Carefully Crafted on January 11

Social Media is More than a Meme

Last week, Facebook’s equivalent of a chain letter asked women to change their status to the color of their bra. This was supposed to raise awareness about breast cancer. Since then, a host of blog posts have gone up — praising or lambasting this fun little experiment. (Here’s another one from Change.org.)

On one hand, it’s great that millions (?) of people were tangentially discussing breast cancer. On the other hand, the next day — or the next hour — people’s status updates returned to the normal state of affairs. So, did this meme accomplish anything of long-term value in the fight against breast caner? I’d say probably not, even though a spike in conversations about cancer is not a bad thing.

For cancer, or any other cause or company, to see real benefits from their participation in social media, it should strive for the following:

  1. Long-term. A meme spreading through Facebook won’t cause large numbers of women to schedule mammograms. I come from a traditional PR background, so I believe in the value of consistent communication over the long haul. Just as one month of PR won’t deliver the desired results, a short-term approach to social media will fall short.
  2. Multi-faceted. While it may appear that everyone you know is on Facebook, the truth is that there are lots of people who aren’t on the network … or who aren’t constantly checking to see the latest status updates. If you’re ready to engage in social media, what’s your plan to reach those people? (Same goes for for Twitter.)
  3. On- & Offline. Even more surprising than the fact that every one of your stakeholders isn’t on Facebook is the fact that not everyone uses social media. (Shocking, right?!?) Don’t abandon your more traditional “offline” communication initiatives in lieu of emerging media. For example, if a nonprofit prints and mails a quarterly newsletter and sees a significant spike in donations afterward, don’t be so quick to cancel the newsletter. Instead, think of ways to integrate online and offline communication to develop a strong, comprehensive communication strategy.
  4. Measurable. How do you know if your efforts work if you have no way of tracking them? Sure, lots of women posted their bra colors, but did that increase traffic to the American Cancer Society or the Komen Foundation? Sound social media strategy includes a measurable component. Now, that doesn’t mean that you have to see a big spike in sales or donations in a week, but over a period of time, social media participation should offer tangible benefits.

This is an oversimplification of social media, yes. But, I’m hoping that you’re at least thinking about social media from a slightly different perspective. It’s not all about making a wildly popular viral video, creating the next Facebook meme or even amassing lots of fans or followers. Long-term success comes requires a sustainable approach to social media. Not a quirky chain letter experiment.

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