDO New York CEO Andrew Robertson in a recent article updating the activities of David Lubars, their Creative Director.  I couldn't agree more, and it is why I enjoy interactive media so much.

It's very name - "interactive" - tells it all.  It is not passive.  It assumes the visitor is engaged in some sort of behavior, be it for education, commerce, or just communicating with friends or colleagues or family.  For corporate marketing, the traditional thinking that the 30-second TV spot is king is so outdated that I have never even considered it so in my almost 30 years in this business.

It has, and always will be, the touchpoints that matter.  Whether that is a banner ad you clicked through, a YouTube video you forwarded, a customer service encounter, a buzz event you experience on the street, or any other form of message communicated from company to customer, it is how it touches you on an emotional level that matters.  What is important is not how cool or clever or even entertaining it is, but how well it motivated you to spend more time with the brand or, more importantly, how well it compelled you to part with some of your hard earned money, or your company's money.  And how quickly.  That is what has always mattered.

And one of the best attributes of interactive media is that its impact is all measurable.  There is no guesswork or interpretation of impression value needed.  Results are finite, and can be available in real time.  What's not to like when you need to know true ROI? 

It used to be that online and interactive marketing should be a component of any strategic marketing plan.  The larger long-established agencies call it 'playing small ball' because of the relative production budgets and lower commissions. It's actually a big-league game, with serious stakes and opportunity for winning streaks for those who get it and do it right, leveraging the knowledge of those who have been in the 'league' a long time.

Who Is Using Who?

With over a 100 billion clicks to Websites every day, the Web 'machine' is learning about us, all of us, and more so each day, each minute.  We cannot even fully comprehend all the changes that user-generated content will bring about in the global society, but one professor has made a good attempt at explaining where things are headed, and some of the issues that need to be faced by all those with content-rich online experiences.

The Web is Us/ing Us

Michael Wesch at Kansas State raises the core legal, ethical, and even moral issues that are going to be more in the mainstream in the next few years as we all are challenged to understand all the data, information, insight, and knowledge available to those who seek it.  As we all begin to be the authors, or shared authors, of more of that content, what we learn from each other will surpass most of what we have learned elsewhere.  Hopefully, much of it will be the truth.

2.0 is the new 1.0

The first major wave of the World Wide Web is over.  No better evidence exists to understand this than it is no longer called 'world wide' anymore.  That's a given. The Web is anywhere and everywhere you want to access it and leverage its power - on a PC, laptop, PDA, phone, or watch  It's wireless, and it is a world of everything one might want as well as not ever want to even see.

The days of the 'me, too' Web site where everyone had to have some online presence have been replaced with (mostly) serious endeavors to understand how the Web and all facets of an online brand can affect your businesses.  This is a good thing as it may actually cut down on the millions of worthless pages of Web junk out there. 

Companies that 'get it' understand that the power of the Web is in the end user's hands, not theirs, and getting to the heart of what makes them tick - their beliefs, opinions, needs, attitudes, behaviors, and other thoughts they may have about what you offer.  It is an important key to online success. 

As evidence of the changing face of the Web, the volume of actual Web content now being generated by end users is growing at such a rate that over 50% of ALL Web content is predicted to be generated by end users within four years.  And everyone else who isn't creating that content is going to be looking and listening to those who did.  This phenomenon of consumer generated media is one of the definitions for Web 2.0.  Another is social media networks. 

Whatever it is called is not the point.  What matters is that the Web, as futurist Paul Saffo wrote, is "moving from a place where people access information to a place where people access other people in an information-rich environment."  Some of the user-generated content has already resulted in the establishment of online media 'stars' that have thousands and, in some cases, millions of viewers.

The lesson is that everything your company does online, and off, can now easily be extended, enhanced, debated and disputed by others online.  These types of influencers can show up on blogs, in an Amazon review, or a comment to a Yahoo! news story, and even videos on YouTube.  Any company with a serious online presence should pay attention to what others are saying and doing as a result of their relationship or even a recent brand touchpoint with that company. 

It is worth saying again.  The end user is in control of the messages they receive, how they receive them and now, from whom they receive them.