Comments on: Social Media Cannot Stand Alone

By: Geoff Livingston

Geoff Livingston — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:49:37 +0000

Thanks, Beth! Love the reference to spam. I am not so sure social media strategy differs greatly, but I do think the tactical execution is vastly different. It’s a unique media form, one that cannot be treated with conventional execution, or as you say, spam occurs. It’s a two way street, so networking skills are paramount to messaging skills.

By: Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:21:00 +0000

sorry left out the most important word in that first sentence – JUST SAY NO to social media — not guilt, no worries. Your time is better spent on something else.

By: Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:20:15 +0000

couldn’t agree more … especially for nonprofits. Sometimes they should just say to social media. Other times, it is perfectly the right thing to do have an integrated strategy. With that said, however, to be successful they really need to understand how social media strategy execution differs from traditional communications strategy – or else this happens http://tinyurl.com/5j338w

By: David Weiner, PR Newswire

David Weiner, PR Newswire — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:29:58 +0000

Geoff,

I couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately, I don’t even think we’ve seen the tipping point. (I couldn’t resist!)

By: Geoff Livingston

Geoff Livingston — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:03:06 +0000

Ryan: Per my earlier tweet, nice comment. Social media “fan boys” evokes strange imagery of Weird Al carrying pom poms.

Chris: Thank you, and I totally agree. Sometimes the customer or stakeholder doesn’t care for social media or the product doesn’t apply.

David: It reminds me that there are a lot of personal brand folks who have become famous right now spinning BS, and that’s the source of this issue. Social media communications without the core principles of communications theory just doesn’t work well, or if it does, it’s a red herring.

By: David Weiner, PR Newswire

David Weiner, PR Newswire — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:13:55 +0000

Very true points. We need to do as good of a job as our peers on explaining our ROI and proving value. Maybe then we’ll be able to get their budgets …

As I say all too often, there is no magic wand. An SMPR, MNR, NMR or PitchEngine can’t make a penguin fly (or put lipstick on a pig (had to fit both in, obviously)). What some are calling social media tomorrow is traditional PR yesterday.

By: Chris Brogan...

Chris Brogan... — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:34:15 +0000

True and true. And here’s where I sometimes upset my colleagues at CrossTech Partners (the fulfillment arm of where I work): sometimes social media isn’t the right tool for the job. Nope. Just isn’t.

And yet, it’s always a decent augment to the larger story.

I never did send congratulations. I’m really happy for this partnership, and I hope it points to further movement of the same kind in the near future.

By: Ryan Meode

Ryan Meode — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:01:14 +0000

A good reminder that social media is only one tactic in the larger communications strategy. I think it’s understandable how some would get the perception that social media is a silver bullet given the way some social media “fanboys” talk about it. I’d suggest that some of the responsibility falls on the industry’s shoulders to do a better job explaining social in the right context. Hopefully this post will continue to encourage others to do the same and discuss social media as just one tactic in a larger strategy.