Questioning the "gurus"
Five years ago, the term social media didn't exist. Few people could explain what it was, not to mention how to use it for marketing. In the last two to three years, not only have we seen the social media universe expand and more businesses taking it seriously as a strategic marketing channel, but we've also seen an increase in social media gurus right along with it -- the "experts," some of them even certified, who keep us informed of what works in social media, who's doing it best, and how to do it right.
At the risk of sounding somewhat hypocritical and grouping myself in that category by writing this feature and a few others in the past, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring and offer some advice as well -- about the social media advice you should ignore.
Best practices and guidelines are worth knowing about, but there is a difference between following the hype blindly and employing a unique social strategy that fits your business goals. A one-size-fits-all approach is never the best approach for every brand. As new social channels are changing the way we do business, the best approach is to be open-minded, experiment, learn, and adapt as we go.
Included in the following article are some popularly touted social "rules of the road" that you might want to reconsider for your brand's marketing strategy.
