Old school vs. new school

Over at Social Media Explorer, Ike Pigott recently dug into the business value of social media.  He discussed the common struggle of gaining upper management ”buy in” of social media in context with a traditional analog marketing tactic like a corporate membership with the Chamber of Commerce or Rotary club.  Social media adoption can be slow to categories like banking, insurance, and utilities where the image of the trade calls forward visions of starched collars and below-the-knee skirts.

The nonline (the blurring between “offline” and “online”) world is ever-changing, with the networking opportunities presented by “in real life” civic or community groups holding its own.  A warm handshake and compelling smile irrefutably open pathways to emotion-based relationships.  It’s in the eyes.  What we see, hear, smell, and taste.  As Martin Lindstrom and the principles of neurology have taught us, the tangibles can make all the difference in matters concerning cognitive reasoning.

And yet many of the social activities activities of yesteryear have begun to adopt characteristics of digital social counterparts, including meetups and speed networking.  My kid’s orthodontist uses Facebook and email to reach patients where he can tap into their youthful traits (openness, desire to participate, etc.) to generate buzz around the fun side of wearing braces.  A local college has an internship program that includes area businesses meeting 1:1 with participants in 7 minute increments – a buzzer sounds when the student is to move to the table occupied by the next business. My son’s hockey team uses a web site with a calendar function and SMS to keep us parents in synch with meetings, games, and tournaments.  What are these newfangled tactics if not digital versions of a sleepover, a phone tree, blind date, or a handwritten party invitation?  Same stuff, new day—digital style.

Similarly, the digital stuff – the tools, the channels, the operational mechanics – all model real-world relationships like those found in Chambers and Rotary.  They simply wouldn’t work if they didn’t mirror some of the familiar.  Those long-standing traditions establish structures and protocols which are the foundation of modern online community connectivity.

That nonline is looking really blurry.

In his post, Ike challenged business leaders stuck on the issue of social media adoption to consider the many ways a more socially-oriented organization grow and evolve in tomorrow’s climate.  I think he was talking about how businesses could benefit from the new:

• rapid response mechanisms
• behavior-driven data
• 2-way messaging platforms
• customer-centric methods
• breadth of reach
• lowered barriers to customization and personalization

All of which tap into the attitudes and behaviors demonstrated by today’s consumers.

So if your boss, a member of Kiwanis and the Lions, still thinks Facebook is for teenagers, ask him this question.  Which would he prefer:  2 new recruits, or 200?  Once the feeling returns to his eyebrows and his lower jaw works again, tell him it’s time to get started adopting social media into the program.  The nonline trend has changed the game forever.

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