Saturday
Aug282010
Is Social Media a Vacuum?
Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 10:08AM
Some would say yes. Consider the recent glitch with Google Buzz. Don’t know what Google Buzz is? Think of it as a conversation Ala Twitter. Except it’s Google. Don’t know what Twitter is? Well, maybe you’ve already answered this question for me - or at least for yourself.
Google recently admitted to a bug that prevented BUZZ updates from appearing properly for Tech TV host and mega-blogger, Leo Laporte. The bug, taking multiple weeks to uncover by Laporte himself and then to Google, begs the question - who in the hell is listening to any of this stuff we put out there if nobody noticed it was gone in first place? The mere fact that I’m writing this blog post assumes I actually believe that someone is there. And listening. Oh the conceit (deceit).
Picture yourself in a noisy bar. You came with a group of friends and want to move on. Some hear your suggestion and are drawn away momentarily - yet successfully - joining you in adjourning elsewhere. Others, caught up in distraction - not enough olives - favorite song is playing - girl appears to be looking at me - simply miss the cue and become stranded. Yes, I’m using words like stranded and distraction. Social media is a distraction. Everyone clamors to be ‘part’ of it because they don’t want to be left out and stranded. The irony is that being ‘part’ of social media is purely a perception that we fool ourselves into believing. We’re not ‘part’ of anything except noise.
Is it really all that bad?
Re-tweets. Re-posts. Track-backs. If we’re not listening to our own voice, we’re actually amplifying the voice of someone else. Again, we want to appear as ‘part’ of the ‘action’. So where does it end? Does anyone listen? Is anybody there? Social Media Girl screams, “YES”. It’s were consumers are. It’s vital to my business. While Disconnected Guy mumbles, “I don’t want to pay for all that texting”, in a ruse to hide that he’s let technology pass him by with no interest of joining the crowd or understanding it. Disconnected Guy can’t buy from Social Media Girl if he’s not online. Yet, Social Media Girl keeps sending out techno-burps. Meanwhile, Disconnected Guy withdraws even more. He drops his land-line, cable TV, and his car. Odds are that he won’t be following Social Media Girl anytime soon. Both are happy. Both are dug in. Both are wrong. And yet, both are mildly right. Mildly.
The real answer is likely in the middle. With millions of voices screaming into a noisy and sometimes noiseless cavern, the crux or this debate is, in essence, timeliness and relevance. Finding these illusive targets is daunting. Creating them is equally difficult. We need the tools and the talent to extract and polish the gems while eliminating the trash pile that mounts ever higher on a second-by-second basis.
In spite of this crucial and missing component, social media isn’t dead and won’t be for a long time. Of course, the term may change - yet the concept remains. When/wher-ever there is a group of people appearing to listen, someone will be inclined to speak. The forum - a bar, a church, a party, the water cooler, a blog - is simply where a person finds a group that hasn’t yet kicked him out and appears willing to listen.
My answer to the question is simple. Yes it’s a vacuum although it doesn’t have to be.
My advice is basic.
Social Media Girl. Don’t take companies through the paces of spreading useless information in the false hope of finding business. At best, social media is an extension of a proper marketing plan - not a replacement for one.
Disconnected Guy. Wake up and get a little connected. The world needs technology even if you don’t like it. It’s here to stay. Besides, you’ll thank me the next time your kid is seriously sick or you need to conveniently get information to someone that could land or keep a job for you.
Everyone Else. Let’s stop the itchy re-tweet fingers. Pause. Listen. Speak only if necessary. If the world didn’t hear it from the source the first time. No matter what you think, it probably isn’t that important. Let’s make social media useful, eliminate the trash pile it’s currently creating, and prevent the vacuum effect we all fear.
One last thought.
If you’ve read this far, please remember to recycle the paper you printed this on for Disconnected Guy. Social Media Girl, thanks for trying although I know you didn’t make it past the first paragraph of this post. At least you gave me something to write about.
If your business needs assistance in writing a plan - with or without social marketing, see how a Kenesco business consultant can help. Contact us today at 877-218-1879 or visit us online at http://kenesco.com.
David Knea
CEO, Kenesco Computing LLC
+1-877-218-1879
http://kenesco.com
Google recently admitted to a bug that prevented BUZZ updates from appearing properly for Tech TV host and mega-blogger, Leo Laporte. The bug, taking multiple weeks to uncover by Laporte himself and then to Google, begs the question - who in the hell is listening to any of this stuff we put out there if nobody noticed it was gone in first place? The mere fact that I’m writing this blog post assumes I actually believe that someone is there. And listening. Oh the conceit (deceit).
Picture yourself in a noisy bar. You came with a group of friends and want to move on. Some hear your suggestion and are drawn away momentarily - yet successfully - joining you in adjourning elsewhere. Others, caught up in distraction - not enough olives - favorite song is playing - girl appears to be looking at me - simply miss the cue and become stranded. Yes, I’m using words like stranded and distraction. Social media is a distraction. Everyone clamors to be ‘part’ of it because they don’t want to be left out and stranded. The irony is that being ‘part’ of social media is purely a perception that we fool ourselves into believing. We’re not ‘part’ of anything except noise.
Is it really all that bad?
Re-tweets. Re-posts. Track-backs. If we’re not listening to our own voice, we’re actually amplifying the voice of someone else. Again, we want to appear as ‘part’ of the ‘action’. So where does it end? Does anyone listen? Is anybody there? Social Media Girl screams, “YES”. It’s were consumers are. It’s vital to my business. While Disconnected Guy mumbles, “I don’t want to pay for all that texting”, in a ruse to hide that he’s let technology pass him by with no interest of joining the crowd or understanding it. Disconnected Guy can’t buy from Social Media Girl if he’s not online. Yet, Social Media Girl keeps sending out techno-burps. Meanwhile, Disconnected Guy withdraws even more. He drops his land-line, cable TV, and his car. Odds are that he won’t be following Social Media Girl anytime soon. Both are happy. Both are dug in. Both are wrong. And yet, both are mildly right. Mildly.
The real answer is likely in the middle. With millions of voices screaming into a noisy and sometimes noiseless cavern, the crux or this debate is, in essence, timeliness and relevance. Finding these illusive targets is daunting. Creating them is equally difficult. We need the tools and the talent to extract and polish the gems while eliminating the trash pile that mounts ever higher on a second-by-second basis.
In spite of this crucial and missing component, social media isn’t dead and won’t be for a long time. Of course, the term may change - yet the concept remains. When/wher-ever there is a group of people appearing to listen, someone will be inclined to speak. The forum - a bar, a church, a party, the water cooler, a blog - is simply where a person finds a group that hasn’t yet kicked him out and appears willing to listen.
My answer to the question is simple. Yes it’s a vacuum although it doesn’t have to be.
My advice is basic.
Social Media Girl. Don’t take companies through the paces of spreading useless information in the false hope of finding business. At best, social media is an extension of a proper marketing plan - not a replacement for one.
Disconnected Guy. Wake up and get a little connected. The world needs technology even if you don’t like it. It’s here to stay. Besides, you’ll thank me the next time your kid is seriously sick or you need to conveniently get information to someone that could land or keep a job for you.
Everyone Else. Let’s stop the itchy re-tweet fingers. Pause. Listen. Speak only if necessary. If the world didn’t hear it from the source the first time. No matter what you think, it probably isn’t that important. Let’s make social media useful, eliminate the trash pile it’s currently creating, and prevent the vacuum effect we all fear.
One last thought.
If you’ve read this far, please remember to recycle the paper you printed this on for Disconnected Guy. Social Media Girl, thanks for trying although I know you didn’t make it past the first paragraph of this post. At least you gave me something to write about.
If your business needs assistance in writing a plan - with or without social marketing, see how a Kenesco business consultant can help. Contact us today at 877-218-1879 or visit us online at http://kenesco.com.
David Knea
CEO, Kenesco Computing LLC
+1-877-218-1879
http://kenesco.com
Reader Comments