This post was inspired by Alexis Karlin of Forrester and Sarah Faasse.
For those of us who work within the social media space this question and complex is a familiar one. But really, how do you? Everyday I get asked this question and it isn't easy to answer. The answer usually comes in the form of a misappropriated elevator pitch minus any technical lingo. Not exactly easy to follow for the listener, is it?
Come on we're marketers/communicators/thought leaders, we should be able to explain to a family member or friend what we do. So I've prepared a few quick tips on what we can do to clear up this egregious communication gap:
1. No usage of the words: silos, inbound marketing, evangelized users, and community building. You can't use any marketing terms. It's confusing enough to people when you start talking in marketing speak...social media speak is like the foreign exchange student trying to learn English. It's painful to the uninitiated.
2. Don't mention: Chris Brogan, David Armano, Scott Monty, or Penelope Trunk. They don't know who they are and they don't care. The issue with being micro-famous these days is that you forget how much of a big deal you AREN'T. We all have people in our respective fields who we have all heard of but are completely anonymous to the outside world. So, don't try and de-cloak them. I'm sure most of them need a break anyway.
3. Keep it Simple. You don't have to justify R.O.I. to your parents. So keep the conversation on a base level and just run them through it in a very congenial and fun way. Twitter can be fun. You just find it fun for different reasons then your 16 year old sister.
4. Don't vomit when they ask you if you are on Myspace or Second Life. To the average person these still have value and probably are seen as cutting edge in a lot of ways. Don't react negatively...as much as you want to. The knowledge gap is still a wide chasm. So be patient and explain everything thoroughly. Suggest better alternatives, while not bashing the other ones.
5. Go buy Groundswell. Saves a lot of time and explanation. Seriously.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment, showing us some social love or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.
tagged as groundswell, social groundswell, social marketing, social media explanation, social media fail, social media in plain english, social media marketing, social media vernacular, social media win
[...] Social Media How-to: Explain to People What You Do – A couple of simple tips on clearly and concisely explaining your work to someone whose social media experience stopped at Friendster. [...]
10 Twitterers and Their Blogs Who Inspire Me…
tweetmeme_url = ”;tweetmeme_source = ‘ariherzog’;
Happy Saturday!
Following-up on my desire to change my usage patterns on Twitter and in blogs, I’d like to share with you 10 Twitter users whose blogs I’ve read…