Social media is a movement — a people place, not a marketplace
A word about trust on in the blogosphere and social media in general:
There is considerable discussion about how businesses can tap into these conversations. Another angle is the practice of paying bloggers, which some say is no different than paying ghostwriters of a book.
All of the above will be tested during the next couple of years as society continues to use social networks and other sites that have “word of mouth”-like components. A key to figuring out how business can use social media is to understand why social media is different than any other media.
Social media is a movement. Social media is a people place, not a market place.
The blogosphere has had millions participate because of a need to be recognized, even by just one other person. Social media has taken hold in equal numbers because of the need to be a part of a group, the need to connect. These are basic human needs, not driven by economics.
There is also a cynicism in the U.S. that I believe has contributed to the rejection of most forms of advertising, a growing distrust of corporations and a political system viewed as destined to be at odds for the foreseeable future.
The major structures of our society — financial, legal, and political — have their roots deep in the last century of ridged, industrial growth and are not yet capable of appreciating or assimilating a more open discussion created by social media.
If you are a marketer, a business, and look at social media from the perspective of it being a movement, it will change the way you approach social media. You will be a participant rather than a party-crasher, a thoughtful listener rather than a loud bore, and a valuable contributor rather than a self-serving taker.
Blogs that contributed to my thinking on this were:
What’s your take? Make a choice: Is social media more movement or marketplace? Remember, every comment we get we will contribute a food item to a St. Paul food shelter.
Tags: paid bloggers
This entry was posted on Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 9:48 pm and is filed under blogging, blogs, new media, social media, trust.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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November 18th, 2007 at 9:14 am
I think it’s great you’re giving food items to a food shelter for every comment! That’s awesome!
When you say movement, it seems to me like there’s an end. Like a movement in a song. It’s there then it’s gone. However, it changes and influences what happens afterwards. Social media is here to stay. Yes, there may be other things in the future, but for now, it’s here and it’s in its infancy.
I think that if you’re not marketing yourself or business on the social media landscape, you’re gravely making a big mistake.
- Michael S. Copeland
Social Media Marketing Tools
at http://SocialMediaBlaster.com
November 18th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Yes the food shelter idea will come in handy this month; I’m bringing donations on Tuesday.
Now to your point about movement, I use the word movement as in civil rights movement, not movement of a symphony. I agree social media is not a fad, the question is will it be something in which a majority of society will participate?
Lastly, I disagree with your last point about marketing yourself or your business if you mean marketing in the traditional sense, that being “Here’s my company and here’s my stuff and we’re better than that guy over there.”
I support the idea of individuals and companies who also derive money from the topics in which they participate on social media sites should contribute their knowledge. They should add to the discussion as an integrated member of that community and not as an outsider shilling their wares. My position is that most social media participants and active bloggers are there because they reject being attacked, manipulated, and cajoled by marketers. That’s why I call it a movement not a marketplace.
In fact, I believe that the tools you promote on your site are exactly what social media participants will reject. In reading your home page the impression I get is the antithesis of the idea I am espousing, marketers should not be “attacking” the social media market and that companies should not seek to “become a force” in social media.
I did not complete the entry form on that page because given what I read I am not interested in your form of social media marketing. I would however, like to understand exactly what the 20 software social media marketing titles are and what they do. I would consider having an interview with you on the Marketing Edge, however, you should realize that I am dubious about the marketing tactics as promoted on your site.
Thanks for commenting and allow us to air this discussion.
November 18th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
The idea of being a participant and an honest contributor is so crucial. Your line about “people place not marketplace” really captures that idea well. Similar to the Cluetrain Manifesto line: “The is no market for messages.”
But there is a massive market for smart ideas. Keep ‘em comin’.
June 14th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
[...] I have said for a long time that social media is more a movement than a market. [...]
October 7th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Albert, I’m with you 100% on the question of movement vs. marketplace. Just like the early WWW, only this movement seems to have some mechanisms for ignoring party crashers.
Regarding paying ghost bloggers, it’s funny. I agree with you in principle, yet I would love to be the exception to the rule. You, see, I have a client that I’ve been talking to about blogging strategies. I pitched them on a blog approach and I’d actually love to step in and be their blogger. They’re in a space I’m passionate about and I wouldn’t be writing about their company per se. But I know I would be 100% authentic in executing this idea. We’ll see if it comes to fruition. If it does, I’ll be sure to blog about it. (Hmmm, blogging about blogging…is there an echo in here?)
October 7th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Great article… but while I agree that Social Media is in some ways, a movement, I still think that it is a very vital marketplace.
But just like the Agora of ages past, “marketplace” is more than just a place where goods are bought and sold. It’s a place where people meet, conversations happen, ideas are brought to light, and connections are made.
Generation Y - the under 25 crowd - are constantly wired. Social media is really tho only way you can market to them. Television ads are skipped using DVRs & TiVo - or bypassed altogether thanks to torrenting. They don’t read print publications, and they grow up immune to ‘traditional’ online advertising. The *only* effective way to market to Gen Y is by ‘word of mouth’ - and in this case, ‘word of mouth’ is a clunky way of saying ‘word of text, video, SMS, digg, email, chat, myspace, facebook… essentially, social media.’
Gen Y’ers and their successors will grow up using their social networks as their information source about products, services, companies, and perspectives. Marketing will have to adapt. It’s no longer about slick slogans, catchy jingles, and clever campaigns - it’s about trust agents, candor, interaction and relationships.
Social media may be about more than marketing for all generations - but marketing will need to be all about social media when it comes to the new Wired generations and their disposable incomes.
Or so I believe, that is, after spending a lot of time interacting with them on this issue.
Thank you for contributing a food item to a St. Paul food shelter for the comment. It’s nice to see something of that nature being done!
October 10th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Don and Lucretia, thanks for the comments.
Don - blogging about blogging, no echo. Ageed that for me it’s about getting passionate people that are free to write what they believe. I think the key for blogging is candor, and a company that is willing to listen. Once that is achieved, people still need to make a living. Some how we got to a point where money = dishonesty. So if I’m telling you about a product I like it is more honest than if I worked for that company. What about a person that works for a non-profit community outreach group? They get paid as an employee, does that make them less honest, trustworthy?
Lucretia - Amen to marketing changing to accommodate the uniqueness of social media and a changing public. For me the beauty of social media as a movement is creating an environment for learning about other anything, other political perspectives, other human experiences, other subjects. This is done in a way, where there is less desire to sell something, and more a desire to share something. That may be subtle, perhaps lost on some, but for me it is a huge difference in the way we communicate as individuals and as organizations, be they government, private sector, or non-profits .
All the best to you both