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Social Media Is The MMA Of Technology

June 15, 2008 By

I like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). While some people see MMA bouts as glorified cock fights, I can appreciate the idea behind it. MMA is what it says it is: a blend of various martial arts.

In the same way, social media can be seen as a blend of various diverse technologies, such as publishing platforms, social networks, web applications and search. Being a proficient social media practitioner requires mastery of multiple disciplines.

Are you a black belt? Go through the various social media disciplines. See where you can sharpen your skills to improve overall performance.

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Great Minds Don’t Think Alike

May 18, 2008 By

Another oft coined term that I disagree with is the term “great minds think alike”. If all great minds though alike, then there wouldn’t be any innovation at all. Truth is that great minds don’t think alike at all.

New ideas spawn from the fact that people think different and have the ability to think differently. It takes another step though to propel innovations. The best innovations didn’t just come from those who dared to think differently from equally great or greater peers. They came from those who also dared to take action and bring their ideas to life.

Don’t be afraid to think different. Act on your ideas.

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Hello, Is There Anybody Out There?

April 20, 2008 By

When you’re broadcasting messages to people, do they listen? Do they respond to your ads, do they click on your links, do read your newsletters, et cetera? If the results are underwhelming, try some of these approaches:

  • Content: Rewrite the content to be more about them than about you. While messages should cover what you’re promoting, they should also emphasize the benefits to users. Scrutinize your content and check whether its relevance is high enough for your audience.
  • Form: Experiment with different types of headlines to different audiences. The headline of a press release should catch the attention of a journalist, but at the same time, it might not be enticing enough for a consumer. Play with the layout and the use of images to make your message more attractive or reader-friendly. Make use of consumer (eye-tracking) studies to see what areas should be focused.

Don’t be afraid to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

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The Fly On The Wall

March 16, 2008 By

In reference to last month’s post about apathy, I’d like to extend some more thoughts about consumer feedback. While negative comments might be actionable, they’re only actionable if you listen.

Have you set up listening tools, such as Google Alerts, or are your agencies/partners listening to the feedback that is given in your consumer community? Are you actively searching for mentions of your brand/product/service or even actively reaching out to the community to provide feedback to you?

Your community of consumers has a lot to say and has a lot of platforms to say it on. Stay on top of the content related to you and take what’s being said into consideration.

Listen. Validate. Act.

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Apathy Is Your Worst Enemy

February 24, 2008 By

When you’re selling a product or a service, people will talk about you. They’ll say good things, which you like. And they’ll say bad things, which you might not like, but is it really that bad? Suppose that people don’t say anything at all. Isn’t that the worst thing that can happen? Negative comments are actionable. Apathy isn’t.

Allow what people are saying to matter. Embrace and appreciate the fact that people are taking their time to talk about you.

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