• by Bill Lawrence , December 1, 2009

Get back to basics before you all jump off a bridge

Most of us can remember when as children we would ask our parents' permission to do something. And most of us - at least once or twice - probably threw in the old argument, "Well, my friend's mom is letting him do it."

Today's marketing efforts can sound very familiar: Organization A has resounding success with an initiative, and organization B (usually a competitor) wants to follow suit. In the agency world, there is often the notion that the client always knows best, but in a world of constantly evolving communications, there are times when it's more than appropriate to step in and repeat Mom's familiar refrain. 

No area is as plagued by this desire to do as others do than the world of social media. The only thing new about the new social media is its abundance and its immediacy. The notion that "everybody's doing it" is simply too alluring to most marketers and it's hard to resist being a part of something that seems all the rage.

From toilet manufacturers to God, everyone has a Facebook page. And everyone from airlines to celebrities Tweet incessantly. I recognize there is great power and potential in social media, but I'd also say that there is no "conventional" social media strategy that's right for all organizations. While everyone is clamoring to make their own Facebook pages, I would recommend that what they should be doing is taking a close look at what is accomplished through every "friend," every connection, and what we're not doing while we wait for the next status update.

Take the great debate between digital and traditional media. Just this past month, I witnessed this in an open forum that was very close to home. I heard several colleagues go back and forth about whether it's possible to launch a brand using exclusively digital means or whether it still requires a healthy mix of off- and online strategies. My response is pretty simple: It all depends on an organization's business and marketing objectives.

Over the past 12 to 18 months, our marketing world has become economically paranoid - and perhaps rightfully so. And in that state, many marketing professionals have abandoned key fundamentals such as identifying objectives and creating an appropriate strategy (C'mon, does a toilet manufacturer really need a Facebook page?). I've seen marketers taking lazy, uninteresting tactics that are adopted largely on the basis of other organizations' successes. The argument that "everyone else is doing it" has never been heard more than in the past year.

In fact, when you're under the greatest economic stress is the time I recommend taking a deep breath and building a smart, appropriate foundation. My experience has shown me that the best big leaps are made from solid, carefully thought-out ground - not fly-by-night whims. Once you identify your objectives, then you can determine the best blend of innovation and practicality to take (innovation, practical innovation, innovative practicality, etc.).

I would urge any marketer (or agency) to resist the temptation of beginning any meeting with the enthusiastic words, "Let's pursue social media." Instead, take a step back to ask yourself - or your clients - the following questions:

- What are the business objectives?
- What are the marketing objectives?
- What do the resources look like - finances, personnel, etc.?
- Do we have a plan in place to do all of these things? (Perhaps most important)
- How can we apply our experience and current formulas to those innovations to take the business further?

There's no question that the economy has caused many of us to pursue avenues and initiatives we never thought of, and smart innovation - the kind of innovation that isn't simply what everyone else is doing - can definitely yield success. In other words: Remember what your mother told you, as well as the tried and true methods of the past that have yielded success all along.