10 Things You Should Know About Social Media -- OR -- What Your PR Team Isn’t Telling You About Social Media

It’s Brave New World

Okay, I’ve heard the hype and helped hype the hype.  But seriously, social media is only the tip of iceberg and if you think your business is immune – I refer you to the historical lessons of the RMS Titanic.  You absolutely, positively cannot ignore this social media thing.

More Than a Feeling

Classic rock anthems aside, social media is evolving into much more than a communications channel or medium. It is well on its way to become the latest business environment. I call it the Social Biosphere, because this environment will encompass every business and cultural ecosystem that exists.

Don’t Panic

No matter what your 12 year-old niece’s friend thinks about your socialized business processes – do not listen to her unless your target market is 12 year-old females.  If it is, hire your niece’s friend, she knows more about social media than any high-priced PR agency.

One Treat per Child - Only

Ever hear the expression, “If everything is important, then nothing is important.”  It’s something none of us want to hear let alone consider or accept but, we cannot have it all and the Social Biosphere is proof to this maxim. Regardless of how much you leverage the Social Biosphere, whether you’re a simple blogger with the occasional Tweet or you’re a 100% socially integrated business, you absolutely must choose only those conversations you have the resources to dominate.

It’s a Conversation, Not a Lecture

Despite all the expensive messaging you may have, the Social Biosphere runs on a two-way symmetrical information model.  Remember rule three and Don’t Panic; just because it’s a real conversation doesn’t mean you cannot dominate your chosen ecosystems within the Social Biosphere.  You will have to earn your dominance through a meritocracy of ideas.  Don’t talk at them, converse with them, have a better idea.

This is True Social Darwinism

Bad ideas may triumph from time to time but, badly presented ideas will always fail in the Social Biosphere. Remember it’s a conversation.

Break the Rules

The Social Biosphere is many things, as many things as there are participants – it’s a consolidation both in space and time of the mob. If you want to influence the mob you need to understand what motivates them, what they fear and what void they are looking to fill.  Legacy media, PR, advertising and marketing communications thinking will not serve you well here – this is a brave new world. Knowing the top 50 bloggers or “mommy” sites won’t really make your bones in the Biosphere.

Be Market Driven

I could go on and on about how Herbert Stein  sits securely in the pantheon of economic assholes along with fellow supply-side fathers Hume, Hamilton, Swift and Smith. Suffice to say the Social Biosphere is a market driven environment.  You cannot simply generate your message and push it into the Biosphere and expect success.  You need to get to know your market and tailor your conversation to what they want to talk about.

Are Your Ears Burning?

They should be because someone somewhere is already talking about you and / or hosting the conversations you need to dominate.  Relax, this is a good thing.  It means the heavy lifting is mostly done for you; all you need is an invitation to the conversation.  So put on your party dress practice your lines get off the wall and find those conversations.

Never Wear a Condom

How can you spot an organization with AOD?  For that matter what is AOD?  AOD or Anti-Social Organizational Disorder occurs when any organization uses technology to keep stakeholders away.  Companies who utilize automated phone attendants, no-reply email addresses or won’t let you contact them directly for customer inquires – these are anti-social companies or organizations and will fall prey to the three deadly Cs of the Social Biosphere.  They will lose credibility, capital and customers as the Social Biosphere evolves and becomes a more mature business environment allowing stakeholders to easily shift to a more pleasant or “Socially Acceptable” competitive company.