In reality the term describes the massive change in dynamic, whereby big business no longer barges along a one way street unhindered. Now, the street is two way and li'l old ladies will get in the way of the corporate juggernaut. The real challenge is not 'doing social', it's working out how to engage effectively - and politely please - with the people you meet in this new public space.
Facebook and Twitter are the current 'channels', but someone else will redefine them in the coming years and companies will need the same strategy to deal with the new tools. Will Pinterest and Tumblr start visual dialogues...?
What frustrates me as a keyboardologist is that in this incredibly fast moving world, 'Social Media Strategy' is being described in terms of the tools available today. Should a manufacturer have a 'forum', a Facebook 'Page', Twitter Accounts? Don't start with the tools, start with a goal.
Please, stop thinking in terms of current software and start thinking about how best to engage with your customers. As a Land Rover customer, I don't want a visuaofest email once a year and a random letter suggesting my five year old car is suddenly in demand because they're short of stock.
I'd like to engage with a manufacturer based on the information they hold and my real relationship with them. My car is serviced and warrantied via a dealer - I'll certainly engage with you more if I can access what exactly happened to my car at the service. Give me the tools to manage my ownership and I'll engage with you plenty. Become my car manager and I'll talk to you. I wont talk to you if you shout at me via some social media tools and want to be my 'friend'. I'm not your friend, I'm not really a 'fan', I'm a customer.
If I have a problem with my car, I'd like to ask someone with hands on experience at a dealer or manufacturer, not a loud 'experts' on a forum I've never been to before. We all know they'll simply advise me to buy a different model, get it chipped or take it a bloke in a shed in Bracknell.
To talk to me, manufacturers and dealers need to invent some tools that are appropriate. I don't want to be banged on the head with a social hammer flogged to them by a blogging evangelist.
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