A moment of reflection in a mad bad 2.0 world.

1. A moment of reflection in a mad bad 2.0 world. SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT THE NEW BLACK! Jon Hallowell, Group Creative Director.

2. This is a compact disc. A CD if you will. In the 1980’s we all thought it would change the way we listen to music. It didn’t. We still used our ears, just like we always had.

3. This is Sky+. When it was launched we were told it would change the way we watched television. It didn’t. We still used our eyes, just like we always had.

4. This is the iPhone. Guess what? That’s right, it will change the way you use the telephone, or so we were told. And, guess what? It doesn’t. We still use our voices, just like we always have.

5. This is Jamie Oliver. He’s a cheeky chappy and he’ll change the way you eat. No he won’t! I’ll use my mouth, just like I always have and it will have to be a bloody good argument to convince me otherwise.

6. So, you’re probably wondering what my point is? It’s simple, all that glitters is not gold. Would you punch the cat just because your peers told you to? Of course not, you’d need a compelling reason to. And, equally importantly a good idea of what the benefit to you of doing this will be.

7. And then, along came social media. It promised to change the way we communicate with each other and our prospects. The funny thing is, in a way, it actually has!

8. The only problem is no-one really knows how to use it or how to fully leverage it’s potential just yet. If they tell you they do, they’re lying! I’ll let a wiser man than I explain. One Avinash Kaushik an Analytics Evangelist at Google.

9. “ Social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. Nobody knows how. When it’s finally done there is surprise it’s not better.”

10. Blimey! That sounds a bit depressing to me, I reckon we need a second opinion, what does Dr. Wikipedia have to say on the matter? He should know, as he is after all, the father of social media.

11. “ Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos, and audio.”

12. Cool, that all sounds fairly plausible, but pardon my French. Why on Earth should you give a monkeys? Well my friend, let me explain. Actually, it’s A.J. Liebling but I think he sums things up quite well.

13. “ Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.”

14. Does that mean that social media could possibly be the messiah? Or is it just a very naughty boy?

15. This is a hole in the wall. People have wanted holes in the wall for centuries and have used many varied methods to achieve them, from bradawls to drills to in more extreme cases stolen 4x4’s.

16. The point being, nobody ever wanted a bradawl or a drill or the stolen 4x4. They just wanted a hole in the wall. Problem is, nobody can sell you the hole itself, just the means to create it. Therein lies the rub, we all know the trend, but do we sometimes get caught up in the hype of the tools?

17. Caveat emptor. Social media can and should be serious fun. But ‘Chickity-check yo self before you wreck yo self’. Sometimes pre 1.0 can and will outperform 2.0. Heresy to some I know, but a fact. Enjoy the potential of social media as we enjoyed TV in the fifty’s and the web in the noughtie’s.

18. Do use social media as part of your comms. mix. But be aware of the trend over the latest new tools. Now, go forth and be social. And, as the late great Sgt. Phil Esterhaus said ‘lets be careful out there.’

19. For Serious B2B Marketing Fun, get online and get social. IT’S BEEN EMOTIONAL. www.marketecturegroup.co.uk