As he is wont to do, Michael Schechter said something very interesting, this time on a recent post of mine (this one over here). Here is what Michael said:
It’s become more about the people than the work or even the subject at hand. If we just shifted our focus from our feelings to the subject at hand, we’d be stronger for it… as would the space as a whole. Because the real problem is that the fear of hurting someones feelings (and to an equal extent, people’s inability to make a point without doing so) just takes us away from what’s really important, examining and learning about whatever subject is at hand.
This has been rolling around in my head for awhile now when it comes especially to how we can help businesses online. It seems like there is always a thread in the online world that goes one of two ways.
1. All agencies are evil. They over-promise, under-deliver, and rip companies off.
2. Social Media experts are evil. They over-promise, under-deliver, and rip companies off.
While it may be companies that begin these conversations, aforementioned agency types and social media types tend to add fuel to the fire. An agency person (or someone who was in marketing long before social media was born) may say something like, “Oh yeah, those social media types have NO idea what they are talking about.” Meanwhile the social media folks may write about how agencies have no idea how to work in the new world of marketing.
The problem is that both sides are making some interesting points, but what is being forgotten, per Michael’s comment, is that all of these points should be noted and explored in an effort to help the companies we are working with and for. Attacking other people on Twitter or in the blogosphere really doesn’t do anything except propagate the worst rumors about everybody.
With all of that said, let’s talk about some of the accusations that are floating around out there. How can we analyze these issues in a way that will actually help companies out? Let’s see what we can do.
Agencies say…Social Media folks don’t understand a lot of basic marketing concepts.
If you are steeped in the world of social media, you’ve probably heard that your brand is basically your logo. Maybe you heard that ROI doesn’t exist in the online world or that it stands for “Return on Influence.” Maybe you’ve heard that B2B has been replaced by Person-to-Person business. Maybe you’ve heard that cold-calling is stupid and print is dead.
What companies need to know: Branding encapsulates so much more than just your logo or what color choices you use on your company website. Branding means molding the experience your customers will have with you and molding the experience your employees will have with you. It means having a vision and a mission. It means communicating consistently across any platform you might touch. If you do not fully grasp your company brand, it will be very difficult to create any type of marketing campaign that will be truly effective.
If you do not understand ROI, your company could go broke and you will have no idea why.
As for various marketing tactics that have been declared dead, for some companies it may be true, for others it could not be further from the truth. Companies will benefit from researching from their own unique vantage point and seeing what will work best for them.
Social Media experts say…full-service agencies are not going to give you the best service possible
I just had this conversation this morning with author Jeremy Waite, who said, “Not a fan of “full service” as it often tends to be a compromise.” I have a feeling a lot of people may feel that way, unfortunately.
What companies need to know: If an agency, especially a one-person agency, says that they can do absolutely everything for you on their own, you should probably be suspicious. The strength of the agency in today’s modern world is that they can become a hub for your company. For example, our agency works with videographers, voice-over talent, SEO companies, printers, and other vendors. These partners add to our capabilities, and our ability to network with these companies takes the strain off of the clients we work with. We do the back-and-forth, we interface on behalf of our clients, and we inform our partners when it comes to our clients’ expectations.
That being said, we can also offer a lot in-house. We can create literature, press releases, advertisements, booth graphics, websites, and more. We call ourselves a full-service marketing firm but only offer the strongest solutions to our clients. If that means we need to network with a vendor, hey, we do that. I’m sure many other agencies and marketers do as well. The ones that do not are the ones that give all of us a bad name.
And remember – something as simple and banal as proofreading takes two people. If a person is claiming to be a one-person marketing master, your alerts should buzz at level red.
Agencies and Social Media people say…the other guys do nothing but offer silver bullets
Whether the words used are along the lines of “Snake-oil salesmen” or “complete rip-offs,” you will often hear one group calling the other a bunch of charlatans.
What companies need to know: There are NO silver bullets. If someone offers to create a viral video for you, back away. If someone suggests you purchase online followers, back away. If someone says that x tactic that has worked for you for years “is dead,” back away. If someone says that social media is a fad, back away.
In fact, whether you are dealing with a social media expert or an agency person, there are a few key indicators that you can look for that will tell you to put your guard up.
• They sell their services to you based on how many Twitter followers they have
• They offer you a marketing proposal *before* talking to you
• They call themselves a guru – of anything
• They pronounce any marketing tactic as “dead” before talking to you
• They talk only about themselves
The list goes on and on.
The bottom line is that these are hard times. I don’t know if you noticed, but the world economy is still going through a pretty tough time (although there may be some faint light filtering through that end of the tunnel). What marketers, social media people, anyone who works with companies really need to focus on is how to help their clients. Yes, there is a fire hose of information to absorb. Yes, a lot of things are new, and a lot of the old things have changed. Just keeping up with all of that should be enough to occupy our time – so we can assist our clients.
If you help enough companies succeed, you won’t need to have a smarts contest on Twitter or on your blog. Your work will speak for itself. Whether you are rooted in the agency world, the social media world, or *gasp* both.
What do you think? Can we alter our focus away from the mad-dog-attack-everyone style and work towards helping companies succeed?
1st Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hodac/2268933474/ via Creative Commons
2nd Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/petesimon/3365916854/ via Creative Commons
Margie,
How refreshing. As someone who owned a marketing firm for 20+ years, I can just say that this we-must-choose: “traditional”-marketing-or-social-media-marketing mindset is short-sighted and not in the best interests of our clients. I know established business that are not using social media and are still very successful, businesses that are heavy on the social media side and businesses that are succeeding wildly with a nice balance between the two. One size does not fit all!
And while the impression is that the social media crowd is younger and more hip, I see older biz owners jumping in and using these tools to promote, network and get closer to their customers, too. I abhor the black-and-white thinking. The best marketers will look at a business and its goals and needs and craft the strategies that are most promising for that particular business. And, as you said, we cannot provide it all. We a strong network of vendors and providers, we can offer comprehensive solutions for our clients.
What a great topic for discussion here.
@JudyDunn Thanks, and well said as usual, Judy. I just don’t understand it. Both sides do dumb things, both sides do great things. Why do we need sides again? 🙂
Many people who are working with larger brands do not have hours to spend online bashing other people.They are busy working. That’s my observation. While the social media “gurus” were debating how Ogilvy PR would handle the Koman situation, Ogilvy was busy handling it. It’s Ogilvy. They are not amateurs by any stretch. It’s like anything in life: taking the high road is always the best road. The work will speak for itself.
@brandcottage I agree, Patricia. If you have enough time to write about how much the other side stinks, maybe you need to get more work instead of more blog traffic. Just tossing that out there for consideration 🙂
The tone of the debate would alter significantly if all sides were required to produce hard evidence for their claims (namely, proof of a client’s increased sales and profits). Ever notice, blowhards never do that?
@robertfjames Yes, I have noticed that. Very few wild claims seem solidly based on, say, reality.
Really good post, Margie. I’ve worked for a couple of “traditional” agencies, a couple of digital agencies, and a lot of my friends are independent social media consultants. There are good eggs and bad apples in both groups. Ultimately, as @brandcottage points out, your work is what matters. Good work earns more work, and more client recommendations. 🙂
@KatFrench Thanks Kat. Yep, that’s pretty much the long and short of it!
I, personally, think anyone who can use the word Nincompoop in such a serious manner, is to be paid attention to. That is what I think. (And yes, I believe no one could have nailed it better than Michael did in his comment.)
Just thought I would stop in and say hey plus see what ants might have gotten in your pants this cloudy grey day. Actually… my email had two posts on it- I wanna go see the “info-graphic” – Bye!
@girlygrizzly Yeah yeah…I’m trying to raise the level of blog talk. How am I doing so far? 🙂
@margieclayman Fugelsnot. Wickety-Wack. Nincompoop.
Personally? I have to say thank you. I am raising my children in a “hunting camp” you see…. Papa likes to blame my mouth on the US Navy…I remind him that war or not, I only served for four years…I’ve been HERE for more than 20… needless to say these give me something to replace my normal vocabulary with! Ya know, my son is now 13. When HE was 3-ish, we told him, you can’t say these things. My daughter is now 4.5. Fugelsnot. We tried telling her that. You really, REALLY do not want to know what she had to say in return.
So. Thank you. Keep up the good work!
I ranted on this last week. It’s becoming such a ridiculous argument that it probably looks like Team Jacob vs. Team Edward in the eyes of many corporations. (Shut up, I have teenaged daughters ok)
While I am a solo consultant and not an agency, I do have an agency in my pocket. I have a team of designers, copywriters, videographers, etc. that I work with regularly. It’s sort of the new agency model for some. I’m not saying the old agency model is dead (though that would be ironic) im just saying that many have shifted. That’s not good or bad, it is what it is.
I think companies need to do their due diligence before hiring anyone. Make sure that an agency or individual is what they need. There is plenty of room in the market for both, but the way we’re handling the competition is rather juvenile.
@Chris_Eh_Young Chris, you and your project-partners are nano corporations. You’re right, we’ll be seeing a lot more of that in the future, in all industries. It’s fascinating for me to observe how the economy is transforming back to the cottage industries of the pre-industrial era now that we’re all so connected. Anyway, use your “nano corp” status to your advantage; don’t apologize for it! You’re nimble, and that’s only good for your clients.
@Chris_Eh_Young Suuuuure, blame the daughters. Nice one!
So much fo what happens in the online world is like Team Edward v Team Jacob. It’s hard to believe that there aren’t more companies saying “Um….y’all are insane.” Maybe they are saying that and it just can’t be heard through the noise. I don’t know. But the calling out, the saying that one way of doing things is dead or stupid or backward or whatever…it all accomplishes nothing except for making everybody look stupid or backward. What a waste.
Margie, Brava! I expect nothing less of you, but still: outstanding.
Here’s the “trick” with any business proposal: start by asking questions. What does the client want to accomplish? The business result, not the marketing plan. What is their ultimate goal? Then, where are they today? Bridging the gap between today and the ideal future, in a completely customized way that fits their brand, their aspirations, their industry and market… that is why they need outside expertise (if indeed they do. Sometimes it will turn out they don’t, and you have to be ready to walk away if they are fine as-is.)
For an outside, dispassionate observer, here’s what I see of traditional marketing versus new media marketing: no difference! Social gives marketeers new tools. Yes, it is changing the face of marketing radically, and we’ve barely begun. But marketing is not dead, and social is not a panacea! Come on, get real, folks.
As a one-man show, I don’t have any need for a marketing advisor at present, but if I did Margie – and I mean this in all sincerity – if I did, your thoughtful, sober-minded advice would draw me to you like a bee to honey. Keep above this counterproductive fray exactly as you are. I say it again: BRAVA!
@tedcoine I’m really touched that you feel that way, Ted. That means a lot to me.
Yes, social media is a way of doing marketing. A lot of it is new, but a lot of it is also based on marketing principles that have been around for ages. The fact that those principles are being dispensed with because people simply don’t know them is very frustrating, and I fear companies are going to be the ones that will be most hurt by these oversights. I think it will be an interesting next six months to a year for social media – I sense a backlash may come the way of the online world as companies begin to realize they weren’t quite getting the 100% full story. We shall see.