See what I did there? Very tongue in cheek (if I do say so myself). 

This blog is a combination rant,commentary and airing of grievances all in one. As part of my daily research to keep up-to-date with all things social, digital and PR, I go through a bookmarked list of blogs that feature the latest posts related to said areas of interest. I then check my Twitter lists to see what the important people are Tweeting about. Since Twitter is a great sharing platform I figure any worthwhile stories, blogs and articles will eventually be tweeted. 

And I must report that I have noticed an annoying trend. Let me know if you see it:

• 5 Tips for First Time Managers
• 5 Ways Social Media is like a Networking Event 
• 5 Facts You Didn't Know About Facebook Edge Rank
• 7 Reasons Every Job Seeker Should Have a Blog
• 11 Things That Annoy Journalists and Bloggers

In my previous post we established the nature of this ‘weird devil’ known by many names but living under the umbrella term of “Social Media”. Our attempt at managing the digital strategies that go into a successful social media plan concluded with something that looked like an evil math equation (yes, yes- I know, ALL math is evil; but this equation is super evil!): Over 1000 “known” SMS+ less than 1% matter to your business+ that 1% also matters to 95% of your competitors= high risk of getting lost in the clutter.

In hopes of cutting through everyone else’s clutter (because of course your business is the only one that matters), it’s crucial that you manage your 1% at 100% capacity. But wait, where is YOUR 1% located? It’s easy to hop on the popularity bandwagon and do what everyone else is doing, but what if that’s not what’s best for your business? Sure Facebook is important to most businesses, but if you’re located anywhere in Brazil or India then forget about Facebook and focus on Orkut. This Google owned platform has exploded in Brazil since 2004, where it is now the top social networking website. What better way to reach your Brazilian audience then by switching to a Social Media platform they have embraced?

No biggie, after all you are located in Canada right? So you should go ahead and put all your effort on Twitter, but wait- your business is a restaurant. Well if you’re a restaurant then you will find that your 1% should focus on Yelp! Yelp, is a food/restaurant review social media website that encourages user generated content. Your customers can post reviews, highlight favourite menu items, post videos or pictures of the food and most importantly connect with other foodies via a platform that is popular in the foodie community.

One more? Alright, your business is a high-quality boutique film production studio interested in showcasing the highest standards of video to an exclusive community that can appreciate the work, effort and quality you put into every project. You had the bright idea of putting up your vides on MySpace, STOP- oh I jest, no one uses MySpace anymore. You had the idea of uploading your videos to YouTube, alright that’s pretty good- or maybe not. How about Vimeo? Vimeo is a video based social media platform that has less ads than YouTube, features higher viewing quality, nicer branding/graphics and most importantly has a community of passionate film makers who feel they are too good for YouTube. Boom- there’s audience. Vimeo it is.

The moral of the blog- to maximize your 1% don’t necessarily go running with the wolves. Instead find out which pack your audience is running with and go there (wow that’s a terrible analogy). Sorry about the length of this one, join me next time for Cutting Through The Clutter: You’re Supposed to be Social, SAY SOMETHING!

Dave Siekanowicz  

I recently heard someone begin a presentation on social media and the importance of social networking to a prominent group of business individuals with these words, "There are over 1000 social networking sites out there". Insert furrowing brow coupled with a classic case of face palm.... HERE. Social media is a bit of a weird devil with its own set of rules and exceptions. I feel that if I was to ever write a book on social media and business over 3/4 of every page would be footnotes with explanations and exemptions. Well, I doubt I'll get around to writing a book so why not address some concerns I have in a mini-blog series entitled, Cutting Through The Clutter. 

Firstly, there are more than 1000 social media websites (I'm combining networking based sites and new media sharing sites in this statistic). Wikipedia (arguably one form of social media) has put together a large lists but cites that it's not exhaustive, rather limited to notable, well-known sites. Yet despite this list of "well-known" sites, I would bet money that any individual reading this blog can only name about 5 of the listed sites and has probably actively used less than 5. This is one of those footnote sections that highlights how unique the world of social media is. Follow me here for a second:

Let's say there are a 1000 social media sites out there, yet only the top 3 really matter to your business. Naturally you would think wow, that's better- now I only have to focus on 3 and not remaining 997. Sure- you and 95% of your competitors; because you see the only 3 sites that matter to you, also matter to everyone else.  So now you have to leverage these 3 social media sites in a way that let's you cut through the millions of competitors who are fighting for your audience. You are essentially a needle in a haystack- unless you have a strategic plan and consistent method of implementation you will remain that needle, and nothing more. That's where we come in ;). Shoot us an email and we'll see what we can do. 

That's long enough for now, join me next time for part 2 of Cutting Through The Clutter: Wait, where am I supposed to be?

Dave Siekanowicz