Last week I visited the east coast of Australia speaking to hiring managers and recruiters about how to use social media in their work. Many of the people I met with had expressed equal parts of interest and trepidation about entering the social media fray. Nearly every one of them was concerned about doing more harm than good.
Today I ran across a blog post from Craig Thomler speaking to the very heart of the problem.
"A number of those being employed in these new social media advisor roles don't have the mix of skills required to hit the ground running. I've heard of people with little or no experience with professional use of social media being employed as social media advisors simply on the basis of their personal use of these channel and therefore presumed competence."
I completely agree with Mr. Thomler. For years I've been attending social media conferences where the largest demographic by my guess is young people between the ages of 18 and 22. Why so many? When I ask them why they're there, most of them tell me it's because they think a job in social media would be fun.
Be very afraid
Interestingly, businesses often assign social media activities to inexperienced staff members because they have used them in their personal lives. A kid running a Facebook profile aimed at their friends is a lot different than a business using social media to extend their brand. If you're planning on running a rave or hijacking a party, by all means give it to the young people in your organization. In 2008, Corey Delaney proved he could get results with Facebook by throwing a party that made international headlines. He was celebrated and vilified but the end result was a trashed house and a big clean-up bill from the city. Is that what you want for your business?
Social media is still media
When you participate in social networks, you're broadcasting your message to a global audience. The person planning what, when, where and how to deliver it should have the experience required to manage an international marketing campaign. That person should look a lot more like me a middle-aged business person than a teenage party boy. Social media is not about the tools you use. It's about your overall marketing strategy. Social media lets you implement it in another channel you may not have approached before.
An ad-hoc approach to social media is sure to backfire
The Qantas Twitter disaster is proof throwing money at social media doesn't necessarily work, either. With four full-time employees dedicated to social networking, Qantas still got it incredibly wrong. While I'm not privy to Qantas marketing, it sounds to me like there was a disconnect between the social media message and the folks at corporate marketing. The scary part is most organisations simply take an ad-hoc, stick-the-toe-in-the-water approach to see what happens.
I ask, would you give the keys to a Ferrari to someone with a P-plate?
Where social media fits
Here's the problem. Young people are attracted to the `social' part of social media. They usually don't have an appreciation for how it can affect an organisation or a brand. They certainly don't have the experience or wisdom required to run a comprehensive social media program. Social media should be part of your overall marketing strategy. It should be driven by the message and content your organisation is distributing to the market.
Sound advice
Anyone approaching you with a social media strategy should be viewed with suspicion especially if they're not sporting a few lines on their face or grey hairs earned in the trenches. The most successful social media practitioners (I shudder at `social media expert') are good communicators with strong marketing backgrounds. You may employ young people in your organisation to help implement the plan, but don't let them drive your brand into a ditch.
Who runs your social media activity?
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Image credit: The fabulous Adrianne Barba from bird.STUDIOS
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