Communication Ammo, by Sean Williams

Brian Solis of PR 2.0 gives 2,000 words bemoaning the lack of “masters” of social media, and decrying the surfeit of “experts” in Twitter. The Comment stream is very interesting, as Solis gathers trackbacks and positive comments.

There was one paragraph that made me stop and reread:

• Caution, however, isn’t something we throw to the wind.  Within social networks and the blogosphere, the rules of engagement are currently in the process of definition. History serves as a foundation for intelligence. However, as historians evaluate events outside of their historical setting, in this case behavior in social networks vs. the efficiencies and lessons learned in the era of broadcast marketing, history ceases to be history and starts to transform into sociology. There’s much to learn, but we can’t grasp or master anything by sitting idly and watching the world pass us by. Nor, can we jump in with both feet and engage without observing how we effectively contribute value and also earn the relationships that spark communities, associations, and ultimately action and/or commerce.

Indeed the rules of engagement ARE being defined — and that accounts, I believe, for the lack of authority in this communication space.

He adds:

• We’re intrigued and infatuated with “social media” and we’re lured into the illusion of expertise through experimentation when we’re not quite sure of how our personal endeavors translate into the unique cultures, business climates, market challenges, competitor history, state of customer perception, an understanding of customer pains and requirements, and where they seek guidance.

What we all need is a dose of healthy skepticism about all of these tools, and our tried and true strategies for public relations. This skepticism isn’t negativity, nay-saying or failure to “get it.” It’s merely a sense of caution derived from our logical desire to use our organization’s funds (or those of our clients) on strategies that are likely to bring about business results.

As the measurement and evaluation corner of the PR world continues to explore the best ways of determining the effectiveness of social media activities, we should expect those approving those activities to be skeptical.  After all, this is the undiscovered country. There are case studies that suggest organizations can make money in this space — Southwest Airlines, Dell, even Comcast have made hay in the Web. 2.0 space. But have we seen reputable research on impact on organizational reputation? What about research delineating the relative impact on business results of specific social media strategies (Twitter, blogs, comments on discussion boards, etc.)?

The fact is, even the “experts” are making assumptions about these impacts, in part because the cost of research is so great and the existing body of research in that area so small.

So, the pitcher of “Kool-Aid” is on the countertop, with glasses all around — take a sip?  Sure! But maybe taste it BEFORE you add the sugar and guzzle it down.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 1:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.