I just finished my latest marketing piece for commPRO.biz and I feel very agitated. I wish I didn’t have any other work to do this afternoon, because I’d be breaking out the Tito’s Vodka sitting in my freezer right now to calm me (thanks, Tito – was a blast meeting you last week!).
Top Doesn’t Mean Social
Here’s the rub – I do hours of work researching the best PR, Advertising, and MarCom professionals to feature in our Pulses. Those Pulses get published to our list of over 50K+ subscribers. Recently, one of the pieces got featured as Top Pro content on Slideshare and, in one day alone, was seen by an additional 20K+ people (and viewed by their audience too). We do one Pulse every week to two weeks, and to date, we plan on publishing at least 30 more. Not a bad exposure opportunity, right?
I find the top PR firms, the highest revenue producers, the most noted ad agencies, the companies with the highest industry awards, the trade organizations who lead the way for thousands of professionals. I do my level best to find the best of the best.
I have learned, though, that being the top doesn’t mean that you are living in this decade. Top doesn’t mean social.
I regularly have to pass on writing up certain (way too many!) companies because they are too old-school for me to include. They aren’t living the modern values that the forward looking experts in the field exemplify. When I find a legacy company that is fully embracing social, you can hear my victory cheer across the universe. It doesn’t happen very often. Even more irritating is that many of these firms are selling social media services to their clients. YUCK. 
Why Are They Hiding?
What don’t I find when I do this research? All too often, I don’t find the company’s social media presence on display! Even when they are on social (which, sadly, many still are not), they don’t make it easy for anyone visiting their site to get connected. I don’t understand – why are they hiding?
I cannot tell you how many times I have had to reject featuring companies – even big companies, some of the biggest in the world – in my work because they don’t bother to lead with their social. Their websites do not have their social media icons listed anywhere on the front page. They haven’t listed their social media on their contact page. They aren’t posting their social media streams to their site. They aren’t on Twitter. They don’t do videos. They aren’t blogging. It’s enough to make a social media fan girl like me cry.
I get that I am a hammer looking for a nail, but I am looking to feature that nail to sometimes as many as 100K people! Can’t a girl get a break??
Enough With the PR Release Junk Already!
Second worse to not finding any social media icons is the way these firms are using social media. They aren’t engaging, but instead are just blasting out the equivalent of a third person PR release in their social media streams. They have restrictive social media policies that prevent their employees from having conversations too. When will these companies figure out that PR releases are not conversation?
We all are guilty to this to some extent, myself included. When I start out a new account, or perhaps when I’ve taken a client with a very limited budget, I will not engage as much as I do on my personal @Smartwoman account. Typically, though, that’s not the case. And, besides, I’m an army of one. Most of these worldwide organizations have employees in the hundreds and thousands and they charge 10x more than I do! What excuse do they have? NONE, if you ask me!
The Cobbler’s Children Need Some Shoes…Now
It’s hard to make time for social media – I get it. I have to constantly be improving my own game too. It takes commitment, time, focus, and great strategy to make it work.
Social media takes an openness that is hard to come by in large, bureaucratic organizations. I get that too. Old habits are hard to break and not everyone wants things to change.
To all this, I say – so what? The world doesn’t revolve around you. Time moves on and so should you. Lamenting about the good ole days and resisting change won’t make it better. Going with the flow is the only thing that will fix this problem.
In my eyes, it’s way past time time for the PR, Advertising, and MarCom industry to get on board. The playbook they’ve been running their businesses to is gone, gone, gone…kiss it goodbye. They need to be done with the ideas that have fueled that business for the last 100 years and embrace the new paradigm.
This stuff is not going away, people – seriously. If you think your firm is doing good work on your own company’s social media presence, feel free to share it in the comments. I sincerely want to meet the leaders….I have 30 more Pulses to write and need the help finding some sharp needles in this huge haystack…whew…I think I might go grab that Tito’s after all…
Until next time!
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
[graphic by Born.to.be.mild]
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Vicki,
You are wasting your time. Small businesses rock social media and that is where you’ll find your diamonds in the rough. Check me out at @mjgcomm or facebook me at fabulousmomsexpo.
Save some Tito’s Vodka for me – long day ahead.
I hear ya, @Nicole – I agree that small businesses have the nimbleness (and maybe the hungry attitude) not as readily found with the larger firms. It’s possible, from my point of view, that the large guys are dead men walking, with the explosion of niche markets and the long tail. We’ll see…for now, I will do what I can to find those diamonds (many of which I don’t consider in the rough at all – they are remarkable) and feature the ones that live the social media values I can get behind.
Thanks for commenting – and thanks for the tip – I’ll go check it out! Keep rocking it small – small is the new big.
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
Vicki,
I completely agree with you, but I have to say, it’s not just the fields you’re talking about. I work at an investor relations firm, a branch of the Toronto Stock Exchange. We just started a new website to get TSX-listed companies on board to talk directly to their investors and publish their IR materials in one place. It should be an easy sell — answer a question once on our site and don’t deal with as many phone calls per day asking that same question over and over again. Or nip a false rumour in the bud quickly and publicly so it does not go viral.
But because there are some disclosure issues to deal with and because many of these companies don’t have social media policies, companies are extremely hesitant to take this step. I recently found an article that quotes Warren Buffett as saying that online investor relations is the way to go, and people still don’t believe this is the future.
We’re telling companies that our site is a way to step into social media slowly, and with our help. They can then attach their Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn profiles and amplify their messages. Most of the companies signing up so far are small mining companies who see the value in our site and are already using or willing to use other forms of social media.
It shouldn’t be such a hard sell, or such a jump from traditional media.
I feel your pain. Good luck!
Cheryl
Community Manager, waggle.ca
@Cheryl, you make some great points. Compliance challenges and risk mitigation is a huge challenge. I frankly think it’s less a challenge than some make it. It sounds like you’re leading the fight to make it work out. Thanks for the contribution you are making to get social out there – it’s just a matter of time, even for compliance folks.
Thanks for commenting – I really appreciate it!
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
Good points Vicki.
It seems like the larger companies in the PR industry are resistant to change, and it’s their loss in the end. I am the social media strategist for my company and we work hard to make sure that our social media is of the same quality as our traditional PR.
Our work on one social media client, the Hudepohl 14k Brewery Run, has brought in three new clients alone, and it’s only been three weeks since the end of the project. We are a small company (15 employees) but we can compete with the big boys in this sector. In fact, I think our size and know-how make us a force to be reckoned with. Our social media is trailblazing company growth. If the larger agencies don’t catch up, they will be in trouble in the next five years.
If you want to see some of the stats from our Hudy14k work, shoot me an email at smartin@saybrookmarketingdotcom.
Thanks,
Steve
@Steve, I’d love to hear more about your successes – I love what social is doing and it’s great to hear the winners – especially the Davids that are slaying the Goliaths. Kudos!
Thanks for weighing in. I appreciate the engagement.
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
You’re right on! As a small agency, I recognized that all my social media sites were sadly being ignored – a true case study of the Cobbler’s Children. So, what to do? I recently engaged another independent consultant to help hammer out a social media strategy – and more importantly begin implementing it. We’re redesigning the website and will continue to feature links and feeds from social media sites (been doing this for a couple years), but we’re going to become more engaged. Time consuming? Of course. But every worthwhile venture takes time and even more importantly – commitment.
thanks for weighing in, @Susan. Congrats on taking action to walk your walk – and for becoming more engaged. I figure the more of us who do it as the standard practice, the more the other laggards will see it’s play this game or get off the playground. Commitment is always rewarded. I appreciate you dropping by – thank you again.
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
Hi Vicki,
Great post!It does boggle the mind that large agencies can’t or don’t want to get with the times. There are exceptions though. While I have not worked there in many moons, my old employer, Access Communications has a very impressive social media program. Check them out at http://www.accesspr.com. They just celebrated their 20th anniversary but they have fully embraced today’s social communications strategies.
Steven
Thanks for the heads up and for your recommendation, @Steven. I’m intrigued by it, as I am not seeing what you are re: Access. Tell me more about what impresses you – I would give them points for having their social media icons and twitter feed on their page (check – although their FB link is not directing properly) but they still seem to be broadcasting not engaging on their feeds. Ahem…it’s a process. Frankly, they are ahead of many and for that, they deserve a gold star.
Appreciate the comment and the engagement here – see you again soon!
Vicki
Hello Vicki @Smartwoman,
This is such a great piece! I’ve been working all day looking for outstanding examples of colleges, universities and other large nonprofits that are truly “social.” And, sorry to say but I’ve been having trouble.
It might be because people tend to complain or rant more often than they praise and rave about who’s doing a good job. Regardless, it’s been tough to find what I thought would be so easy to locate.
However, now that I read your piece, I’ll be sure to check out your other work in Pulses. Hopefully, I’ll find some role models there.
And, I’ll be following you on twitter, now that I’ve “met” you here.
Thank you for a very thoughtful piece!
@Lee, we haven’t done a pulse that includes universities and non-profits, but I think we should – I will submit that idea to the powers that be at commPRO. Great idea. It’s less, for me, about what other people are saying, re: the rant or praise issue. I go directly to the companies’ websites and social media profiles and look for myself. I guess I should just see the vacuum as an opportunity and sell my services to them. *evil grin* That’s one way of looking at it, right?
Thanks for touching base and thank you for the compliment – I am glad you enjoyed the piece. Keep reading!
Vicki
Thanks for the rant. Now, can you share with us – regardless of size of company – 5 great sites that lead with the social – and 5 you feel are doing social but, as you say, hiding it? I’d like to see a balance sheet showing the revenues of the great social sites and how being great social sites is paying off. My problem is I’m a one man shop and put together great team collaboration when necessary. Otherwise, I’m doing everything. I’d like someone to show me a great, streamlined, excellent social media site that I could emulate to get more business and also free up time. Thanks for the great article. GJ
@Gary – thanks for your questions and comment. One of the pulses we did featured socially engaged agencies – you can find it here – http://blog.commpro.biz/pulse/engaged-to-win-10-best-social-media-engaged-agencies/ – these are some good examples, for a variety of reasons, of some agencies doing social well. I haven’t found any that are doing social well and also hiding, but rather (in reference to that comment in my post) that they aren’t displaying their social media icons and connections even though they have some. That attitude, generally speaking, does not bode well for being a stellar example. If you don’t even have your social media icons on your front home page, you’re probably not buying into it.
Much as I don’t have the access to your balance sheet, I also do not have access to others. However, what I hear behind that is the question of how to measure and justify the ROI of social media from a business perspective. Very valid question, especially as a solopreneur or smaller agency with a more lean resource structure. There are some fantastic resources to get your hands around ROI in social and measuring your marketing effectiveness. One of my favorite blogs and people in the space is Laura Patterson at https://www.visionedgemarketing.com/ – you can gain a lot about marketing metrics from her. I also highly recommend Brian Massey at http://conversionscientist.com/ – he discusses conversion online and how to get it.
Personally, I believe it’s about our strategy in social and how conscious we are about why what we are doing is affecting our ultimate business outcome. You can be very deliberate about what words you use, who your target is, what you say to them via social, and the degree that automation frees you up to be personally engaged. I am a content marketer and project manager at heart, so that’s how I lead with it. I like to build a foundation of content and then spend most of my time interacting rather than just maintaining. I can speak with you further about this, if you’d like (gratis, of course). I’ll buzz you up at your email, if that’s alright.
Your questions are rich, valid, and highlight the quest we all are on. Thanks for weighing in and reading.
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
The Big Boys will soon become little chaps…and that is good for everyone
Here, here, @Tim!! Small is the new big! *grin*
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher
IBM is one big boy that will not soon become a little chap. I’d be happy to discuss why I think so in a forum that allows longer posts. For now, let me just mention a few recent successes: The THINK Forum and Exhibit, Watson’s appearances on Jeopardy!, SocialBusiness@IBM and People for a Smarter Planet. At IBM, being digitally social is not optional. Being an IBMer means developing our individual expertise socially in a way that represents IBM.
Cool, @James – thanks for weighing in. This arena actually takes extended comments, so feel free to add what you wish. I am fascinated, with such a broad participation in social media, why the accounts are not listed anywhere (that I can find easily or obviously – I could have overlooked it but I don’t think so…) on their ibm.com website? Do you know their reasoning on this?
The IBM employee that I know who really does exemplify what you are suggesting is Kat Mandelstein – you can see one of her slideshare presos talking about IBM social business http://www.slideshare.net/katmandelstein/social-media-masters-2011-nyc-kat-mandelstein-ibms-journey-to-becoming-a-social-business – she’s amazing and is a great example of being social. It’s an odd pairing to hear from you and to personally know and respect Kat yet not see IBM on their main US site not make it easy to connect with them.
If I google IBM and twitter, I get a tons of accounts with a variety of following levels and nearly no engagement – they are using their streams like a broadcast megaphones. Weird – someone even made a list asking why so many accounts with so little interaction http://www.idonotes.com/IdoNotes/idonotes.nsf/dx/ibm-is-on-twitter-forty-billion-times-who-do-i-follow.htm
It’s a weird dichotomy but they are certainly more in the space than most and for that they deserve a very very large gold star. If anyone can get it right, they should be able to.
Thanks for commenting – do tell more – it’s fascinating to me and I am sure informative to the readers here.
Vicki @Smartwoman Flaugher