If You Say “Leverage” You Might Get Punched In The Face

Published
by
Matt
on Aug 20, 2008
in Bad Marketing, Web 2.0 and social media
. Tags: , .

A lot of times, one of the first things you hear when social media is brought up in a business setting is “How can we leverage this to reach our customers (read: sell more stuff)?” And a lot of times, it makes me want to punch whoever said that right in the face. It’s a strong reaction I know, but hey, you have to let the punishment fit the crime.

Greg Verdino once said that hearing the word “viral” makes him want to throw up. Clearly I have a similar, albeit slightly more aggressive, response to the word “leverage” when used anywhere near “social media”.

Why this hulk-smash attitude you might ask? Well, what bothers me so much is that so many people are in such a hurry to leverage/monetize/utilize/monopolize/bastardize social media, that they don’t even stop to understand it first. And along with this goldrush mentality, comes a lot of people who are doing things really wrong.

In fact, the aforementioned Verdino likens it to putting lipstick on a pig. His main point is that maybe you should figure out social media before you work on social media marketing. I mean, honestly, did you run TV spots before you owned a set and watched a few shows? Probably not. Don’t let this be any different.

The good news is that it’s not hard to get into the space and learn the tools and tactics. I know it might seem daunting, but don’t worry. You can (and should) take it slow. Start with (my version of) the basics. People like Chris Brogan, Mitch Joel, Joe Jaffe, David Armano, Jason Falls, Valeria Maltoni, and Geoff Livingston are great resources. And people like Neal Stewart at Flying Dog, Scott Monty at Ford, and Frank Eliason at Comcast are already doing great work with social media.

The key thing here is that you need to be a participant. Get in on the ground floor. Crawl before you can walk. Be the tortoise not the hare. Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. (Wow, one more metaphor and I might have passed out)

Either way, I still have faith that with patience and practice, we’ll all get a handle on this “social media” thing. But seriously, if I hear “leverage”, you still better duck and cover.

  • Great advice, Matt. I'll leverage this post to help guide any newbies I come across...
  • Way to leverage the current goings-on in the market to make a great point. ;-)

    Seriously, your point is well taken. It's more than lip service and trying to mimic what's going on - it's a matter of understanding it and living it.
  • Clearly the only thing required to comment on this post is to use the word "leverage" (note: any sarcastic usage will not result in face-punching)

    @Steve
    Thanks. We need to do everything we can to get people started off on the right foot.

    @Mr. Monty
    I agree that there's a lot of people talking the talk, but precious few walking the walk. And even half of them are on the wrong track. It's like those PSA's "The More You Know!!"

    Thanks!
  • Great post! A punch in the face does match the crime.
  • Give me a lever long enough and I can move the world.

    I have a list of words I dislike. : )
  • Yesterday at a panel discussion, the a CEO said that blogs were just a passing fancy and weren't important. He also said that only negative information is posted on blogs. I just don't understand how the CEO an organization that is all about attracting 17 year olds for education doesn't get social media...OH, maybe that's because they want to leverage it?

    Great post.
  • @Carrie
    Absolutely. And I'm sure that I'm not the only who feels that way. Thanks for reading.

    @Chris
    Capt. Jack Sparrow also had a lot of great quotes about leverage.

    You should let us know what those special words are on your list.

    @Cheryl
    It's times like that where I find it tough to bite my tongue. Clearly this person doesn't know the first thing about social media, which is okay. But what's not okay, is knowing absolutely nothing and talking up a negative storm. I'm sure that some people thought that TV and the internet were passing fads too. We shall see.

    Thanks for reading!
  • @Cheryl:

    TQM was also a passing fad - yet delivering quality to your process isn't. The point is that whatever the tools, the dynamics have changed. As for negative information, it tends to get the attention when it shows up on the balance sheet. It is much easier to criticize than to step forward and do something. Change is hard.

    Good discussion, Matt!
  • WTF? I didn't make the list... don't make me call the Beast!
  • Couldn't agree more! Every time I hear some guy spewing out buzzwords like water from a fire hydrant, I want to hit him with the fire hydrant.
  • Love it. I take issue only with one minor point ... Joe Jaffe is the worst offender at BuzzwordS and totally obsessed with monetizing social media.
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