5 Ways Traditional Agency Tactics Can Ruin Your Social Media Strategy and Online Reputation

Stuart Meyer is a consumer, a human being and Founder of Social Frequency Media Communications. He can be reached at stuart@socialfrequency.net

I want to begin by saying this article is for the benefit of both agencies and brands as my own origin is in a family of PR, advertising and agency professionals.

I’ve been involved in quite a few conversations lately with big companies looking to get a better handle on social media.  Inevitably, these companies already have a stable of six and seven-figure agencies on board, yet still are uncertain whether or not they are taking the right approach to their brand’s social web strategy.

In preparation for these conversations, I always spend a little time running some basic analysis on each brand’s social positioning and reach.  It’s become very common to find lots of scattered “command-and-control” activity with little or no meaningful conversation permeating the corporate bubble.  For years, big brand corporate marketing departments have placed a heavy reliance on traditional PR and advertising agencies to work their patented formula.  However, the social web has completely redrawn the lines of branding in this new age of consumerism and brand activism.

More concerning, I just read an article this morning citing statistics that big brands are continuing to make their marriage work with their traditional agencies rather than assessing the growing incongruity between traditional strategy and the realities of social media.

I also keep hearing the term “digital agency” which elicits visions of a cold menacing robot lurking in the shadows of a scene from a low-budget science fiction movie, surrounded by bulky panels of blinking lights and spinning reel-to-reel data tapes.   For the difference I’m trying to make with Social Frequency, I’m a human being and so are the billions of people/consumers around the world who have embraced the social web.

It’s time for us all to embrace an important truth about the social web.  Behavior and motivation is not driven by “digital lust” but rather the simple human desire to  make connections, engage in rewarding conversations, be valued and cultivate new relationships based on the people, places and things we care about.  With deep gratitude to the talented developers of technology, the bar continues to be lowered to the point that social technology is reachable for any audience.

Raise your hand if you want your customers to fall deeply and passionately in love with your brand with all the side benefits.  *Scanning the room carefully*……  From my vantage point, it looks like just about everyone.  If this is the case, then the strategy can be simplified with the following metaphor.  If you are looking to build that fulfilling lifelong relationship, then don’t invite your dream date to the big school dance only to make them sit for the whole evening forcing them to watch you work out all of your patented solo dance moves.

With this basic human perspective in mind, here is what I’ve observed as 5 ways traditional agency tactics can ruin your social media strategy and online reputation:

1)  Implementing a strategy focused on talking “at” your audience, rather than “with” your audience. This is what I consider to be a common mistake and most likely remnants of the uni-directional mass marketing and mass communication strategies of days gone by.  Such a miscalculation might also be related to a mind frame of “command-and-control” at a time when most would agree that “control” is an illusion.  Regardless of the reasons, something amazing happens when the average consumer experiences your product or service… they become objective experts.  In fact, I would argue that consumers become smarter than you when it comes to the daily real world application of your product or service.

2) Ignoring the fundamentals of behavioral economics. At its most basic level, Nobel Prize winning economist Daniel Kahneman and others  have taught us that behavioral economics is built around the basic scientific fact that most people make decisions based upon emotion, even with a rational set of facts at their disposal.  The implications are far reaching for any brand.  This is what I have been advancing for the past few years as the “Emotional Value Proposition”.  It’s not enough to pronounce the practical benefits of your products or services to consumers, you most importantly must make an emotional connection, which is beginning to sound an awful lot like a relationship.

Emotional connections can be made with consumers in two ways.  The first way is to inspire them vicariously through exposure to a mass experience that convinces them your brand is aligned with their values.  The second is to make a direct and genuine personal connection with them, valuing them for their thoughts and blossoming interest in your brand.  Which of these two results can you achieve via social media?  The answer is both.

Of course, as with the current practices of many, you will never achieve this connection or foster an emotional value proposition if you are simply promoting products and offers via your social media channels, engaging in one-way communication, not willing to share the stage with your consumers or, worse, sending a pop-up ad onto your audience’s screen with a little man flying around with your product in his hands.

3)  Failing to humanize when you optimize. Much emphasis these days is placed on how to best exploit the construct of technology to get your brand in front of the eyes of your audience.  Much of which comes down to search engine optimization (SEO) and positioning.  I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by some great minds when it comes to SEO and they will be the first to tell you that true SEO is not something that can be simply purchased or manipulated.  Long-lasting SEO is earned through engagement and trust.  As a matter of fact, as time goes on it is going to become increasingly difficult to manipulate search engine results in artificial ways.

Human connection will be required, which is not only how social media strategy integrates with SEO, but is also the way to derive a dual benefit.  The first benefit is cultivating valuable relationships with high authority content generators which can pay off over the long-term in a variety of ways.  The second benefit, is genuinely earning that inbound link in a legitimate and lasting way, which link-by-link improves your page results.

4)  Social media content authors are not traditional journalists. Yet, traditional PR agencies seem to continue to treat them as such, adding high authority content generators, who once upon a time may or may not have made a favorable mention in a post, to their media list sending them every conceivable press release along the way.  Even more, if the high authority content generator wants to engage in the type of informal relationship-building conversation which is typical of social media, they most likely will find themselves stuck with the PR agency intermediary.

At best, the firm might be willing to schedule an “availability” or one-time interview which needs no explanation as to why this type of traditional practice runs contrary to the principles of social media.  I believe this can be very damaging.  Be mindful of the message you are sending to potential brand advocates through the agency approach.  Are you open, transparent, engaged and available as a brand OR are you sending the perception that you are too busy, can’t be bothered, have nothing to learn or wishing only to be in control.  Chances are, if you are merely relegating the function of social media to your PR agency, the message you are sending to your audience is you don’t have the time to be bothered by what your customers have to say nor do you value their unique perspective.

5) Overlooking the immense value of front line consumers. I may write a follow-up post specifically on this topic, which would be “25 Ways Front Line Consumers Can Improve Your Brand”.  I challenge you to read any business biography about an iconic business visionary or simply watch an episode of Undercover Boss and see if you don’t find a few stories along the way of how the ideas for brand-defining innovations came not from the corporate office, but rather the business front lines… the people who live and breathe your brand on a daily basis and engage your customers with high frequency.   Remember, customer service and interaction has become its own media channel and the ability of the “little guy” out there to go from obscurity to a household name has never been easier.  While we used to live in the age of dominant big media empires, we now live in the days of highly credible entrepreneurial social media empires just waiting for the right motivation.  You should be careful to not treat what we perceive as a the “little guy” differently from the “big guy”.

Brands can fan the fire of its audience in two different ways via social media.  The first, and proper way, is to engage, listen, acknowledge, learn, value and find some way to partner.  The second, and risky way, is to only talk, failing to listen, to ignore, to think, to relegate, to not take seriously and to believe that you are smarter than the people “on the ground”.  On a simplistic level, as in childhood, if you are the owner of the basketball, the only way you can play a great game is to share the ball with others to see how your team can win.  To the child who refused to share the ball, it never took long for the others to lose interest and walk away.  How will you handle your brand in the future?

In closing, it’s time to create and embrace new models for truly interactive brands that begins to let go of the inherent need to find a way to do things like they’ve always done them in the past.  As I’ve mentioned, this article is as much for agencies as it is for brands.  Traditional agencies need to stop cramming the “square peg” of traditional mass communication strategy into the “round hole” of social media.  We must all be in the business of creating truly collaborative brands.

I’ve spent my career in relationship based marketing and communications providing senior management to volunteer membership organizations who I can attest needs more than great products and benefits to attract and retain members.  Membership organizations exist because there are volunteers willing to build and maintain the brand.  I have carried this passion and experience into Social Frequency and believe strongly that the key to social media success is rooted in this collaborative formula.  If you are looking for more of my articles on social media, I encourage to visit my other blog at www.association2020.com .  If you would like to engage in conversation, you can reach me at stuart@socialfrequency.net .

FTC Guides Suggest Social Media Policies and Procedures Might Reduce Liability Risks

At the onset of this post, I want to be very clear that I am not intending to send fear coursing through the veins of senior management nor should this be construed as a “let’s all find another reason to fear social media”.

Quite conversely, part of leveraging a strong social media business strategy is ensuring the appropriate operational controls are in place.  Policies, standardized practices and process are a responsible part of any business strategy and the business strategy of social media should be no exception.

This week, potential liability regarding the use of social media hit home as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released new Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.  Essentially, the new guides will work to ensure a higher level of honesty and transparency in the use of the social web for the purpose of marketing in terms of “pay to say” disclosure and factual representations.

Though I am not  a lawyer (nor have I ever played one on TV) and always encourage consultation with legal counsel, I did read through the 81 page FTC document yesterday and came across an important consideration which I don’t believe has been adequately highlighted.  That consideration is the liability an employer faces for the actions of employees engaging in social media activities either within or outside the scope of their work responsibilities.   The FTC addresses this scenario in response to a question which appears to have arisen during an open comment period relating to employer liability.  Below is a verbatim excerpt from the FTC’s response:

“…although the Commission has brought law enforcement actions against companies whose failure to establish or maintain appropriate internal procedures resulted in consumer injury, it is not aware of any instance in which an enforcement action was brought against a company for the actions of a single “rogue” employee who violated established company policy that adequately covered the conduct in question…  The Commission does not believe, however, that it needs to spell out the procedures that companies should put in place to monitor compliance with the principles set forth in the Guides; these are appropriate subjects for advertisers to determine for themselves, because they have the best knowledge of their business practices, and thus of the processes that would best fulfill their responsibilities.” see page 48 of the complete FTC document for full text

What this means is it is time to create social media policies and practices within your organization which carefully balance innovative business uses of social media with clear lines drawn on unacceptable practices.

Social Frequency Media Communications can help your organization develop custom internal policies and procedures relating to the appropriate use of social media.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact me directly at stuart@socialfrequency.net.

FTC – Blogger and Advertiser Liability Expands for Endorsements and Misleading or Unsubstantiated Representations

The Federal Trade Commission this week released new Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.  Since I am a strong and vehement advocate for authentic and genuine participation/interaction on the social web, allow me to provide my spin on how we might simplify our understanding of the 81 page FTC document:

• If you get PAID to SAY, then you must SAY you got PAID.

• If you CLAIM RESULTS, it better be TRUE.

• Advertisers beware, “results not typical” disclaimer no longer a “safe harbor”.

Here is a verbatim breakdown of the FTC Office of Public Affairs release (10/5/09) as it relates to bloggers:

1)  The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that “material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other “word-of-mouth” marketers.

2)  The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.

3)   A  paid endorsement – like any other advertisement – is deceptive if it makes false or misleading claims.

4)  Advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect. In contrast to the 1980 version of the Guides – which allowed advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial as long as they included a disclaimer such as “results not typical” – the revised Guides no longer contain this safe harbor.

Let’s all work to preserve the integrity in the appropriate use of social media, within which resides immense possibilities for a more meaningful world.  Since I’m not a lawyer, I encourage you to consult a lawyer or legal counsel for advice or a complete interpretation of the  complete 81 pages of text.

The Social Media Serenity Meditation

To everyone out there who is either struggling to get their arms around the social web or to those who are working to advance social media strategy within a slowly evolving organization, here is a little light-hearted levity for your day.

The Social Media Serenity Meditation

Consumers grant me the serenity
to accept the social web, which I cannot control;
courage to accept that I must connect;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one tweet at a time;
Engaging in one conversation at a time;
Listening as the pathway to positive experiences;
Taking, as many have, this social media world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that together with consumers we can make all things right
if I can surrender to my illusion of control;
That I may be reasonably happy in this virtual life
and supremely happy with the resulting possibilities
Forever looking toward the next version.
Amends.  Social Frequency Media Communications

(with reverence to Reinhold Niebuhr)

Social Media – 12 Ways Social Media is Different than Traditional Mass Media

September 30, 2009 – The social web has changed the media communications landscape in a way much of the world has yet to fully understand.  Simply put, the social web has created almost a reverse flow in the traditional mass media world in which user-generated content and consumer activism is reaching more audiences than brand messaging.

Those businesses and organizations who refuse to begin charting a path toward collaborative and conversational social media communications models will eventually find their high-paid mass media messages generating a lonely echo on a faint frequencies.

Fear not my friends.  Below you will find a comparison of 11 ways in which social media is different than traditional mass media which will hopefully get those right brain neurons firing in a new direction.

1)  Traditional Mass Media is passive consumer participation, Social Media is active consumer participation.

2)  Traditional Mass Media is one-way “one-to-many” communication, Social Media is two-way “one-to-one” communication.

3)  Traditional Mass Media targets isolated consumers, Social Media connects consumers who generate conversations and content.

4)  Traditional Mass Media is message-driven, Social Media is conversation-driven.

5)  Traditional Mass Media is built around perceived brand control, Social Media is built around shared controland humanizing transparency.

6)  Traditional Mass Media consists of a limited set of targeted channels, Social Media consists of a conceivablyunlimited number of targeted channels.

7)  Traditional Mass Media impressions are fleeting with awareness subsiding after date of publication/broadcast,Social Media conversations and content are lasting and continually discoverable via search engines.

8)  Traditional Mass Media is brand-driven, Social Media is service and consumer-driven.

9)  Traditional Mass Media has limited reach with increasing cost as reach expands, Social Media offers unlimited reach and micro-targeting while investment remains relatively constant.

10)  Traditional Mass Media is a financial investment in paid channels and creative, Social Media is a social investment in people, conversation and user-generated content.

11) Traditional Mass Media carries varying levels of credibility and authenticity, Social Media is conveys astronger sense of credibility and authenticity.

12)  Traditional Mass Media is like night, Social Media is like day.

While the above picture has been painted with a broad brush and is far from complete, I believe the progression of social media to date has proven these thoughts to be fundamentally true and are becoming truer by the day.  What will be your next move?

Association Publishing Magazine Features Social Frequency’s Stuart Meyer in September/October 2009 Issue

My advance apologies for the dreadfully ego-centric sounding headline above.  I simply wanted to make sure this posting was optimized for search engine results… or “SEO” as it is called… which translates into posting views and insures that this story might reach a wider audience.

As many of you know, I’ve spent the second half of this year making the transition toward living and sustaining my life purpose.  This wonderful article, written by the very talented Carla Kalogeridis, provides a deeper perspective on how I am working to translate my humbling gifts and talents into my daily vocation as composer, filmmaker and not-for-profit social media consultant.

Earlier this year, as a step along this journey, I voluntarily composed a theme song (click here to listen) for the Association Forum to be used as a source of motivation for all the not-for-profit association professionals out there who have weathered a very difficult year.  The title of the theme song is “Go the Distance” which pretty much says it all to anyone from any walk of life who has endured this year of economic heartbreak and setbacks.

Within the past couple of months, I was contacted by Association Publishing Magazine about their interest in writing an article about the story behind this piece of music.  If you click here you can read the full article.

As the journey continues, I also invite you to support my current documentary film project, Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story, which is an inspiring story about a blue-collar Midwestern kid from Chicago who faces unimaginable triumph and tragedy in pursuing professional and international acclaim in the world of ballet.

When I first met Ken, I knew this was a powerful story that had to be told in a way that is as uniquely creative and as beautifully artistic as his life.  This film will not be your typical documentary, but rather an emotive and inspiring cinematic journey that well leave audiences reflecting, and hopefully acting upon their own inexhaustible purpose and calling in life.

Please join the official Imprévu film group on Facebook by clicking here where you can read our production diary dating back to 2008, listen to clips of film music I’ve composed and see our growing collection of production photos. I also welcome you to spread the word.