About Social Media Today
Comments by Ric Dragon Subscribe 
On List.ly As a Content Marketing Tool
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On Social Media: A Reality Check
Great title-baiting - was all ready to bang my beer stein on the table, only to find that your reality check is a perfectly reasonable reality check. Kudos.
On Social Marketing: "The Lighter Fluid on the Marketing Bonfire," says Ric Dragon
You're right, Martin - products sold before, and they're going to sell in the future. With or without social media. The question is how YOUR product or brand is going to do in the market, both in the short run and in the long haul. How will you build brand equity, and gain a premium pricing? Will you create more value and be sustainable. The means for marketing are changing, and the brands that are reluctant to join in will be at a disadvantage.
On Social Marketing: "The Lighter Fluid on the Marketing Bonfire," says Ric Dragon
Hi Stephen,
I'm SO delighted with this question - and may need to include it in a larger article I'm writing write now on this very topic!
While yes, on one hand there is a return to some of the tried and true practices of the village market, or the agora, there are some fundamental differences that point to social media being at the tip of what is a bona fide revolution in business communications - the like of which have not been experienced since the invention of the movable type press.
The technologies enable customers to engage one another at a scale and speed that is unprecedented. This combined with the notion that brands must no longer engage audience/customers in a one-to-many format - and the fact that the nature of social is compelling businesses to communicate from a purpose or passion foundation - changes the nature of marketing. It IS a lot like what happens in smaller groups (a small village business) - but with the scale of large business. And big IS different!
On Paid, Earned and Owned Are Dead
Hi Maggie - good morning!
A few people, like David Armano, have created models that included a fourth - the social. It might cover what you're referring to.
You're right, we DO need to see all of our communications more holistically - BUT...
The paid/earned/owned/(maybe social) is a mentail model - just a handy tool to help us, as marketers, consider aspects of what we're doing in different ways. The model CAN still be helpful for the conversation. It doesn't mean that it EXACTLY reflects reality - just that it's a tool for thinking.
Thus, I'm not sure I'd through this baby out with the bath water.
On Common Qualities of Insanely Successful Viral Videos
Nice post. I liked the Strong Brand Persona - something that I actually believe is central to all social media activities.
In an interview for my book Social Marketology, Art Zeidman, President of UNRULY Media provided me with a great chart of the main reasons videos get shared, with underlying rationales for sharing. He also provided me with a sort of cheat sheet on determining how videos hit people differently - whether in a physical/bodily way, intellect, or soulfully. Well worth checking out.
In my own presentations on what I call "Big Splash" campaigns - i.e., those campaigns that are intended to be viral creative campaigns, I've noted that four main attributes I've found in successful campaigns somewhat overlap with your own:
1. Fun
2. Unexpected
3. Participatory
4. Cross-media
On Debunking Social Media ROI...?
I have a feeling there is a wonderful opportunity with the Social Media ROI discussion that's being missed.
First, it's a discussion. That is, with the c-suite person wondering if the budget being allocated to all this new shiny stuff is not better spent on paid search. Fair question. And if you can discuss how social can have an effect on awareness, intent to buy, or advocacy, you can then use the concept of probability to draw down how each action will effect transactions.
On Think Like Zuck
Thanks, Kay - it's a terrific book, for sure. HNY!