Comments by Brandon Sutton Subscribe

On Facebook Is Not ‘Social Media’

Tommy, you and Anna are absolutely right.  See my reply to her comment in this thread - I mentioned an entry I did on this topic in 2007.  

Your point about the real work happening when you get 'down and dirty' is well stated.  In fact, it underscores why the title of this post is so important and why headlines such as the one I referenced can be so misleading.  

You mention the huge numbers of people on Facebook and how it's hard to ignore.  I agree totally.  At the same time Facebook is not always the best channel for a particular brand or organization to connect with people and have a productive, mutually beneficial conversation. Just because the numbers are there doesn't mean the opportunities are ripe for engaging people.  There may be smaller communities that have much greater potential for brands. All of this comes out in the strategic planning process, which is why it's important to build on a solid, strategic foundation, not just chase the latest 'it' thing in social media.

It's like you said, taking what you learn and applying it in your product development cycle is crucial.  That doesn't happen by just posting content on Facebook.  This is a whole different type of engagement that occurs throughout the social web.  

Thanks for the comment, Tommy. 

On Facebook Is Not ‘Social Media’

Anna, you've hit the nail on the head with this.  This is a huge opportunity IF brands are listening AND taking action on what they hear.  Seems like common sense to me.  

When I read your comment, I was reminded of an early blog entry I did that touches on this topic.  You might enjoy it. Thanks for the excellent commentary here! 

 

 

On Facebook Is Not ‘Social Media’

Amen, Ryan.  I couldn't have said it any better myself.  Thanks for the comment!

On Facebook Is Not ‘Social Media’

Good point, Jim.  Again, this highlights how there is not a single solution for every business.  What works wonderfully for some small businesses might not be as effective for others.  'Social Media' is not a one size fits all field, and strategic thinking is critical for realizing a positive ROI, regardless of the industry. Thanks for the comment, and keep up the great work with your clients. 

On Facebook Is Not ‘Social Media’

Thanks Cendrine,

It's been interesting to hear feedback from people that are not big Facebook fans - pardong the pun.  And your point about not owning Facebook is a well stated.  I think it's important to use tools like Facebook to build your community on your own properties when possible. However, it's not an either/or, it's both in my opinion.

I believe we have to engage where people are, and not rely on getting them out of the communities they are participating in, BUT we can provide encouragement, incentives, etc. to get them to join us on properties that we do own and have more control of.  It's all about balance, and yes, common sense.  :)

On Social Media Etiquette - Stop being the Social Grinch who stole Christmas!

Great topic Trisha - thanks for putting this out there.  I have found that by posting comments on other blogs, linking to other blogs in my blog entries, and re-tweeting interesting content, not only do I show support for those other writers, but people that are following me or keeping up with my writing get a sense of how I work in the space.  I genuinely like to see what other people are talking about and enjoy the discussion in the comments of many of the blogs that I read.  Being part of the conversation seems natural to me, and I try to always show my appreciation for the author and those who comment as well. 

Thanks again for the post and Happy Holidays!

@brandon101

On The Death of Sexy — Social Media, Integration and Real Business

Excellent Jason!  I absolutely agree and hope we will see more convergence in the coming year.  We should be talking about how we can integrate 'social' into all aspects of business.  By thinking in this way, we also un-tether ourselves from specific tactics, services, etc.  After all, there are no guarantees that any of the shiny toys of today will be around, or be as effective or relevant in a year or two. 

Love your thinking here - I look forward to more of this type of conversation in 2010.  Thanks for the insight!

On Is Starting A Corporate Blog True To Your Company Culture?

Great topic John.  When I'm talking with a client or prospective client, one of the first things I ask is 'are you ready to commit to an open, honest, and ongoing conversation with your customers?'  I find that this helps frame the conversation and reinforce that social media isn't a 'campaign' that has a start and end date.  This type of interaction with customers, employees, etc. is a fundamental change in the corporate communications approach.  It's best that we put that out in the open right away so we are clear on what will be expected once we engage.

Thanks for the post - definitely good reading for companies who are about to dive in.

On Where Measurement Falls Short

Posted this over at Altitude, but wanted to comment here as well:

You really put a lot of thought into this Amber – thanks for the discussion. This is obviously a hot topic right now, and doesn’t show any signs of settling down anytime soon.

I have to wonder if we (the Interactive Marketing industry) screwed ourselves 10 years ago by harping on measurement too much. I’m guilty of it – we used to chide traditional advertising and marketing as difficult (or even impossible) to measure, while we provided wonderful statistical evidence of purchase intent, brand awareness, event attendance, viral growth, etc. through click through rates, web visits, RSVP lists, referral links, and the like. The point is that while those metrics were obviously quite valuable when analyzed in the proper context, they didn’t tell the whole story, just as the metrics we have available to us today don’t tell the whole story. Short of embedding a chip in everyone’s brain that tracks all of the impressions, recommendations, brand experiences, etc. that an individual parses before an actual purchase, we will never be able to confirm hard and absolutely 100% reliable ROI.

Even with the conversation pathing you described above (which is excellent thinking btw), there is still a whole other world out there of non-digital elements to consider. Traditional media, person-to-person interactions, physical experiences with the brand, and other factors will always play a part in a person’s decision to purchase. How do we measure that – we can’t always. That doesn’t mean these things aren’t valuable and potentially even more causal than anything we are measuring digitally.

We should seek to measure everything we possibly can, but I would argue that we cannot get so wrapped up in the metrics that we don’t leave room for the human factor – i.e. analysis of the numbers by humans to provide an educated opinion on what they mean.

Thanks for the thought you put into this. It’s obvious you are right at home at Radian6. :)

On The Principle of Transparency: A Tale of Two Employers

Definitely agree on your ROI thoughts, and we should of course strive to provide measurable results to the extent possible.  But in addition, perhaps the 'Return on Relationships' should also be a factor in the equation?  Maybe there is a formula for this that could be developed to clear up some of the debate around ROI as it pertains to social media programs.  Sounds like a blog post in the making.  ;)

On The Principle of Transparency: A Tale of Two Employers

This is an excellent example of living and breathing the principles that are so often referred to casually in discussions regarding social media.  I'm sure this was a tough situation to navigate at first, but you proved that by being open an honest, the outcome was much better for everyone involved.  This is no doubt a challenge for marketers far and wide that may want to be open with their audience, but they struggle with taking that first scary step. Kudos to you for leading by example.

As a side note, I remember the post and subsequent debate you are referring to.  I didn't put it together at first when you announced you were going to Forrester, but what a great outcome!  This is an excellent case study in and of itself.  Thanks for sharing. 

On The Media Bypass

Peter, you summed it up nicely in the last paragraph.  It all comes down to what you choose to measure.  I've always thought it was interesting how digital (and now social) marketing tends to be held to a higher standard of measurement than more traditional disciplines like advertising and PR, but that's another post entirely. 

In the end, aren't we supposed to be making the cash register ring?  Isn't that the measure we should be looking at?  The New York Times doesn't go into the store to buy something, consumers do.  Thanks for the post!