Since quite a number of people who swing by my blog are either in marketing or public relations, I want to address you, specifically, for a moment. I'm writing to you as part of this new version of media, as one blogger not paid to blog, not working for a newspaper or magazine outlet, not especially beholden to the traditions that have come before. I'm writing to you as a human being who likes people, community, innovation, and business, not to mention art, creativity, play, and many other things. I want to offer a few things for you to consider.
Social media isn't that scary, but it is different from what you've been doing. For one thing, it's far messier and requires a lot more handholding.
You have so much to gain from figuring out some of these tools and the way we're using them. And, contrary to typical businesses, most of us social media types are very willing to share what we know. Just ask.
I love everyone who makes an effort to get to know me before they market something to me or pitch me. It works out so much better when you and I have talked, without the pitch, beforehand. And it takes only a few minutes every now and again to say hi.
I'm tired of adjectives. Your new web site isn't innovative. The word doesn't mean anything to me anymore. Furthermore, let me decide whether it's innovative.
Bloggers aren't all the same. I'm definitely not the same as Michael Arrington at TechCrunch. I'm not the same as Seth Godin. I'm not the same as most bloggers. I'm just doing my own thing, and they're doing theirs. It pays to understand which of us you're trying to reach and for what: Read the last 10 things we posted, just to get a sense of whether we're the right kind of people to write about your thing.
Blogging isn't the same as releasing marketing materials.
Putting up commercials on YouTube isn't video blogging.
On social platforms like Twitter or Facebook, be human first. I know Lionel Menchaca as a human and as a Dell employee. You can do the same.
Understanding Technorati and Google Blog Search and Summize goes a long way toward helping you listen and hear what people are saying about you, your client, and so on.
You're doing great things here and there. Sometimes, you'll get praise for it. Other times, it might be overlooked. It's still great.
If you mess up, say you're sorry, fast. Acknowledge that you made a mistake, and then act on what you can do better next time.
There are lots of things you can teach us media maker types, too. I learn lots from you every day. I do this through phone calls and by reading what you're sending me. It's a two-way street.
There. That's what I wanted to tell you.