Critique of an Article

Critique of Article:

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/sep2009/ca20090911_598255.htm

I just read an article in Business Week concerning the “Overlooked Side of Social Media.” Reading along, it occurred to me that while all the pertinent information when applying social media to an organization comes as common sense to me, it must not for others (otherwise there would be no need to write the article).

I understand what the writer is saying and appreciate it completely from a consumer standpoint. You need substantial foresight before diving head first into the social media world. Because social media is an extension of your brand image, it is extremely important to form the marriage between your organization’s message and the media it’s using to communicate it. I think that is where most companies go array and don’t see the benefits of the social networking tool. Literally, don’t see the benefits. Trailing your results is key to developing the “product” because it allows for minor tweaks until it becomes a seamless extension of your brand.

This article talks about discovery, experimentation and adoption. Seems like common sense to me. For example, when you are adding any component to your brand, wouldn’t you endure the same process? Why is it any different for social media? Oh, right because social media is cheap. Price tags often drive bottom lines.

To be completely honest, while reading this article I felt gipped. When I found it and began reading, I thought the author was going to uncover some ground-breaking secret to the inner workings of the social media world. High expectations, I know. Instead I thought it was an overworked babble-fest by Captain Obvious. Yes, you should predetermine whether actions will help or hurt your company and yes you should understand what you are doing before you do it. I think Mr. Halligan taught me that in the fifth grade.

Here’s a tip from a consumer. When you are trying to get us to buy into your company via social media, please remember why social media began. It’s a network to connect friends and fuel conversation. Kids didn’t join Facebook because they thought they would receive more product updates from Covergirl Cosmetics. If you want to be most effective, you need to remember the purpose of social media: to connect friends. So, personify. Humanize. Make your company a friend. This will create a dialog and more interaction with your organization. The more face-time...the more memory retention for the brand...the more profit in your pocket.