I’m predicting a backlash – hopefully of epic proportions.  I can’t wait to be honest, because for the past few years self-described social media gurus have been treading on my toes trying to convince clients to do this to create ‘one to one engagement’, or do that to ensure they’re ‘part of the conversation’, all supported by…well nothing other than a bunch of followers on Twitter usually.

Why does this bother me? Because when their half-baked strategies fail, which they’re largely bound to, customers are left only with a bad experience and no sensible answers as to why things went wrong.  And that of course means that at some point down the track, even with compelling and fact based arguments for participation, it’s a hard road convincing them to try again.  In effect, it slows rather than stimulates participation in social media.

My first gripe with gurus and consultants is that they’re rarely, if ever held accountable to performance.  Perhaps because unlike the snake oil advice they peddle, they don’t really have a strategy themselves to be around for the long haul.  

Developing a social media strategy isn’t simply a case of pumping existing marketing messages down a new channel.  In some cases social media may well transform ‘how’ you do business, and that takes careful change management, not a fire and see mentality.

My second issue is that they generally take an overly optimistic approach to assessing risk vs. reward.  Perhaps this has something to do with gripe number one and not thinking past their current consulting assignment.  The point is, this is really new territory for marketers.  If anyone tells you that they can guarantee the results of a social media campaign or programme – start running, and don’t look back. 

For every success story like Dell or Zappos, there are hundreds of abject failures.  Which in itself is not a reason to shy away from participation, but it is a reason to make sure you head into each project with a solid understanding of the risks.  If your ‘consultant’ hasn’t at least made an effort to anticipate various problem scenarios and how to handle them, then it’s hard to believe they’ve got your brand’s interests at heart. 

My final issue is the manner in which ‘guru’ status is affirmed.  Having a million followers on Twitter doesn’t actually mean a thing.  I wouldn’t ask my sister for advice on installing a telephone system just because she spends 6 hours a day on calls to her friends.

Being able to download the latest ‘Did you Know?’ video from YouTube or this week’s social media zeitgeist presentation from Slideshare doesn’t really cut it either.  They may be great educational tools, but building a social media strategy or programme takes a little more nous than regurgitating a few pithy quotes off a powerpoint deck. 

Social media is one of the biggest shifts in marketing ever seen.  And for those that take the time to understand how it works, and respect the implications of various tactics, it’s a game changer.  Jump in blind or carelessly off the back of bad advice, and catastrophe is likely to follow.

Yes I’m predicting a backlash and while weeding out the gurus from the actual thinkers isn’t a bad thing, I’m hoping that in the middle of it, our clients don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

PS: to those ‘practitioners’ out there that do know what you’re doing.  This isn’t aimed at you - just sayin’.

Although David probably had deceitful marketing practices in his sights with this gem, I believe it holds equally true for communication aimed at what marketers perceive to be the sweet spot – the big mass in the fat part of the bell curve.

So even though some parts of the industry keep plugging away shouting increasingly similar messages to disengaged and disinterested customers, the future of advertising is surely not more of the same.

Digital has removed one of the most important features of the old media model - scarcity.  There are now more channels and more available spots than you could ever possibly want.  And if you can’t find something suitable, you can just create your own.

What this has meant for consumers, is an incredible overload of advertising messages shouting the same old slogans and messages that we’ve been hearing for years on every other channel in existence. Being the adaptable creatures that we are, we have compensated for this by becoming extremely adept at blocking out the hundreds if not thousands of unwanted messages and interruptions we are exposed to every day. 

So where does that leave us? As marketers, how do we get our important and valuable messages through to those customers who want, or need to see them?  And how do we make sure we don’t add to the unwanted pile of advertising communication, but instead work to create deliberate and appreciated value?

Well we can start by getting to know them - and I don’t mean getting to know the customer persona developed by the planning team helping to tailor messaging aimed at that fat part of the curve.  I mean really get to know them, as individuals, as people, as valuable customers. 

Our senior digital planner likens it to dating.  If you’re intent on going straight to third base on your first outing – the likelihood of failure is understandably high.  But if you take a longer term view – get to know your date, work out what you have in common and what each of you might have to offer the relationship, chances are you’ll be invited back.

Digital is the key enabler for developing these types of rich and value based relationships with your customers.  Understanding the various merits of each channel is an important part of building your own customer relationship strategy.  

Take social media channels for example.  The following table outlines the value profiles of some of the more popular social media platforms in use right now.  

So not surprisingly, understanding your specific objectives is a critical part of the channel selection process.  As the saying goes, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do.”

To paraphrase Helge Tenno - we need to be harnessing the mechanics and dynamics of online conversations and these various channels, in order to create buzz, attention and interest in the ‘value’ our brands bring to the table.  The objective however, is not to interrupt conversations but contagiously ignite them.

One caveat.  Not only is the customer not a moron, they are also no longer silent.  They have a voice and they’re not afraid to use it, so treat them with respect at all times.

In 2007 I started working on an idea that I thought would change the world.  Make it into a better place and all that.  My unbridled enthusiasm was unfortunately not met in equal measure by the people I needed to help me, and after six months I begrudgingly put the project into the bottom drawer and went out and got a real job.

So when a new friend of mine started talking about her dreams and vision for a better world and an idea she thought might just be the key – I had a choice.  I could either deliver my pragmatic and slightly cynical view on things, or I could play the idealist and look at this as a second chance, an opportunity to recapture my own zeal.

I’ve chosen the latter, and for the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about the role digital, and specifically social media has in a world that desperately needs an increasingly greater commitment to social responsibility, both from its citizens and the business community.

In short, how do we educate people to be more generous?

I’m going to break down my thinking over a series of posts.  Comments very welcome.  Who knows, maybe we can change the world.