Am I “Mayor” of my own Social Media message?
With the awareness and interest raised for location based Social Media platforms/technologies like Foursquare and Gowalla, I have jotted down and exploration of thoughts. These thoughts and questions I have to think through myself; I have to answer these questions critically before moving forward with the use of these new location based platforms.
Some Thoughts I have been pondering and synthesizing:
- Social Media outlets added to the “open source” movement that gives “small” people and organizations a voice.
- Social Media transformed us (small people/organizations) as “thought leaders” to drive Internet traffic to our “motherships” for information.
- Social Media platforms provided the “small” people/organizations an opportunity to create robust web properties competing with “big box” organizations.
- Social Media platforms provided the awareness necessary to create a “mothership” portal where the majority of the marketing messages “flow” through driving traffic to engage with a consistent message.
- Social Media technology and open source platforms allowed and empowered “small” people/organizations to compete in the messaging landscape with “big box” organizations.
- Social Media has allowed those to use technologies to build “Tribes” creating movements to distribute a message around a community.
Some questions in my head personally and professionally:
- Why must “small” people/organizations be willing to use Social Media technologies to disclose locations?
- Does Social Media technologies disclosing locations hurt/degrade the value of the brand of the “small” people and organizations…or reinforce the brand of the “big box” organizations.
- Does location based Social Media technologies reinforce the “small” people/organizations as “thought leaders” empowering the reinforcement of the “big box” organization?
- Does location based Social Media technology reinforce the small individual people and organization “thought leaders” as “thought leaders” since they are proportionally the influencers for “bog box” brands?
- Have small people and organizations using Social Media platforms and location based technologies created a paradigm shift in perception transitioning those “small” people/organizations onto the same platform as “big box” organizations. Where does the influence lie and where will it lie in 10 years?
Who are the thought leaders?
Who really maximizes the true benefit of these location based platforms? Is it the groups publishing where they are located or is the organizations that are being recognized where this constituency base has chosen to locate and ultimately publicize? Some organizations are providing “rewards” for those soliciting their location using these technologies, but who is the thought leader here? Or do we care? Or is it just fun to say we are going to a movie and then to another place for a milkshake?
Organizations like hospitals might frame the benefit from these platforms with their marketing support staff providing their location especially for small doctors offices that lie under the umbrella of services. This is where organizations, “big box” organizations could benefit from internal staff providing location based advertising and raise awareness both from a public (business to consumer) and internal (business to business) position, informing other internal groups where and what is offered internally.
So what is the story behind these location based platforms? How are you using them? Are you doing more that just adding to the fad of saying what you are doing and where? Have you thought about the true marketing implications of these technologies and platforms? Are you telling your story or helping others with a bigger message? What are your thoughts? And will this become another place like Twitter where people get excited and then the honeymoon stage drops off like a bad relationship?
Bobby, enjoying your ruminations on this topic… I think your juxtaposition of checking in vs. checking out (are we just sharing random bits about out lives or telling a larger story?) is true and compelling. Does participating contribute to our personal stories or to the corporate identity of large organizations?
One way I think smaller places can benefit… Add themselves to the location-based apps. Add menu specials as tips, for instance… 🙂 but use them to help tell the story and market, with the same potential as larger companies. I wish one of the places I am “mayor” of would reach out and offer a benefit. The first small biz locally to do that is going to get serious promos from me! 🙂
Mandy, you have really helped me contextualize this concept. I am thinking in terms of the clients I work with on a daily basis. The more I can understand how others are using and see the potential benefit, I can find ways to integrate into some of the work I do. I think it would be cool to integrate video into this concept. Say, I go to eat around the corner at my favorite pizzeria, people navigate using foursquare or gowalla, then can watch a “corporate” video of the establishment or an uploaded video from the location. I will be interested to see how some “big box” groups use it effectively and truly engage users! BTW…you rock!
Bobby, interesting perspective here. While I agree that location apps are fad-ish and fun, it could potentially add value to a few small organizations. Where I do see a connection – allowing cause based NPO’s to highlight and potentially direct visitors to off-site locations and events where their initiative is being promoted. Indicating the location of that event via a FourSquare can be a helpful marketing tactic, along with the traditional event promotion. In that instance it may be less of being a “thought leader” and more of an awareness builder.