Mike’s Points

For the most part, traditional communications are centered around projects, campaigns, launches. Sure, there’s the overriding, long-term strategic positioning and messaging, but that is broken up into bits and pieces.

In media relations and in advertising, you can have on-going relationships (professional, not personal) with reporters and ad reps, but that’s mostly with trade and select consumer media. There is little on-going interaction with customers and prospects.

It’s primarily ADD Marcomm. Short-attention-span PR. Hit-and-run advertising.

But, in the evolving world in social media (social marketing, WOM — whatever), you have to commit for the long haul.

Courtesy of MarketingVox is a story in BrandWeek about the disappointment of SecondLife citizens in the lack of staying power of many brands in SecondLife:

“Even more disappointing are shops and outlets set up by brands, subjected to a certain amount of hype - and then all but abandoned. That non-presence presence is leading to frustration among residents looking for a more truly interactive experience.”

And, I don’t buy one wimpy excuse in the story: “Only a small percentage of Second Life’s reported three million players, though, visit regularly and spend any substantial time there. Brands’ realization of that fact may also be what causes some to abandon their Second Life setups.”

Before making any leap like that — especially the time and cost to make a real presence in SecondLife — you do your due diligence to get a good sense the demographics of SecondLife and what you can expect from it. Any good marketing firm or consultant would know that!

Social media ain’t your daddy’s PR. Based on the medium, there are expectations with most social media outlets that you are involved on a continual basis — not continuous — but at least semi-regular. Afterall, it is a relationship that marketers are courting. Not a fling. And, for the recipients, as the story above notes, they want at least some level of commitment.

So, if you’re an agency — or even an in-house professional — are you really in it for the long-haul, or just in for a quickie?
– Mike

While you can make a valid point that “the message is king” (or some other catch phrase) in marketing communications . . . I wouldn’t. The medium dictates how that message is delivered, and what you are trying to accomplish.

The message — the core message — can be said varying ways to get the same affect. And, the medium of delivery dictates how you say it, why you’re saying it and what you’re trying to accomplish. For example, here’s how I view common delivery methods. Let me know if you agree, disagree or __________ (you fill in the blank: consumer-generated blog post!):

Advertising: Short and sweet; more about being seen and generating awareness; obviously and expected to be self-promotional.

Direct mail: Short and sweet; eye-catching; promotional; hoping to provoke a response/the next step.

Media relations: Seeking third-party objectivity; can be either generating awareness or trying to educate and inform by havng others write about you; focus on objective writing .

Website: Informing while connecting, engaging and involving audience; somewhat “relationshipal”*; can be promotional without being salesy; also about “being seen” (findable on search engines).

Online social marketing (blogs, boards, viral, etc.): Seeking to connect with, involve and engage audience (that social science aspect); sincerity and transparency are expected; relationshipal*; can be promotional — but be transparent about it.

The above are generalities, but you get my point. While we can communicate the same message in each of the above media, the message is conveyed differently — depending on the audience and the expectation with each delivery vehicle.

Thoughts? Was this a “duh” post? Anything new?

– Mike

*relationshipal: kind of developing a relationship, but not a close or personal one.

For your learning, thinking and even a bit of laughter pleasure, I offer a few other great points:
Apples, oranges, blogs and boards, David Binkowski. Great overview of why discussion boards are useful and their value.

The value of WOM (it’s a cartoon), Amena/Idegosuperego

Business etiquette pointers for PR students, Karen Miller Russell/Teaching PR. And, those pointers are not just for students.

If you’re learning about something, then you want know about the features and then the benefits.

But, if you’re selling something, shouldn’t you present the benefits . . . and then the features?

I don’t see that as often enough as I think I should.

– Mike

WSJ columnist (and blogger, of course) Jeremy Wagstaff started his own online publication of reviewed technology, Websites and related products and services: tenminut.es.

tenminut.es takes a look at new and old products, services, software, gadgets and people, the only requirement being each is given no more than ten minutes (excluding download and installation times.)

You can read more about it in this announcement.

Oh and, speaking of new media outlets, there’s Social Media Today (pointer to Mike Manuel/Media Guerrilla). (But, why do we need a collection or “media” of bloggers? Isn’t that what feeds are for?)
- Mike

(Clock image from: http://www.sharelibrary.com/Desktop/Screensavers/Mechanical_Clock_3D_Screensaver03060268.htm )