Comments on: Jumping off the Social Media Cliff

By: Lota

Lota — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:17:12 +0000

Thanks a lot for these posts! Me and a team of people here in Germany got a role to boost social media of an online company we work for (ad based and digital content sales based business models)Those guys working with me on this are SEO and Search specialists, so I guess a good first steps. But reading your blog, it really helps me to realize what we need before and how important is to have a plan and goals set before we start. Thank you again and keep up!

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:53:44 +0000

Hey,

My name is Cliff, drop over sometime! Bad joke, I know. Doing what everyone else does seems all American, but you are for sure wasting your time if you don’t know why you are doing it. To make a bigger plan work the little plans leading up to it need to work as well.

By: Nick Stamoulis

Nick Stamoulis — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:15:05 +0000

I think it is important for a newbie entering the social space to test the waters for sure but a strategic plan on how your daily efforts will be executed is very important.

By: Jill

Jill — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:46:30 +0000

Love your lemmings analogy… thanks for the great post, and inspiration!

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:15:32 +0000

cyberdov, it’s only out of your hands after the jump if the Lemming approach is taken. The metaphor of base jumping with a parachute implies that there is some degree of control with the right training, tools and a destination (goals). However, your comment about persistence is something I wholeheartedly agree with. Social participation as a marketing and communications tool takes a long term commitment, just as any worthwhile relationships do.

By: cyberdov

cyberdov — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:01:19 +0000

Actually I think it’s more like climbing a cliff. Jumping is all about getting up the nerve to start, then it’s out of your hands. So many people start a social media effort but if they are not prepared to keep putting in the effort, they grind to a halt after climbing the first few meters. They are then stuck on the cliff with nothing to show for their efforts. It’s only those who are prepared to keep up the effort that get to see the glorious view at the top!

By: sshwepps

sshwepps — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:52:01 +0000

Hi Lee

Excellent post, it conforms to much what I feel is necessary for success in social media. I would like to add two more attributes – perseverance (to sustain and nurture a relationship) and patience (to not actually wear the marketer’s hat all the time) are key (IMO) to the success of any social media marketing campaign.

According to me a good SMM plan should go like this:

1) Find out the target audience
2) Locate this target audience in various social media platforms
3) Get connected to this target audience on these platforms and get the relationship going
4) Establish your credibility through interactions where you add value to your contacts without indulging into marketing (here comes the patience part)
5) Once the credibility is established and relationships are mature enough you can actually start the marketing (keep it subtle, in your face marketing just doesn’t work on social media)
6) This is an ongoing process (here comes the perseverance part)

I am from India and into online marketing for some years now and most of what I know about social media marketing is from your posts and from the writings of Dave Evans (what a book he has written). Incidentally he is coming to India for hands-on workshops, can’t wait to be there.

By: OZ

OZ — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:36:06 +0000

Hi Lee, nice article, I agree that social media shouldn’t feel like a jump off a cliff at all. A company simply needs to apply basic business processes and assign the right people to the task.

This usually starts with someone who champions social media, the main person responsible.

The biggest mistake some companies do is not identifying specific goals and objectives for using social media, and establishing measurement processes.

Without continually measuring and tweaking social media strategy against a set of goals, it really does feel like jumping off a cliff. It’s like running a website without web analytics, how do you know whats happening?

Are there any really good web analytics tools specifically for social media?

Regards,
Omar

think in a way feels like a jump off a cliff for some companies.

By: Corey

Corey — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:59:39 +0000

i have just started a small home based buisness. in essence, my ability to sell will come from my ability to market my product and myself on the internet. currently, you could say i am taking the lemming approach by following everyone off the cliff using facebook, twitter and blogging and other such tools. i never really considered a proper approach recently, i have since learnt drawn like a moth to a light about SEO, google adwords and now your company. informative blog, it will help me make my decision and has opened my eyes to other options rather then the ye ol build it and they will come kevin costner approach. great blog, cheers!

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:59:38 +0000

Thanks – the previous link for Forrester was going directly to a ppt file. Now it’s pointing to the slideshare version of that same deck.

By: jlbraaten

jlbraaten — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:27:47 +0000

I see you on Twitter often, Lee. Nice post! (FYI your link to the Forrester piece results in a 404).

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:34:59 +0000

That’s great to hear Anthony. You’re unique and insightful to have made a plan. Come back and let us know how it goes?

By: Anthony Mora

Anthony Mora — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:39:35 +0000

This was a very, very good post. First time at this blog and I think I’ll stay!

My company is diving into the social media pool right now, and I’m glad we chose to make a plan before implementing anything. I agree that many people just go head-first into the many different social media options without considering who they’re targeting, like a law firm setting up shop on myspace.

Thanks for all the great info, Lee!

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:15:06 +0000

And memorable!

By: Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:35:02 +0000

BTW, Disney faked the lemmings commiting mass suicide – it was stage – carefully choreographed ..!

By: Sammy S.

Sammy S. — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:17:35 +0000

Great post, Lee! I especially like your list breakdown of what social media can facilitate and what it is Not. The conversations and online interactions are an amazing benefit to being part of the new social media sphere. Thanks!

By: Rhea

Rhea — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:08:49 +0000

I work at a college in the Northeast and we are jumping off the cliff right now. But we have a very careful planning process in place. It’s going to be a blast!

By: Madalyn Sklar

Madalyn Sklar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:05:56 +0000

Hey Lee, great post! You are so right in that it’s about using social networks to facilitate connections and conversations. You cannot build it thinking people will just show up. I always say it doesn’t work unless you work it.

Your insight is great!

Thanks,
Madalyn Sklar
@madalynsklar
@gogirlsmusic
@sn4m
@sn4biz