“Social Media” Should be Considered A Swear Word

ou’re probably thinking, “What an odd title coming from a company that is in the business of social media.” But how many times a day do you hear the term, “social media?” I’m guessing a couple dozen, if not more. For us, who work in the online marketing space, it is easily 200+. The repetition of the phrase is not the problem. It’s the hype, stigma and emotional response evoked when hearing the term that we have a problem with.

From Facebook’s IPO, to every brand in the world wanting to connect with you via Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, Facebook or Instragram (the list is considerably longer), you can’t get away from the far reaching social media monster. Lost in this hype, we’ve found, is the fundamental reason why almost 1 billion people are on Facebook; to connect.

At some point, connecting meant a $ sign. There are actually statistics out there which calculate how much each Facebook user is worth in advertising dollars, based on variables such as age, sex and location (I’m worth about $9 annually, so forgive me for my bitterness). I remember back in 2006 when I first signed up for Facebook and there were no ads, very few brands; it was generally “clean.” I can’t say the same anymore.

This convoluted mess has become mainstream and businesses have jumped on board. They know traditional marketing & advertising has become far less effective, there is simply too much of it. Social Media allows for them to expose their brand to us within our inner circles, where we spend unguarded time and open ourselves up to sharing. Sneaky eh?

That’s why I say, no more “social media.” Your online strategy should be focused on connecting, communicating and at the risk of sounding lame, being a good friend. Offering advice, giving and listening should be your only purpose when operating on social forums.

As online marketing becomes the norm, eventually we will start tuning it out much like we do billboards, TV commercials and newspaper ads. I would argue most of us already do, making the subtle but significant switch even more important. If you own a brand, connect with your customers & target market the way they connect with their friends; honestly.