Are you a Social Media Rockstar?
Something I've been mulling over recently, well, for some time actually, is this whole social micro industry that's grown up over the last few years.
We have a select few who early adopted onto social, said the right things, and became rockstars on social with followings to match (you know who you are) - and then some of us that came late to the party (I arrived about 3 years ago from a more digital background) who claw together a following to attempt to become rockstars.
Why? What is the point of this micro industry? Are they (we?) really rockstars. Does everyone have to hang on our every (social) word.
For me the #ThisIsNotAnInsight captured this beautifully in social media week London last year. A lot of the tat spouted (and repeated endlessly) is just that - social tat, social confetti. Who owns social? Listen, then talk. Blah. Blah. Watch your twitter feed - you will see these and more daily, hourly - hell, every 10 minutes. A friend of mine went to #SXSW this year and deliberately stayed away from anything that had “social” in its heading.
Thats not even starting on the conference industry where the select few (myself included) have been invited to go talk to audiences and tell them social is going to change the world. Social is all they need to know. GET SOCIAL! NOW! I pass on these now. A fast buck for the conference industry charging 1000 a seat, we feel puffed up, people feel informed.
Try the term social biscuits. Because you put the word social in front of it does not make it more relevant, more exciting? Or is it still a biscuit.
When does it stop? When does social become mainstream? Imagine tomorrow if ATL was discovered for the first time. The world goes mad. We all start to run around saying ATL is it - we all need to be ATL companies, we need to reshaped EVERYTHING we do based on ATL - in 2016 we will become ATL companies. Sounds silly doesn't it…or at least it does now!
Watching the industry I notice a gradual move away of some of these rockstars from Social - they themselves are becoming more mainstream. Some of their titles, gasp, no longer have the word social in them. In my company I'm now looking at what next, what is the future for us, how do we evolve to the next level of the digital customers needs, social or otherwise. What happens when people stop looking at their phones?
My view. Social needs to grown up and stop being the loud obnoxious teenager. It needs to enter the mix and become a part of everyday life. I think we have all took our eye off the digital ball over the last few years, heck, maybe even the customer ball. Social Business? No. Customer business. Yes. Digital, social, everything, whatever it takes.
The social rockstar is dead. All hail the CUSTOMER!
CEO / Co-Founder of Reiimagine.com and CEO / Founder of Brojure LLC.
9yExcellent.
EDUCATION ANALYST & CONTENT CREATOR
9yWell said!
CEO & Founder Augustus Media (Lovin', Smashi, Odeum)
9yWell written David. The supply of these gurus are meeting a demand of sorts. Do you think if 'social' was more tangible there would be less of a usrge to define it at every chance? The disruption the internet has brought about certain industries, has been less matter of fact in advertising. The shift in marketing seems to be more of a process, and social seems to be going evolving through that process. Do you think if the advertising output for 'social' was disruptive to marketing as say Google was with it's search business, we would have less 'gurus'?. Or, if it's just part of the bigger picture, will we all forget about social and digital activity, and just think of it as marketing much like any new medium over time (TV, Radio, Print)?
Global Marketing Leader focused on transformational growth initiatives leveraging data and agile principles
9yVery well said Mr. Parkinson.
MD Obidos Consulting/Head of Digital Anglian Water @one Alliance/Technical Director Sweco UK former Chair Delivery Board @ Camb Norwich Tech Corridor
9yGood post, #thisisnotaninsight was great at puncturing some of the sheer vacuity of the conversation. I often see some agencies (present company excepted) pushing elements such as competitions for Facebook Likes as though this was the holy grail of customer acquisition. Its great when both social/digital mature to be a real benefit to both customers and businesses. Increasingly big global consultancies are driving digital transformation as their next key revenue stream yet only a very view actually walk the walk. However they do like the rockstar shortcuts for the veneer of grownup social, one to keep an eye out for. You might say goodbye to the obnoxious teenager but is the ex-accountant who has just hopped on board a better solution? I think a more rational equilibrium being established in social as it is now in digital. An environment where a more considered understanding of the customer and potential broader business interactions is key rather than the hyped 'rockstars' with quick solutions to complex problems.