Nothing Sadder than an empty glass of Champagne
What is Social Media Marketing ? I kid you not, I have heard in a meeting with a client “We should do SMS” instead of “SNS”. Good for you. Would you like some M&M’S too?
It seems like with all this buzz and name-dropping, people tend to forget to start from the beginning : understand basic principles of Social Media, how to’s and think how it could apply to one’s industry. Some trends don’t fit everybody, just like slim jeans.
But even understanding what it is and how it works is not enough.
I know what is a plane. I kinda understand how it works with all the forward motion and stuff. But even if I know where I want to go it doesn’t mean I will get there without an excellent pilot (specialized agency), and some fuel - money that’s right, there is no such thing as a good stuff free…
Social Media is a powerful tool and like anything powerful – arts, media, a Victoria secret model, H-bomb.., it needs to be in handled with great care.
I would like to quote Lafayette – the hysterical black gay character in True Blood, not the French aristocrat and general in the american revolutionary war (what can I say, at least most of you know who I am talking about) :
“Don’t blame the Ferrari just because yo’ass can’t drive”
Social Media is a Ferrari and needs skilled drivers. Skills like having a deep knowledge of the social media landscape in China and knowing how to use it, using best practices from abroad and being able to adapt them to local behaviors.
Start with content. Recently I heard ”Content is not very important, I don’t want to focus on that. Just drive traffic to my site and I am happy”
Well, sure. Do you think you’ll have a crowd coming to your house party if there nothing to drink and nothing to eat – in fact, no party ? I can already see the % of your bounce rate, and it’s no low…And once the people are gone, they are not likely to come back any soon.
Why content is the key? Because when you enter social networks, you are not welcomed as a brand. My fellow Buzzman quotes Bob Thacker, senior VP-marketing and advertising at OfficeMax :
« The secret is respecting the consumer.You are interrupting their life. All advertising is unwanted, so if you’re going to crash the party, bring some champagne with you. »
What is the champagne you’re bringing ? Content. Entertaining and good stuff : Champagne yes, Prosecco no. It can be insights, tips, gifts, or just a good laugh but it must contribute to make the readers interested in you enough to come (drive traffic to your site) and talk about you (viral).
Quality only will make Quantity. Chin-chin…
