Companies who depend too much on branding and not enough on content will go by the wayside. Remember when radio, movies, and television were the new technology? Yeah me either. It was before my time, but just try to imagine how that was the new technology. Movies like Star Wars, War Games, Hackers, The Matrix, and TV Shows like Star Trek have always reflected society’s need and want for innovation. Nothing is outside the realm of possibilities and often they are a metaphor for real life. Well known author and futurist, Alvin Toffler, predicted that this was the direction we would go. The Amazon Kindle, Adobe Acrobat, etc. = Paperless Office. I would say we are in the fourth wave and entering the fifth.

The biggest trend I see, as it relates to my industry, is more online video content creation and more redesign of business models and business websites to be Web 3.0 compatible. Service industries, and more specifically the marketing communications industry, are and will become more condensed with regards to human resources leadership having more part-time, freelance and independent contractors than ever before. Video production companies and web development companies that normally would be separate are merging in order to stay competitive due to this paradigm shift to social media and marketing budgets being cut by their traditional clients. Storytelling is critical in any medium, but even more critical on a global platform. Video, done correctly and with a concise message, helps add credibility to the written word. Getting the right media mix for the right campaign strategy in social media is essential. In saying all of this, social media is not hard or revolutionary. It is about implementing best business practices and due diligence on new channels. Creating the message for the niche market will be as important as delivering the message. The economy might be bad right now, but people need to stop living in fear because it is disruptive innovation that will mean great new strides in efficient business growth, especially for small businesses that succeed in a renewal stage of American business history. It is this renewal in new and small business growth coupled with more interaction online that you will see an uptick in the ecommerce industry. Jack Nicholson said it best as, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, in A Few Good Men, “You can’t handle the truth.” (#) The average American cannot handle the truth that the 40 hour work week is a myth. What worked in 2005 will not work in 2010 or later.

Social media has turned everyone into their own CEO in that they don’t have time to wade through new business venture pitches, but learn through news, information, and entertainment they do or do not need or want. Social media is customized content that the end user cares about. Make it short, sweet, and to the point. I myself am breaking all the social media rules by writing this long article rather than being concise and to the point. The problem with that though is that it forces a writer to sometimes leave out key and important parts of a bigger picture. Then it comes down to who is a better storyteller given the space, time, accuracy, and overall entertainment value for the end user. The Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How is Journalism 101. However, I always say debate and open communication (engagement) is good because it allows others to understand and learn another viewpoint. Social media is a place where every kind of language and dialect is clearly understood to make the world a little smaller. In doing so we grow as individuals, improve as businesses, a nation, and evolve as a human race because without questioning each other we don’t learn.

Social Media/Social Media Marketing/Social Media Networking can also be a confidence booster in that it can translate into job interviews or sales prospects and conversion through no pressure personal branding. In doing this you surround yourself with good people who are smart, energetic, and driven with great ideas and shared resources. Social media helps start/extend your network online in order to build strong business relationships offline.

A perfect example of a company dragging their feet, with regards to social media, is a local TV station that actually went in the opposite direction and put a radio promo out that said in so many words don’t take up all your time with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, etc. when you can get all your news and information in one broadcast. TIVO still has its place, but broadcast news in its traditional form does not. The TV station I am talking about has always been in 3rd place in the ratings in its market and from this radio promo they are happy to stay there and broadcast versus engage their audience because the other two competing channels are good examples of how social media campaign strategies should be implemented. Another big case study of an organization that has traditionally dragged its feet, but is becoming hip to the game recently, is the Catholic Church.(#) With dwindling numbers and public relations problems in recent years, from not adopting technology to help with brand management research, the Vatican has decided to take a new direction with regards to how it communicates to its faithful followers. Good business leaders who “get it” will understand the difference between being available and accessible in a niche market where it no longer makes sense to broadcast a big net to the target market.(#) Another applicable example of this that comes from scholar and author, Warren G. Bennis, “Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.”(#) This is how the class system has always worked. This plays into this constant battle of the various waves/ages we all learn about in school that “knowledge equals power.” The agricultural age, industrial age, technology age, etc.(#) This thinking will and has adapted to social media. Some may see it as an adaptation, but to others it might be more on an extension. The content hasn’t changed, just the way it is being delivered. You can apply the same thinking to any category with regards to marketing (product reviews, testimonials, advertisements, infomercials – i.e.- Billy Mays, etc) and PR. The message hasn’t changed just the vehicle. Access from a politician went from the form letter in the mail to the form letter via email, etc.

Bloggers for a long time were never taken seriously by traditional media journalists because they were criticized as not having the formal education to be content providers with access to credible sources or resources. They have spent years building up a loyal following in whatever their core target audience is. The appeal and attraction is the level of honesty that cannot be faked. People are drawn to each other through common bonds, interests, and things they care about. As soon as marketing types attempt to try to invade that space it becomes clearly evident. Every blogger would like to make money, but as soon as they start pushing a product to help pay the bills (quickly becoming known as Sponsored Conversation) (#) much like stars on talk shows get paid for talking about products, that they wouldn’t normally endorse, it is seen as not being genuine and they run the risk of losing their core audience and will be quickly called out on it. This is why bloggers like Alaina Sheer (#) and Chris Brogan (#) are so successful and making a full time living at it. They blog about issues they care about or effect them in some way and stick to a niche rather than writing about things they think will get them more unique visitors and return visitors. Alaina and Chris have enough of an influence, or what Chris is referring to as trust agents, in a target market to give a thumbs up or down on a product or service whether it is local, regional or national for brands to take notice of what they are saying. In doing this it ultimately forces companies and organizations to actually listen to the customer where as before Web 2.0 and social media said company was the information gatekeeper. The transparency of social media allows customers in every sector to question authority and value of statements by PR types. Bloggers are having the last laugh where traditional media and businesses have previously dismissed its legitimacy on a repeated basis. Traditional media journalists lash out at technology that threatens their way of life especially when they refuse to be proactive and embrace it. The evidence is all around us with layoffs in TV, radio, and newspapers.

The only reason there is a paradigm shift happening right now is because there is nothing to watch on TV (except all the “reality shows” dumbing down America), almost everybody has a computer or Internet ready device, so people can get their news customized and in real time, and the economy is in the dumps thus ramping up the new technology apps and Google/Apple dominance. Convenience has killed traditional media and they are playing a reactive game. Some may say they saw it coming and that is why you had deregulation of FCC rules for company owners who at one time could only own so many radio stations, TV stations, and newspapers. Those rules weren’t just there for money purposes, but potential influence purposes liberal, conservative or otherwise. Only time will tell. Todd Defren(#) makes a good argument, “The tipping point has not only not been reached, but could still tilt away from Social Media.”