Don’t Yell at a Crowd

Allow me to smack you upside your head with some Tuesday afternoon obvious:

There are a lot of conversations happening on the internet.

It’s all about participation … maybe

You probably don’t need to be told about the importance of participating in the social media space. Your PR or digital agency has likely pitched the concept a hundred times in a hundred different ways.

And they’re right. It is important. And you might even be convinced. But with so much going on, in so many different channels, how do you know where and when to participate?

Efficient communication

Just because someone mentions your product or service on MySpace doesn’t mean it’s worth your time to respond. And just because Twitter has taken off, and the biggest brand names seem to be on it, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get anything out of participating.

If you’re assuming that you need to be in the biggest and brightest social media network du jour, you might be wasting your resources. If that channel flames out quickly, your well-crafted strategy designed to gain insight and brand advocates will need to be completely rethought. Further, if you decide to participate in a cluttered channel, you may just end up as noise.

Participating in the right places in the right way will maximize your efficiency and return. First, identify your audience and where they are creating the most valuable content. Then contribute to that conversation — it’s much more beneficial than yelling your message at a large crowd of people.

Bigger is not necessarily better

If you wait to participate in what is perceived as the “It” social media channel — the one on all the magazine covers, the one your family, friends, and co-workers are already on — you’re too late, and you’ve missed an opportunity to make a real name for yourself. Other brands have probably already done so.

Before you dive right into the next big thing, you need to plan for today and tomorrow.

• How do you identify the right channel for participation?
• What is the growth trajectory of the channel where you plan to engage?
• Is your audience already participating? If not, will they be?

The takeaway

Instead of spending time and money deciding whether or not to participate online, assume that you should — and spend that time and money instead on developing a strategy that identifies which channels you should engage in and the best ways to do so.

About the author

Brad Schwarzenbach -

As an analyst on the Tippingpoint Strategy team, Brad explores new opportunities for clients to build relationships with their customers. He’s always testing new social media channels, poring over analytic data, and identifying emerging trends. He also speaks at conferences & events about uncovering powerful messages hidden within brands' unique values.

Brad’s research has contributed to the development of content & contributor strategies for such clients as Breville, Rodale, Long’s Jewelers, and Fusionapps, as well as being a frequent contributor to the Tippingpoint blog. He’s been “listening” to the way we communicate online since the old AOL People Connection days and watched the way that digital communication has evolved.

An English and Creative Writing major at the University of Connecticut, Brad’s spent most of his career creating web content and becoming intimately familiar with web theory for Bayard, Inc. and TomTom Inc., giving Brad keen ears and eyes to what, exactly, makes web content valuable.

Outside the office, Brad feels most at home with his beautiful wife-to-be Kristina, or on the golf course. “There’s a distinct pace and rhythm to the way people communicate online.  Understanding and taking part in them yields amazing opportunities for my clients to not only grow but to improve their business. I’m constantly looking for those opportunities.”