Getting Serious with Social Media:

There is an old and applicable saying by political activist and revolutionary Thomas Payne; “Lead, Follow or Get out of the way.”  Social media? Get Serious! (2011, Business Horizons) summarizes and emphasizes the importance of social media in the business world. 

In today’s age of real-time communication, “old-school” business tactics are the Ebola Virus of the corporate world.  The days of one or two dissatisfied customers being anything more than a pesky fly that won’t go away are over.  Today, the customer is truly empowered, and can make an immediate difference in the course of a business and its marketing scheme.

The “4 Cs” (2011, Business Horizons) outline the key marketing concepts that modern business must embrace to stay relevant in an ever-changing online and social media centric community.  An incredibly important aspect of the 4 Cs is to “Curate”.  Ten years ago I would be hard pressed to give an example of how a business’s stance or outside relationships played a significant role in their business model.  Advertising companies plotted a course to what they believe success was and laid the yellow bricks for all to follow.  Why?  Because it worked and if anyone got in their way they would simply pave over them.  Accusations, poor environmental stewardship, shady relationships; “Prove it”.  Such is not the case today.  One Tweet, one short YouTube video, or a timely photo on a smartphone can circumnavigate the globe in seconds. 

As Curators of the business reputation, corporations have to quickly and accurately decided whom to follow, but more importantly who not to follow.  The same should hold true for ourselves.  We are the curators of our own reputation.  We can all think back to when mom or dad told us “I don’t like you hanging out with …….”  Maybe it is time we take the same attitude in our social media life.