When You Have A Hammer Everything Looks Like A Nail
What Is The Biggest Mistake Companies Make With Their Social Media Strategy?
Editor Steve Farnsworth (@Steveology)
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The problem with most companies is they have implemented a tools-based strategy, and as everyone knows, say it with me class, “That is not a strategy at all!”
That’s like showing up to the construction site with only a few 2 x 4s, a hand full of nails, and a hammer. Where are your blueprints? Are you going to build an outhouse or The Taj Mahal? I guess when you have a hammer everything looks like a nail. That must be why most companies’ social media “strategy” looks like an outhouse…Ba-dum-bum. I’ll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress….
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PR = Press Release
Anyway… From my time in public relations this ignorance was a constant educational battle. Less enlightened clients often saw PR as press releases and news clippings. By seeing only tools you miss what it can really build.
I loved public relations for its ability to make a real impact on the way clients and prospects thought about my company, the product, and the product’s category. I influenced their perception by understanding what that public already thought about my product, and in what context they talked about my brand. Having a clear picture of where I wanted to move that perception I then provided news, information, and social proof that supported that point of view I wanted them to consider. It worked, too. It works the same in social communications and social marketing.
I Don’t Need It Good, I Need It Thursday
Where companies and senior executives usually go off the rails in developing a strategy for social media is seeing the shiny objects and getting distracted. Instead they need to stop and look at the process they want to influence, and decide where they want to take that conversation.
Fundamentally, marketing has always been about conversations between the maker and buyers of goods or services. In the past it was always one-to-many, like broadcast advertising. However, given the role of the Internet in our everyday communications we now have a many-to-many or omni-directional conversation, with consumers talking and sharing with others on a massive scale.
It’s surprising how many marketers and senior executives live in the past where they delude themselves that they still control the message and the medium. How do these guys keep their jobs?
What’s The Frequency Kenneth?
To create an effective strategy brands need to ask the right questions and learn where their audience is and in what context those consumers talk about the brand.
When you understand the “how,” “why,” and “where” a company’s target prospects talk about the brand, then you can understand better what is important to them, and when you understand that, finding and developing a strategy that supports your business goals should be self-evident.
You can find this information out the hard way, or the easy way. If you can afford social media monitoring, I highly recommend it. If used correctly it will pay for itself. If that’s not in the budget, at the very least you should be asking your customers in what communities they are talking about the company’s products. Then go take a look and see what customers are saying.
Now, you can ask the million dollar question: What news, information, and social proof supports the point of view do you wanted them to consider? Figure that out and you’re on the way to developing a cogent social media strategy
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Disclosure
This contains an updated excerpt from an interview I gave to Andrew Worob that appeared originally on his most excellent blog PR at Sunrise.
40deuce
October 13, 2010
Great post Steve. I don’t have much to add, but wanted to say I completely agree with what you have here.
Cheers,
Sheldon, community manager for Sysomos
Steve Farnsworth
October 13, 2010
I really appreciate that, and thank you for the tweet!
Rachel Berry
October 14, 2010
I agree with everything you said, too – but in some case the tools, or absence thereof, IS the marketing department’s strategy. They have not established a social media presence…so they are saying to customers, “We are such a big, important company that we don’t need this ‘social media’ stuff, we’re confident we will dominate the marketplace without it.” And in some cases, they are making a deliberate choice to ignore those channels. What is amazing to me is that this approach still passes muster with senior management, because they have a) ignored the tools themselves and b) they want to believe that the marketing guys have it all under control.
Christopher
October 17, 2010
Awesome article. I absolutely agree with the focus on strategy and not on the tool. Getting people to take that jump in understanding from simply trying to understand what social media is, to using it effectively in their marketing is a big challenge.
An analogy I used recently was with math. There is a huge difference between understanding what algebra is conceptually, doing equations, then applying it to a problem, and lastly seeing a problem and knowing what kind of math (algebra in this case) to apply to the problem, and hopefully solve it.
The first step, I agree, is to determine the strategy first, and how the social media environment can engage in the conversations you want to be strategically having with the desired target audience (right people, and right conversation are key). Thanks again for the great article.
Mark Roos
October 19, 2010
Great blog. I have this conversation on a daily basis with clients. It’s still new to the small to medium sized business, but just think of where we’ll be 12 months from now! The days of building the airplane as your flying it are gone. No strategy = wasted effort and as we all know the toddler years of social media are fleeting as I type each word of this reply. Our baby is growing into an amped up roided out teen that needs structure and guidance and as parents it’s our job to provide structure and guidance in a world of out the box one size fits all fast food social media “solutions”. Now put down that hammer and pass me project plan and lets get to work.
Steve Farnsworth
October 19, 2010
Well said!
Srinivas Rao
October 23, 2010
Steve,
Really interesting topic and something I am very passionate about. My day job is running social media for a travel company. Something that amazes me is the amount people who run social media who don’t have personal blogs. That’s like a putting fry chef in charge of brain surgery. I also think most corporate blogs are boring. You have to wonder why an individual can build a 4000 subscriber audience and a corporate blog seems to have nothing going on. Anyways, there’s plenty to say on this topic.
Steve Farnsworth
October 23, 2010
Regarding personal blogs I agree for the most part. However, It’s because I think the thing we call social media is about communications. When someone doesn’t have a communications background, or have very strong writing skills, I question that person’s ability in that role. Which is why I am dubious of social media mangers with purely tech work histories. That said, one of the best pastry chefs I know doesn’t eat pastry. Go figure. While I think that is an anomaly I try to keep an open mind, but like you when I see someone without a blog it raises some flags.
Krista
October 27, 2010
Hi Steve- way to hit the nail on the head! Glad to see I am not alone in this battle. I also agree with Mark Roos in that this is still new territory for many businesses (I work with healthcare and pharma companies- highly regulated!) so the idea of a strategy that ties it all together for them may not make sense yet.
Steve Farnsworth
October 27, 2010
There is an irony in their reluctance. Ff they had a unified plan it would be easier to manage compliance. Funny how that works. It’s like when people are “too busy” to take a time management class.
Todd Bartlett
August 21, 2012
Hey Steve:
Good post but the only thing that I would add is that your fist step should be to tie your social media strategy to business objectives. It’s important that you understand how social media can help you achieve those objectives.
In his book Social Media ROI, Oliver Blanchard, does a great job defining the difference between social media strategies and social media tactics. According to Blanchard, a “strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal or objective” and “tactics are the mean by which a strategy may be carried out.”
Steve Farnsworth A.K.A. @Steveology
August 21, 2012
I absolutely agree. Even large companies often think in terms of tactics and fail to connect them to goals.
Abby Francis
December 6, 2012
Great post. I seen it retweeted on Twitter. As a third year university student interested in PR, it always astonishes me when I read companies being persuaded to use social media. I find it difficult to think of a time without it. The importance of social media is not only taught throughout my PR modules but through my English course too. I believe the next generation of PR professionals will be well equipped to follow your good advice.