The Age of Social Media Gurus Ends, the Age of Integration of Social Begins; or the Age of Wrapping the Startlingly Obvious in Bacon and Calling it Vision
Since I got involved in social media, it was a given- to me at least-that social media was a mere part of a larger communications program, one that should be, shall we say, “integrated.” And as a PR practitioner, I was aware of the picture even bigger than that; marketing, advertising, sales, et al. Now, I am starting to see posts about the “change” in the industry. Somehow, we have reached some sort of “end” of the social media consultant, or guru, or whatever. Shel Israel has a good post pointing out the trend of consultants taking corporate jobs. Indeed, this indicates a maturity in some corners of the business world. But neither this maturity, nor its tendency to gobble up good talent, is an indicator of the “end” or “death” of anything.
Posts are already popping up that it must be the end of the road for the social media consultant. Piffle and false prophecy. As always. these declarations of death are off (remember the death of print?). Sure,things are changing, but these absolute predictions are as reliable as the predictions of Rapture. There are plenty of spaces that are slower-moving: regulated industries like finance and health; some sectors of the non-profit world, and individual companies throughout- still in need of the consultants (and I don’t mean the snake-oil salespeople that pollute our industry).
So, these reactions have it wrong on both ends: the need for the strategic consultant is not going away, and the idea of integration is not some new shiny object someone just discovered.
For the rest of us, back to work.
Infographics Part II: Infographic Proponents Threaten to Blind World Population
After last week’s hand-wringing about infographics, it doesn’t stop. It’s bad enough that people are recommending infographic resumes; it’s not that I’m against creativity, but I am (still) against cluttered, disorganized, unreadable graphics stuffed with irrelevant information. Now there is a service, about to launch, that promises to make it easier to create infographics. It’s called visual.ly If people use this to make our eyes bleed and make us nauseous to look at them, I’ll try to remember to blame the people and not the tool.
Flip Cam Chief Goes into Grilled Cheese Business
I’m waiting for Cisco to buy Jonathan Kaplan out to integrate his Grilled Cheese technology into Cisco’s routers. Or is this the beginning of the Grilled Cheese Bubble? I actually think this is a cool, unexpected move, but I have to admit the phrase “grilled cheese makes people happy” makes one sound kind of punch-drunk.
Just three this week. I’m tired.
You cleaned the plate with this post, sir! The not-so-death death of social media is being heralded by the same people who wouldn’t acknowledge it as part and parcel of marketing. Now they have to clear the plate for the next shiny object to champion. But i’ll wager you $50 that the $5 grilled-cheese-sandwich-by-iPhone isn’t going to melt in the mainstream market mouth. ;-)
Thanks Lisa – the maturation and progression of social media is not at all monolithic, and is far more layered than any of these posts (or mine) indicate.
I forgot to add my Kosmo.com joke to the grilled cheese bit. Those of you who remember Kosmo probably know where I might head with that.