On social and your future

I find that the whole notion of social makes some leaders really uneasy.

In the last decade it was acceptable to build a wall around your online presence and to divide the world into “us” and “them”. Entire premise of the internet “marketing” was designed around pushing out a broadcast and turning it into page views and unique visits. Just a one way number game, nothing to do with the needs of the real people.

Today, this is no longer an option. Pretty much everything people do today is social or is becoming social.

Social media, social gaming, social consumption, social journalism, social learning, social TV watching, discussion groups, forums, comments, fans, followers, tribes, interest groups. And although technology enabled social to such great extent, what’s happening lately is no longer a technology issue, it’s just life. People are naturally driven to other people just like them.

If you don’t pay attention to this social change, or you maybe see it, but you’re refusing to move forward, you are in danger of becoming extinct without even realising it. And because this shift is tectonic, you don’t have the power to oppose this change, neither you have a choice. No single business does.

You may think you are fine, because you’re on Twitter or you have a have a Facebook page. Thing is, if you don’t engage in a conversation, start a movement, lead or join a tribe, you are simply confusing social with your RSS feed.

The biggest “problem” with social, is that it makes you vulnerable, exposed, demystified and without control. Social enforces transparency, enables immediate feedback and leaves you with absolutely nowhere to hide.

And I suppose that’s true, but only if you or your service is mediocre. The thing is that your only alternative is to be amazing. Just imagine - nothing else can impact this, but doing an amazing work.

The bottom line is that if you’re scared of social, my guess is that it’s because of the mediocrity of your work or product.