Comments on: Success Means Getting Dirty With Your Audience

By: Kevin Ekmark

Kevin Ekmark — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:51:41 +0000

This is where innovation comes from… Getting dirty! Great post!

“I’m not doing it wrong. I’m doing it my way.”

By: Carmen Sognonvi

Carmen Sognonvi — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:17:34 +0000

Loved this post, Lisa! There’s an ROI Unicorn, but I think there’s also a Best Practices Unicorn – the one that dictates that all businesses in an industry should market themselves the exact same way because It Just Works.

But if you’re a local business especially, you need to adapt “best practices” to suit the specific traits of your clientele and your geographic area.

We ran into this issue quite a lot in the early days of opening Urban Martial Arts, our karate school in Brooklyn, NY. There were a lot of ideas that worked well for schools in the ‘burbs, but many of them just didn’t translate for us because our students’ urban lifestyles were so different.

Many of our families walk, they don’t drive. Many of our kids come to class by themselves, their parents don’t stay and watch. There’s a heck of a lot of stuff to do in NYC – which means that not everyone is flocking to your social event because it’s the only thing going on that night.

I still think that best practices are useful when you’re just starting out on social media, but as you point out – it’s important to test and see if things are actually working for your particular audience.

By: Tony Adam

Tony Adam — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:51:24 +0000

Lisa, first and foremost, thanks for the shout out!

I couldn’t agree more with this post, the truth of the matter is there is sooo much BS that people tell us to do in Social Media, but, in reality goals, ROI, etc. are all different for all types of people and brands. I’ve come to a point where I block out almost all of the noise, go heads down and look data and conversations around the vertical I’m in and then develop a plan from there. People always ask me…”what should be my goal for social” and I’ll tell them “i have no clue…you tell me what the goals of your business are.”

Great post!

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:38:33 +0000

“…showing how the company’s competition is using it.” Yep, that would definitely get their interest — thanks! (Might get a bit tricky if the client asks about the results of the competitor’s activities, though.)
“You need to understand your own audience…” That’s the key. Offering generic solutions based on generic data is what most consultants tend to do. I’m glad to hear you’re doing it all wrong — and getting better results!

By: Lisa Barone

Lisa Barone — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:26:57 +0000

I think you can sell social media by using the generic, “this is what X company was able to achieve” stories or, better yet, showing how the company’s competition is using it. But I don’t think you can create your own strategy by using someone else’s generic numbers. You need to understand your own audience to figure out how to connect with them.

By: Scott Stratten

Scott Stratten — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:26:36 +0000

“That’s about as effective as using your father’s Amazon.com recommendations to pick out a birthday gift for your best friend.”

Awesome. Stealing it. May or may not give credit.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:21:09 +0000

Thanks for another great article, Lisa. I love this: “I’m not doing it wrong. I’m doing it my way.”
But how do you answer a client’s questions about “Why do I need social media?” with specific data for his industry, when all the available data is generic? (Assuming this is someone who likes data.) How do you get specific data if you haven’t had the opportunity to serve that industry yet and create your own?

By: Lisa Barone

Lisa Barone — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:55:33 +0000

Totally agree, Michael. Sometimes I think the “research” more gets in the way than anything else because it’s research that’s not based on your core audience. What do you care what works for someone else? It’s what works for you that you need to concern yourself with. I’m doing everything wrong by most respected accounts but, it’s working okay for me.

By: Michael Dorausch

Michael Dorausch — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:44:28 +0000

Our data, our research, and our experiences seem to often conflict with what’s reportedly working for others or being suggested. Industry specific, we are doing things that are strongly recommended not to do (by industry gurus) but it’s our office and our ride, so I’ll keep doing it my way (even if it’s not the ‘best’ way.)

I love stats and data but there’s a lot of real world stuff that gets overlooked or goes unreported. Guidelines are great but rules may be broken (or at least bent) at times in order to get desired results, and there’s no way of knowing what to bend or break unless you’re out there making it happen.

I’m following TA’s advice. :)