Well, I’ve been called arrogant three times privately, anonymously and now publicly because of Thursday’s post on “Why a Final BlogPotomac: Social Media Really is Dead.” There have been public posts, some debating or decrying the discussion, others turning it into a parody. My feelings about social media innovation still remain the same, but based on the response and general anger the post inspired, it appears a clarification is necessary.
To frame this discussion, in that post I said for me, social media is dead, that the innovation period of its dynamic growth had passed. I also said that social media would go on and continue to grow.
I’ve always seen the innovation portion of social as the movement from one-way to two-way communications. Yes, technologies will continue to develop providing new ways for us to do that. Innovation in that sense will continue.
At the same time, I have to tell you the basic principles behind two-way communication haven’t changed much. I wrote about these principles two years ago in Now Is Gone, and still find it necessary to continue educating people on them: Control, listening, serving your stakeholders, participation is marketing, etc., etc. These dynamic principles apply across the social web regardless of the technology or medium. People still act like people.
To continue educating communicators on social media via tools like BlogPotomac seems like beating a dead horse into the ground. It has become boring for me. I feel like I’ve been sent back in time into the 4th week of Olivia Newton John’s reign on top of the charts. Do I really have to listen to “Physical” for another six weeks?
I’ve lost my passion for talking social media. It’s simply a media form, one of many and not a panacea. For me, it’s an old hat. Consider that I’ve written one book, authored 800 blog posts, spoken numerous times, and hosted two conferences on the topic.
As a blogger and writer that’s a dangerous place. If I don’t find something that interests me — that captivates my soul — I’ll go dark. So for me, it’s time to use the remainder of this year and end a commitment to educate on social media, and start focusing on aspects of communication that are personally newer and more interesting. What inspires me, what excites me are the following:
- How do we use communications to hasten the adoption of green technologies?
- How will mobile applications and the smaller, portable computing device affect the way we communicate?
- What are the best ways to use online media to affect social change?
- How will pinpoint location technologies affect the way we communicate?
- Will virtual and tactile technologies force another revolution and change in the way we communicate?
- What are the cultural barriers in organizations that prevent them from listening to and talking with their customers?
- How will search evolve with new engines like Bing?
The final BlogPotomac will focus on some of the old and some of the new. The Buzz Bin will show this migration, too. I commit to creating high quality content for both of these vehicles. You deserve that. I also promise to keep educating my clients and venues that ask me to talk on social.
As to future social media marcom unconferences in DC? The final BlogPotomac can be seen as an opportunity for someone else to rise to the fore. What about writing on Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, blogging, Facebook, etc.? If it’s truly innovative from a communications principles standpoint, it’s likely to grab me. But in the interim, please pardon the interruption. Three years after its launch, Twitter really isn’t doing it for me.
If you still have passion for new and challenging social media conversations, my hat’s off to you. Keep talking, keep working it, keep innovating within the medium. Your path is an honorable one. New voices and perspectives are needed to build on and add to the social media conversation.
Geoff, I’m glad you wrote this, because the fact is, some folks MUST keep pushing the boundaries into new realms. Even though there are large swaths of people who are barely getting their feet wet into the basics, within the social media echo chamber, we’ve beaten that horse pretty thoroughly. If we start discussing transformative change, instead of just the mechanisms, we’ll get into more and more interesting ground. Social media will increasingly moved from a shiny toy to an assumed part of life. The sooner the better…
Geoff
Blogs, Twitter and whatever else are just tools we use.
I wrote recently on my blog ‘Serge the Concierge’ how talking about the mechanics of communication could turn into navel gazing, people listening to themselves talking rather than sharing ideas, having a conversation.
Here’s the link http://bit.ly/qaweI
Never made it to BlogPotomac even though it was suggested as a good event.
Have a great day
Serge
‘The French Guy from New Jersey’
http://www.sergetheconcierge.com
Talking ad nauseam about social media (unless you are teaching a class or educating a new client or friend about how to use it) has gotten pretty darn boring. A lot of self-consciousness. One must pay an inordinate amount of attention to the tools when first learning… after that, there should be some grace to it. Like skiing. ARROGANT? that would be an “exaggerated” sense of ones abilities. You are in the business of promotion. Failure to express yourself as having more knowledge, wisdom in this area would be negligent. Keep up the good work. Love that you stir things up once in a while :)
Great post and entirely unnecessary in my humble opinion. Why do you need to explain yourself Geoff? Keep on keeping on and do what your passion drives you to do. Your direction sounds interesting and will look forward to your insights. Cheers.
I am going to say that although I am a latecomer to social media (at least compared to you), I am going to have to agree on two of the concepts you wrote about.
1. once a trend hits mainstream, as SocMed has done over the last few months, it is far more valuable to focus on the proper and best ways to continue to grow it. focusing on how to use it better will have far better response today than it would have when there were just a few people using it. and the experience of having it done from the beginning gives you great insight into what and how it works.
2. the progress from one-way to two-way communications. i am going to have to say that this is still not there. all the social media tools and technologies are still focused on one-way communication, with maybe interfacing two one-way into a pseudo two-way. the concept of a two-way communication, which requires a thread, is still missing from most of the tools today.
great post!
One of the main reasons I continue to subscribe here is because you speak your mind. It’s refreshing, no need to apologize for that.
From your clarifications, it doesn’t sound like social media is dead for you…just that you’ve honed what you’re interested in: how the channel can affect change in social causes and green technology.
Social media is no longer innovative in and of itself…what people do with the new medium is where the innovation is now.
As to mobile, couldn’t agree with you anymore. IMO, that is going to be the changer. The capabilities and adoption of mobile internet access (true access) is going to radically transform the whole concept of the internet, and communications in general.
Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Geoff,
You speak of an interesting shift. One I’ve been talk about with my social media friends in the Midwest. Social media is a set of tools. So we know our tool set has changed. But the strategy by which we use them need to me thoroughly discussed in the marketplace of ideas.
That’s why I believe group communication, such as, bona fide group theory and various interpersonal communication theories are more apropos to the zeitgeist of our industry and profession. And it’s through those that more effective strategies can be formed in industries to engage stakeholders, etc, etc.
While the tools have been established, the philosophy adoption lags. I see a “Martin Luther-”esque” rise in the next few years. Does that make sense to you?
Geoff
That describing you position in the innovation-diffusion process of social media elicits some of the negative responses you talk about is only about them. I applaud your eagerness to take of some of the harder questions now…join me sometime in applying what we have learned to making it a better place. Here’s one of mine for starters about the role of social media in social marketing (the real kind, not the pretentious ones) and improving public health – plenty more at On Social Marketing and Social Change. http://www.theharteofmarketing.com/2009/06/the-social-media-leech.html
Darn ‘paste’ – should be http://tinyurl.com/n258v