Comments on: More on the fallacy, 94% of efforts are failing on this Forrester Study http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/ Digital PR and Social Media Marketing by Abraham Harrison LLC Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:57:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Deb Block-Schwenk http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/comment-page-1/#comment-3025 Deb Block-Schwenk Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:25:34 +0000 http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/#comment-3025 Jonathan, this post and your prior one on the Fallacy of Community are both great reads with lots of important information. I've been dipping my toe into the pool as a "social media expert" and I've found clients that definitely don't get social media except as the next "big thing." They don't understand that building community takes work -- or that sometimes "community" shouldn't be the goal. (Tapping into "conversations" works much better than tapping into "communities" in many occasions, imho). I've done much more than read an article in Wired, but what's most important is a willingness to learn constantly and to be open to exploration and experimentation. That can be a hard sell to businesses who are used to traditional methods and calculated ROI every quarter. Jonathan, this post and your prior one on the Fallacy of Community are both great reads with lots of important information. I’ve been dipping my toe into the pool as a “social media expert” and I’ve found clients that definitely don’t get social media except as the next “big thing.” They don’t understand that building community takes work — or that sometimes “community” shouldn’t be the goal. (Tapping into “conversations” works much better than tapping into “communities” in many occasions, imho).

I’ve done much more than read an article in Wired, but what’s most important is a willingness to learn constantly and to be open to exploration and experimentation. That can be a hard sell to businesses who are used to traditional methods and calculated ROI every quarter.

]]> By: Richard Millington http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/comment-page-1/#comment-2995 Richard Millington Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:03:07 +0000 http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/#comment-2995 There is another factor in this. Developing communities is hard. Many people are bound to fail. If everyone succeeded consumers wouldn't have time to do anything but engage in communities. There is another factor in this.

Developing communities is hard. Many people are bound to fail. If everyone succeeded consumers wouldn’t have time to do anything but engage in communities.

]]> By: Michael Durwin http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/comment-page-1/#comment-2976 Michael Durwin Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:43:17 +0000 http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/#comment-2976 As a marketer starting off in interactive design, then moving to strategy and heavily involved in social media, I can see several points of failure. I doubt there is one big reason so many fail. Based solely on my experience as a creative director dealing with partners, clients, vendors, etc. these are the possibilities: Clients - they don't get social media. they treat it like traditional media, expecting a solid number and best practices. they think it's a cheap and easy win. they don't expect there to be research involved. they think that whatever you do in social media should drive to their microsite. they think success can be guaranteed. Marketers - as stated in the article, interactive and traditional marketers don't always get it. they can make all the same mistakes that clients make Social Media Experts - just like marketing experts, seo experts design experts. there have always been those that claim to be experts after reading an article in Wired or buying Dreamweaver. someone with any marketing, advertising, design or interactive experience that has a MySpace and Twitter account can claim to be a social media expert. because the traditional measurement tools don't apply, it's difficult to tell if they failed or succeeded. The above is of course, worse case scenarios. There are plenty of marketers and social media experts who know exactly what they're doing but can't convince their client. At the same time, their are hack social media experts who lead a client down the wrong path. A big portion of brands interacting through social media is that neither brands, nor marketers, nor social media experts can guarantee a success. Even armed with the most experience, best data and most well-intentioned client, it is the end users who decide if they want to interact with a brand. As a marketer starting off in interactive design, then moving to strategy and heavily involved in social media, I can see several points of failure. I doubt there is one big reason so many fail. Based solely on my experience as a creative director dealing with partners, clients, vendors, etc. these are the possibilities:
Clients – they don’t get social media. they treat it like traditional media, expecting a solid number and best practices. they think it’s a cheap and easy win. they don’t expect there to be research involved. they think that whatever you do in social media should drive to their microsite. they think success can be guaranteed.
Marketers – as stated in the article, interactive and traditional marketers don’t always get it. they can make all the same mistakes that clients make
Social Media Experts – just like marketing experts, seo experts design experts. there have always been those that claim to be experts after reading an article in Wired or buying Dreamweaver. someone with any marketing, advertising, design or interactive experience that has a MySpace and Twitter account can claim to be a social media expert. because the traditional measurement tools don’t apply, it’s difficult to tell if they failed or succeeded.

The above is of course, worse case scenarios. There are plenty of marketers and social media experts who know exactly what they’re doing but can’t convince their client. At the same time, their are hack social media experts who lead a client down the wrong path.

A big portion of brands interacting through social media is that neither brands, nor marketers, nor social media experts can guarantee a success. Even armed with the most experience, best data and most well-intentioned client, it is the end users who decide if they want to interact with a brand.

]]> By: Tom O'Brien http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/comment-page-1/#comment-2974 Tom O'Brien Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:26:03 +0000 http://marketingconversation.com/2008/07/25/more-on-the-falacy-94-of-efforts-are-failing-on-this-forrester-study/#comment-2974 Fundamentals are being ignored. Companies are launching communities without knowing what they are launching into. I call this the "build it and they will come" school of community building. http://tinyurl.com/685e3x LISTEN FIRST! TO'B Fundamentals are being ignored. Companies are launching communities without knowing what they are launching into.

I call this the “build it and they will come” school of community building.

http://tinyurl.com/685e3x

LISTEN FIRST!

TO’B

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