Why some people don't get social media...and why they will get it soon.

I have recently attended Alex Grech's workshop on Social Media. The presentation was music to my ears because it very nicely captured the many thoughts relating to interactive 'marketing' and some new real life insights, some of which triggered us to set up BLAB in the first place.

All throughout the presentation I toyed with one question in my mind: "Why don't we all get it (social media that is)?" Why do you get web masters who aren't yet on the web, on facebook or twitter amongst other social media. Why aren't brand executives urgently concerned about the opportunity that they are missing out on? And finally, why do we consider online (and social) strategy as a cheap marketing alternative which can co-exist by the side of the actual publicity budget?

Adage's article on big brands complaining with Twitter about individuals using their brand name as their personal tweeter identity says it all - the 'old school' brand executive thinks he/she is in control of the brand value, but they're not...the average consumer is. Social media simply amplifies the consumers' dominion on your brand. It has been there for a long time, since consumers discussed their purchases. Nothing has changed except for the technology enabling the discussion.

And the sad news is that it is so obvious...we ignore it.

Taking the 'ego' out of ego-centric

There are two modes of expression, ego-centric and x-centric, which sounds and should be a lot like 'eccentric' however allowing space for the x to be anything (be it customer, purpose, motive) but your ego.

What's the benefit of the latter?

Primarily, it's not about you;
Secondly, it's not about you and can give in to other complementary or opposing ideas. It follows from the belief that collective ideating is better than individual.
Thirdly, it's not about you and so leaves room for feedback, criticism and listening which otherwise you wouldn't bother to give attention to.

It's harder than we think to take the ego out of ego-centric and be open to alternative viewpoints. It requires questioning all the time whether you stand for your ego or your objective above anything else!

Says it all in one big blab - Why 2.0 is not a number or a fad

Blab & steal attention "from anywhere"

I got this Twitter status by email:

'BBC Radio 1 to broadcast Coldplay's Glasgow gig on Sept 18th (listen online from anywhere) - http://bit.ly/Z7qGg'

Have you ever driven for long distances, driving for hours, crossing boarders and countries? Well if you have/had to do that you would know that your car stereo would switch from one radio station to the other on the same or nearby frequency. Some of the radios are specific to the area and broadcast traffic updates as you cross the region. Very useful, however very old school. Today you can broadcast content from anywhere and you don't have neither size nor geographic limitations.

This is great news however not totally: the massive content clutter makes my blog one of many many, and hence, empowered by the internet which allows an unqualified blogger like me to broadcast his thoughts, I am actually less important than ever. If I really had to be serious about being important online, I would have to devise an attention stealing strategy!

However, I may resort to the 'Blab & follow' strategy. I'll blab when I think it is appropriate, as we all do on our facebook, twitter, blogger accounts, and then wait for some attention to be given to me. A long-tail, a big long tail of blabs give us a long tail of attention - little amounts of attention for everyone to be happy wherever ("from anywhere")!

Blank sheet approach - adds freshness

I'd like to drop a line or two about the fresh page / blank sheet approach. This post is less about interactive marketing and more about how we work, which explains that I am doing less reading and more working...which is a contradiction because I strongly believe that the more you work, the more you should read and stay in touch.

A fresh page is a clean start, a beginning. A fresh page does not mean forgetting about the mistakes and successes of past projects but implies entering the room or kick starting a project objectively and openly. A fresh blank sheet implies not being biased from the start, it highlights the need to listen carefully, look at the issue from all possible unexplored perspectives and then if necessary go back to the baggage you carry around with you from past projects you've been involved in.

Freshness Index

Image Source: toxel.com

I'd like to dedicate this 2 minute blab on my/your/our 'freshness index':

How fresh am I in the ideas I propose and the solutions I come up with? How open am I to alternative perspectives to one particular problem? How often do I reject the first idea? How often do I read loads of different stuff which exposes me to areas other then my everyday interests? - That's how fresh I am/you/we are!

Now I believe the above makes an individual fresh in his/her approach to life and therefore work. Now trow in the same room, office or house a bunch of such 'fresh' individuals and watch the freshness multiply and grow exponentially!

Now imagine the opposite happening in a mainstream office (of which we have many)...and cry!

Freshness brings freshness, and that it should be on our priority list at any level in any big, small or medium organization.