Mike’s Points

The Web is a great tool and offers great opportunity to connect with people we wouldn’t connect with otherwise.

Duh. You already know that.

But, unless you are a hermit, the social media aspects of tools like blogging, boards and forums, online communities, etc., are NOTHING MORE THAN SUPPLEMENTS TO OUR REAL-WORLD , OFFLINE LIFE.

The world Linden Lab created was called a Second Life because it is secondary, as in a second life. Not a first (a.k.a. primary) life.

The opportunites afforded by the Web is supposed to assist and expand our life. Not replace it.

If you have Twitter account, you’ll be amazed at how often and at what some people Twitter about. On a seemingly continuous basis.

And, this morning I read this — The Wonderful World of Webkinz — in my e-mail (courtesy of MediaPost).

“Webkinz is a social network tied to a toy company that targets young children and places them in a virtual world that is safe, exclusive, and appears to be a lot of fun! . . . .

What I love about this is, it continues to signal the future of online social networking by tying the Internet to the real world. The goal of the company is to sell the plush toys, but the virtual world is a hook and it keeps people coming back!”

I’m not against capitalism and making use of new technologies to make money. But I am leary of efforts that can get children into the wrong habit of spending too much time online, and taking them away from any real world fun and interaction. (Note that I said “too much time” online.)

My fear is that efforts like Webkinz will generate a generation of Web-tied adults: Adults who are more comfortable online than offline; and that first socialize online before socializing offline.

I realize that how much time children spend on the computer and their overriding care falls primarily on their parent(s). Parents have the bottom-line, ultimate responsibility. I also realize there are enough parents who are not involved enough in their children’s lives — and don’t need any help being poor parents.

So, I guess in a perfect world, all children would have high-quality, loving parents. But, back to my main point . . . .

As many opportunities as the Web offers to socialize, learn, “meet” new people, expand our real life, escape our real life, etc. — all those great social media tools must only supplement, not replace or detract from our real lives.

– Mike

Gawd. After reading my own post, I sound like Jeremy Pepper. (Which is not a bad thing.)

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