The New Rules Within Social Media

Okay.... I know I said "new", but really these 'rules' are a culmination of the common sense guidelines that is naturally present in friendship social circles. So what are the guidelines and how do they impact businesses within social media? Has the internet yet again twisted the playing field on what is okay and what is not when it comes to interacting with the public at large.

Social media is rather simple in its core. It works on the same principles that you deal with at any face-to-face social event. Here are, in my opinion, the top 3 'guidelines' for social media success:

Be Real or Be Funny...
Over-the-top marketing is out. The use of comedy is in. Just as in patterns of the past, over the past 15 years there has been a shift in how businesses advertise. However, rather than shifting like the industry has in the past 100 years, social media style advertising is delivering a whole new untapped highway on how to pull the subtle heartstrings of the end buyer.... or in this case, cause an endorphin rush.

That said, 'good' social media has been shown to be a success when you can drive the desire of an audience to repeat the experience; just like in other advertising mediums. However, finding the balance of ensuring they remember your brand, that is now hidden within an endorphin rush, can be tricky. You can read more on this here >>

Be Generous...
Follow the 12:1 social media formula: provide information and advice to others 12 times as often as they push their services. The smartest people in any field look at other smart people in their field as collaborators, rather than competitors. They brainstorm with colleagues, provide resources to them, and aren't afraid to ask for or provide help.

Understand KISS...
"Keep it Strategic Silly" - (Thank you B.L Ochman)

Let's look at KFC as an example of what NOT to do:
KFC Strategy:

• Introduce grilled chicken to the menu
• Call the campaign Unthink

KFC Tactics:

• Hook up with Oprah to offer coupons for free grilled chicken to everyone on the planet.
• Wring hands and say OMG OMG when everyone in America showed up and there wasn't enough chicken
• Run YouTube video contest for people to say how much they love KFC, get 4 entries in a month
• Expand contest to MySpace page
• Keep asking people to tell them what is so great about KFC
• Run print ads about the contests
• Be on Twitter. And Facebook.
• Give away a life-time supply of chicken

Even though they've thrown a whole bunch of tactics in the chicken bucket, the strategy is still "Tell us why you think we're wonderful" and that's not what social media is about. In an information age reality check, businesses have to remember that social media is about actually being wonderful. In KFC case, That would have started by having a strategy for the Oprah give-a-way.

So tread gently. Don't hit people over the head with a sales message. Remember: we're all humans. In social media - People are what matters, not companies.

And don't forget to KISS

Some of this blog was excerpted from B.L Ochman's Web Site

William S. Dickinson is a marketing professional who works for Momentum Conferencing with offices in Vancouver BC and Toronto, ON. You can find Momentum Conferencing on the web @ www.momentumconferencing.com.