One Does Not Simply Do Social Media
There is a reason why you see more self appointed social media “experts” than programming whizzes: social media from the eyes of many, is simple to do. The assertion is made often that there is nothing difficult about writing a status update or posting something viral. After all, if someone with some ad money and a bunny can get it done, why can’t the average joe off the street?
The hatred of this has gone on for awhile now. From CEOs of former companies I used to work for to everyday friends, I’ve been shown why some people are afraid to hire a social media expert. And while Peter Shankman’s May 2010 article has some merit to it, people seem to miss the point: Social media is relationship driven, content bolstered and engagement enhanced.
The honest truth about social media is that its not as simple, dumbed down or revenue killing as it might seem to be. Whenever you work on a product that is the first line and direct to people, you run into the x-factor of the human condition. If you are a brand, you further run into the challenge of delivering on ROI. If you thought in-person sales was tough, social media and building relationships on the social media freeway is tougher.
So in the end, give your social media buddies some credit. Community management, strategy, measuring success and creating/curating content is a tough job. A thick skin and constant engagement is required for return to make sense.
As Boromir would tell you himself, “one does not simply do social media”.
The Social Media “Bunny Effect”
A bunny named Brownie has 5,427 likes on Facebook and a conversational reach of 2,421 individuals talking. Can’t believe it? Believe it. Then continue reading.
2011 Social Recap - #9: Memes Go Viral
As we enter into the final month of 2011, we begin to look back on the year and everything that happened. Like 2010, we’ll look at the social phenomenons that captivated the minds, spirits and interests of people this year, the trends that mattered and why they were impacting on the landscape of social media. Today we continue the top 10 list by examining a year of memes.
The world was chugging along slowly in the month of March. The holiday season already passed, and outside of revolutions in the Middle East, there wasn’t a whole lot happening. Or so we thought.
Out in the celebrity-heavy region of Los Angeles, California, The Ark Factory was working with a thirteen year old girl named Rebecca Black. A singer, she was being prepared to sing one of the biggest songs of the year - a song about a day of the week. A song, about Friday.
The song was uploaded to YouTube several days later, and the social media world went crazy with more negative than positive, bringing up the question of whether we all want to be Rebecca Black in our secret fantasies with all the attention, or whether music was headed on its way towards a slow, ear-splitting and torturous death. Some would argue both, but that can be discussed later. Watch the video below:
The meme factor went beyond Rebecca Black as well. Outside of people asking what day it is and mentioning that it was “Friday”, we also saw the growth of another meme called “Nope, Chuck Testa”, featuring a taxidermy business owner named Chuck Testa out of Ojai, California, who used YouTube to feature his business and his services. This is his video below:
Beyond the videos, there were also photo memes that captured the year as well. One meme in particular that was interesting involved the UC Davis police officer who pepper sprayed several students during an Occupy Protest. The officer, trying to get out of a circle when surrounded by students, was pictured pepper spraying defenseless students. Besides being put on leave and having his information leaked out over the Internet, the officer also saw his photo go viral, getting the photoshop treatment, and landing on, among others, a painting by Georges Seurat.
With pretty much every major social media event, you can guarantee that a meme will arise from it, followed by a lot of laughter. Whatever happens in 2012, you can be sure that more memes, photoshopped images and amusing outcomes will arise.
There were hundreds of meme-generated type photos in the year 2011. Which one was your favorite? Share them in the comments section below, or send me a tweet @albertqian.
Come back to this list after every post to see the top-10 list for the end of the year!
10. MySpace Rebrands, Sells
9. Memes Go Viral
