Month: December 2010

I recently enjoyed both the content and format of a Webby Debate titled, “Social Media is Overrated.” In the passionate discussion, well-known social media personalities Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of WineLibraryTV.com, and Techcrunch columnist, Paul Carr, unpacked the following question: Is social media a waste of time OR has social media (and social networks by default) changed the way the world works socially, politically, and economically? If you are an executive reading this post and think that you’ll find validation for your point of view in this debate, you may be disappointed. Those looking for these thought-leaders to reinforce the views that either marketing teams should abandon any other strategy for a 24×7 Twitter stream or that they should continue to dismiss the urging of their Generation Y staff for more Facebook and LinkedIn activity will find that the outcome is nuanced. If you are doing it right…..if you are testing, measuring, and adjusting…..if you are adding value to your market or community…..if you are using social media to drive conversions through your marketing funnel, you will find success over time (not overnight). Unfortunately, most of the marketers and “experts” on the social web are wasting their time. They are often confused or in denial about the marketing strategy and business skills needed to utilize social media and social networks to impact business performance. Don’t let your marketing team confuse activity for effectiveness (in any marketing channel). Look around. You may have ineffective social...