The Social Plan Is NOT To Plan
by Jay Deragon on The Relationship Economy
Great scoop on Curation Revolution by a trusted source on how the best Social Media Plan may be less plan and more do. I agree with stipulations as noted below. This post starts with Jan Gordon’s note on Scoop.it. Jan is smart and she gets it so follow her if you want great links, analysis and ideas about social media marketing, curation, Internet Marketing et al.
Jan Note
I selected this piece written by Jay Deragon because his insights and suggesgtions are like a beacon in the chaos of change. This piece is no exception. To paraphrase:
Social is changing so rapidly, it’s impossible to create a plan when you have a moving target. The only solution at this point in time is to dive in and learn quickly.
Here’s what caught my attention:
**The evolution of the web is accelerating with new tools, new discoveries and the subsequent market dynamics effected by these changes.
**As more and more conversations begin to impact business models, market relations and the supply and demand equations the more traditional mind sets try and fit these changes into the old box.
**Most executives are totally disconnected from the dynamics created by all things social.
**Yet the same executives expect their managers to come up with a plan to use this thing called social media.
**If you ask someone for a plan that neither you or they understand you’ll get a plan that doesn’t create anything new
**it only addresses all things social in context to what they know
**What they know is not what they need to know.
Takeaways:
**the plan ought to be more about understanding, learning and adapting to the new marketplace dynamics that are changing your relationships with buyers
**Guy Kawasaki says: “Don’t plan social media just do it!”
**Doc Searle wrote The Cluetrain Manifesto
which Jay refers to in this piece, I highly recommend it, it’s like a roadmap for everything discussed in this article.
Curated by Jan Gordon covering “Exploring Change Through Ongoing Discussions”
Feel free to visit my other topic: “Content Curation, Social Business and Beyond”
Marty’s Social Media Planning Note
Jan is, as usual, insightful. I agree with the “do” vs. “plan” stance, but with these modifications:
* Processes can be “planned” even as results must be responded to and acted upon in near real time. You “plan” a process by mapping it and practicing using the map to create real response. Read Dov Seidman’s important book: How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything for tips.
* Refine and Prioritize – Since the amount of content you need is infinite and you can’t get there from here (lol), prioritize down to CORE curation and creation topics. I create these lists, and curation is always longer than creation, from several sources including internal knowledge, external gurus (what are they talking about NOW) and keyword research.
* 3% Weather Rule – Recent Bit.ly research showed a consistent 3% of traffic is always about the weather. Find what is the “weather” topic or trend in your business vertical and rap on that consistently.
* Start small and local – this is one of my most controversial recommendations because most people want to go right to Broadway. I like to open out of town closest to my friends, so I start with local riffs and build until I have an idea about what matters to whom and why. Once I have a local grasp I go regional looking for dissonance with my original discoveries (there always is some) and finally I go national and step on the gas HARD.
* Cluetrain is great and an important book, but looking a tad long in the tooth. If you need convincing or need to convince others Cluetrain is an important read (Gonzo Marketing by Locke one of the Cluetrain authors is also excellent). Cluetrain’s message, take your head out of you know where and realize the bomb has exploded now understand what that explosion means, is, sadly, still important for some. Sadly because we are in the 3rd inning now to wait any longer is to miss the game. Think about it, if I compete with you and have a one year jump on social will you EVER catch up? Catching up is possible, but you will need to be 10x as good as the competitor with the jump, early believers pick all the low hanging fruit as ClueTrain points out in a roundabout way.
Great scoop, summary and thoughts from Jan.
.M
See on www.relationship-economy.com
