In previous posts I’ve brought up concerns on ‘over-selling’ social media in enterprise settings, that is I’ve raised questions over approaching social media as “just another” sales channel. The secret sauce of social media is the ability to replicate natural human interaction, something scholars have studied for eternity and still only know a tiny bit about. So how can we avoid a social media strategy fail?
The social media strategy fail: over complication
For one to think that they can develop a strategy that is applicable across settings and objectives in social media is absurd. Additionally, over thinking it and over analyzing it will be the death of your strategy.
Case in point? A diagram and post I saw today on Social Media Today. I’ll be the first to say I like a good diagram. I find this one from Brian Solis and this one from OpinionWatch to be particularly helpful in mapping out a baseline strategy on developing a social community.
A strategy shouldn’t have to be decoded
The major problem with this diagram is I’ve seen pages in medical books make more sense. The consensus is for social media to be successful to an organization, there needs to be organization-wide buy-in in the value. If I submitted this chart with it’s subsequent serious of alpha and numerical steps to any of my former or current employers/clients I’d be asked to leave. A strategy should make sense and be scalable and not take a series of multi-hour long meetings to gain buy-in.
Don’t overanalyze your social network
Unless you’re the type who goes home at night and ponders every interaction through out the day, there’s no value in over-complicating social interactions. Quite frankly, as a social consumer, I’m offended that there are those who think they can apply some common metric across my interest areas. The key to any successful network is constant monitoring, adapting and value adding.
You can’t just apply a mechanic to your social interaction and walk away. Each network provides unique ways to engage with community where they want to be engaged. You can’t have a cookie cutter approach across all networks, and all interests. Don’t have one network feed another, it may not always make sense. If I see one more hashtag on a Facebook wall followed by, posted by Hootsuite, I might wig out.
The five pillars of social media marketing
All was not lost today in the world of social media however. I stumbled across the 5 Pillars of Social Media Marketing. This , unlike the other chart that looks more like a map to the lost city of Atlantis, provides a good starting point and is scalable project by project.
From the social media battlefield
In 2011 it’s becoming apparent that scalability of social media strategy will become a top priority. While strategy outlined on paper is good, over-complicating it like the chart this post is about is not going to help your efforts. At the end of the day, regardless who you are or what your ultimate goals are, you can’t change the nature of social media and how it works. How it works is simple:
- Listen.
- Engage.
- Listen Some more.
- Add Value.
- Still Listening.
- Engaging some more.
- You get the idea.
Here’s to a successful 2011 for your social media endeavors, what are your thoughts on over-strategizing your social media efforts and expecting it to fit into a chart?
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