I hear it all the time, “social media is changing the world,” online and off and it is driving me crazy to tell you the truth. More and more people are using the social networks every day, yes. People love the functions and the ease of communication, yes. There is almost an addiction problem with social media right now, yes. But is it changing the world, no. Social Media is nothing more than the modern telephone and it should be handled the same way you handled your first telephone. It is a new medium between people and the best way to transfer information ever, but it is not changing the world, YOU ARE.
Right now the market as a whole is constantly using terms like revolution and change in regards to sites like Facebook and Twitter. People are convinced that this whole “social media” thing is the form of digital Jesus. It should be taken seriously as a tool, 100%, but it is not Jesus. The market also thinks that it is a tool to be used by teenagers and that they should be the ones to use this device for transmitting a message about their brands. The confusing thing is that when you look at job boards for social media they are 50% for interns and of that portion 65% are for an unpaid role in the company. This is one of the fastest growing sectors for jobs and the numbers are staggering.
I hate to be the one that blows the whistle on this momentum, but I think after the internet bubble of the 90’s we should all take a step back from industries being spawned by 20 something’s and 30’s wannabe’s (myself included). The fact is, most social sites don’t make money, they really don’t do anything more than allow you to be present 24 hours a day, communicate with people all over the globe and so on. I say all that to make sure that if you are reading this, you should note that I know the power of the sector and live it every day and in no way am I trashing it. This is written to try and help the average CMO or director of marketing so they stop screwing up the ways to use it for their businesses.
Social Media is nothing more than the modern telephone on steroids. Look back through history and take the birth of telephones, email, the internet, color TV, color print ads and all the different crazes that hit the markets over the years and ask if social media does anything more than the telephone or email. Functionally, of course they do, but in the end to end view, they are the same. By end to end I mean end user to end user. This means that ultimately a human enters content and another reads it, sees it or listens to it. So it has the same basic premise. It is the modern email and frankly, we are all awaiting the next big thing. We have grown so impatient in this digital age that those in the industry are already waiting for the next thing to pop, good grief.
That being said, shouldn’t you want to put your best foot forward when it comes to using it? Stop re-inventing the wheel and buckle down to grasp basics again please. The more I see “unpaid intern,” I am really starting to see companies pushing themselves back years and years in growth. The fact of the matter is that social media is VERY powerful and it will change the world in some way, but only if you let it. Businesses have gotten to a point that they are ready to enter the space, but it is halfway through its cycle and they need to catch up. So, please stop hiring interns to do your social media, it is embarrassing for you and those around you. This is a 24 hour reflection on your business; take it seriously, those online sure do and the numbers are staggering, so take that into account as well.
Would you use an unpaid intern to create your billboards or draft a contract for you? If you answered yes, stop reading and get back to your drinking habit please. You need to find great communicators and hold on to them as long as you can, they are the dying breed. Anyone can learn to use a computer or make a video, some better than others, but anyone can do it. Only those that are excellent at it will ever make an impact on your life or business, so put the right people in the right spots. Technology can never replace human interactions, it can only amplify them. Stop risking internet crisis by having someone that doesn’t care about your business and has nothing to lose (not even their paycheck) and put someone that is old enough to really drive behind your social media vehicles, it should be the law!
By Eric Rice
LWI and The Founders Den
The Founders Den
The Founders Den is a collaborative group of successful entrepreneurs, attorneys, investors, tax professionals, and advisors who are committed to sharing their knowledge, expertise, and resources to improve the environment for rising startup businesses. The Founders Den Members come from a variety of professional backgrounds and business sectors, and are focused on leveraging their wisdom and experience to offer advice to young companies, and in select cases the Den serves as an incubator for promising ventures who are in need of support to turn their plans into reality.
Eric Rice is a successful entrepreneur and has built a number of businesses in sectors ranging from financial services to gaming. He is currently the CEO of LWI, a non-traditional marketing firm specializing in social media and online branding.
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