Tagged: Online Communities

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Updated: Why I vent

About Social Media “Experts.”

Late at night I tend to vent about social media “experts” or social media “marketers” that don’t get it. I take it personal, because I tend to get grouped in with those that give us a bad name.

First of all, social media is a place to bring your brand alive. To engage and converse. Not to spam! So when I see so many small businesses going after the quick “for $200 a month we can get you 5000 Twitter fans” strategy, it pains me. People are making money off of this!

Case in point, a new agency in Phoenix has launched to help small business with their social media.. This firm went after Twitter users that have large networks to help sell and fulfill their social media products/services. Being in the space myself, I am hyper vigilant of who is doing what in this space. Mainly because I believe in this space so much that I love to see people doing new things, engaging new ways, building businesses off of great micro communities. I love LOVE giving shout outs to business who rock this space. I do it all the time. I try hard to NOT call out those who do it wrong by name even though I feel they hurt this space so much.

Today I got a message from the CEO/President of this new firm asking me to “like” a new page of theirs. Really? Really? #facepalm.

Because I value this space so much, I need to break the rules this once and call a spade a spade. This did in fact happen!



I am sorry… but that is just painful. If you are outsourcing your social media to someone who does THIS to your brand/small business/company, please be warned. You are wasting your money. This “social media expert” who leads other “experts” doesn’t even know how to send an invite! IM Spam? Really?!?!

Please take value in your voice. Please take value in the community you build around your brand. Do not just comb the web and spam others. This type of engagement and “like” is not marketing. It does MORE damage than good.

Accounts on the social web are people. Talk to them as such. Not these simple, “Hi, I don’t know you… can you endorse my business” tactics!

This is why I rant.

</end rant>

Update:

He just did it again this morning! He is spamming so many people that he is forgetting the conversations he has. This time I am not holding back on the name. He is the CEO of PTS Social Media.

Another update (and to be fair):

They reached out to me in an email. I felt they need a public rebuttal because I called them out here. I commend them for that, but have a few issues still:

Dear Kevin,

I had a chance to read your blog and Twitter post in relations to what occurred on February 16th and 17th. I felt inclined to respond not for argumentative sakes, but rather address some of this issues you outlined so clearly in your blog post “Why I Vent.” I do not know why you believe I have given you a bad name. I, Andrew Shainker, who was the writer behind Doug Greenwald on those specific dates never once claimed to be an “expert” in social media. I am sorry that you have gotten that impression. I believe by asking someone to like a page is a choice that I rightfully have. You as the receiver can either decline or accept that request. In addition, you also have the option to ask me to like your page. Social media is not just a one way street.

The company, I work for prides itself on getting results for our clients. We have more than 60 businesses we represent with a staff of more than 10 people. Our cost are way more than $200 a month and there is no “Twitter Fan guarantee” in any of our contracts. Those statements you outlined in your blog were false. I believe it is about creating a loyal following rather than just a large following.

I am glad that you have knowledge in the field of social media. I am fond believer though that there is no right or wrong way to do social media. It is my professional opinion that only through trial and error  one can determine what truly works. There are no degrees to become a social media expert. The way you use social media might be different for each and every person. I value your opinion, but in the future I hope that if you have an issue or a concern you will call the person, not just de-friend them on Facebook.

Working at a premier web based marketing company we run into “one man” shows all across the valley. I believe that these individuals do not have the overhead, the staff, or truly the time to do social media correctly for multiple clients.  As you know social media can be a full time job. It might not be brain surgery, but it is time consuming. I hope that when representing your clients you spend your time on there accounts rather then picking a part whats wrong with ours.

If you would like I would be happy to answer any of your questions or concerns. Please call my personal cell at any time. Thank-you for taking time out of your day to read this,and I hope to hear from you soon.

–
Andrew J. Shainker
Business Development Manager
PTS Social Media

First off, really am thankful they responded. He is right, social is a two way street. A public two way street. I make this argument public because this is not just about one person having an issue with how one company is doing things. It is about this space as a whole. I did not say the firm charges $200 for 5k Twitter followers. I say some do. So I want to clarify that. In this case, I get a blind “Like” request from someone managing a person account of another person that both I don’t have a relationship with. If you were in a cocktail party, would you walk up to a stranger and ask them a blind favor to “LIKE” or endorse a brand? Sure it is your right to do so. This is correct. But it still not ethical. And I will most likely tell others at the party what just happened because it was simply, rude.

That is what happened here. But the party is the social web. I told the social web what just happened. Then, it happened again the next day. So names became involved. Just like everything social… when someone is rude and unethical, word of mouth spreads. Yes you did reach out to me. Should I have called you directly? It is my right in social media to post the above because I am very prideful of those that build epic in this space. So for Andrew, speaking on behalf of another persona, to engage me on social media and be rude a second time got me more upset. This is not just about him, his actions but what MANY do. If celebrities and CEO’s of multi-billion dollar companies can manage their social feed, why can’t a local firm do the same. Why must random invites as IM spam be a tactic they have to defend?

What are your thoughts as a consumer of social media. Yes he has a right to do this, but is it effective? What does it do to this space?

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Social Media Overload

The Social Media Tidal Wave – Too Much Crap?

Often times I hear from professionals in my field get frustrated with how much crap is on the social web. They throw their hands up in the air when the noise gets too much and often times they on a social media hiatus for a day and sometimes weeks. I have been on that edge from time to time myself. Too much noise out there. Engagement sometimes becomes daunting. Seeing all the self-promotion out there becomes very meh. Hell, it is a lot of work to filter the crap from the meaningful at times.

Last night I was having a conversation with a good friend about this very thing. When we hit these walls many tend to back away from the social web completely and then reflect why they were there in the first place. I personally have been on that edge of backing away, but haven’t done it. I think the difference is many that do this tend to reflect on the path of new media adoption within themselves, and I something a bit different.

Others tend to reflect on the timeline of initial sign-up to a social network, to growth, then the overwhelming social content out there. The different personalities, strategies of engagement and at the end of the day even the professionals question the ROI of their output. We defend the ROI of social media often… but let’s be honest, at 11pm at night sometimes we all will look at our twitter feed and deep down inside… in these frustrated moments we find ourselves asking… “is it worth it?”

I have been there. But I have never backed away.

I reflect on those “ah-ha” moments that can never be strategically planned and executed. They just happen.

For me it was:

  • The EPIC Seesmic (Video) family that resulted in #ACTB,
  • It is the many business relationships that have developed into friendships and referral networks. We support one another and our collective goals,
  • The Phoenix Friday Night community (#EVFN, #WVFN, #DTFN, etc.),
  • It is the awesome collective talent pool that is the Startup and Coworking community within #PHX,
  • It is the shout out from live TV from a tweep as they make it big and follow their dreams,
  • It is the woman I now love that I got to know and develop a friendship with first, from across the country on Twitter.

It is, in its purest form, about people who care and respect one another that HAPPEN to communicate over social media.

With ease of access comes ease of abuse. Conversations matter from those that matter to us. Relationships first. Social media has in fact made that old school reality more real.

The flood walls are torn down with social media and the rush of noise comes racing onto your screen in vast amounts. It is indeed overwhelming. Believe me, I get it. But as the social media tidal wave continues to bash on your screen, grab on to those powerful moments and connections to stay afloat. Remember them through these moments you reflect.

The social network might get flooded, but your folks are still there through the noise.

Reach out and reconnect.

terry-tweets

#AZGOV Tweetup

Over the last few weeks I have been asked to help with the Terry Goddard for Arizona Tweetup’s. The idea of the online Q&A session came from folks close to Terry that wanted to try something new. I was asked to be on site as a “Twitter pro” to help facilitate the conversation and be there as a resource should questions with the community and technology arise. I was happy to do so. Terry tweeted all questions himself and we tried to answer them all.

Inevitably we missed a few and some people fell the answers might not have been as compelling as they would have like. But in all honesty, it was Terry himself tweeting the responses in 140 characters or less. That is impressive! Do you know of any other statewide official running for office  that has done something like this?

Here is some video, twitpics, and highlights I captured digitally last night:

We started it off with a video message and then the tweeting began. You can follow the conversation by following #AZGOV. We ended the tweetup with this final video message (below) and then went over to @CoHoots, a Phoenix Coworking collective where they hosted #nightowls. A video of the touc can be found here.

The sign off:

It is great to see elected officials and candidates embrace new media such as this. Are you involved with a campaign that is using similar strategies? If so, please let me know… I would love to highlight more of this convergence.

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