The Conversation Goes On

To those of you who know the ins and outs of social media marketing or listen to the podcast, it comes as no surprise when I say:

"The conversation is happening whether you participate or not."
You can choose to ignore it. You can say you don't have time for it. You can trust that it will have no affect on your business. And in all of these things you could be completely correct. But you can't stop the conversation by not participating in it. You can't stop it with court orders and take-down notices. And you certainly won't stop it by ignoring it.

The Bogusky Factor

Two things brought this thought to mind for me this week, after we discussed it on the last episode of The BeanCast, my marketing podcast. First is the case of Alex Bogusky.

I've been following the thread of the conversation happening by using the search term "Bogusky" on Twitter. It's been amazing to watch the talk ebb and flow around the man. He and his agency were already talked about, of course. But it was nothing compared to the furor caused by his actual presence on Twitter.

For the short time he tweeted, there was a virtual firestorm of conversation. It was like his presence alone loosed the pent-up demand of many to interact with this advertising celebrity. And the most amazing thing was that everyone was on their best behavior. It was like he had walked into an actual room and no one wanted to bad mouth or mock him to his face. At least not by actually using the word "Bogusky."

And frankly, if there were any linger assumptions that the man was an ass or a task-master, these were dispelled largely just by him being himself. He seemed like a genuinely sincere guy. Probably a little driven and we have to assume pretty critical, but overall he was likable.

What Fills The Vacuum?

Then came that tweet. The tweet that basically said that Twitter wasn't for him and he was signing off. I don't blame him. If anything, his decision was on par with what most creative types feel about the medium. It's a distraction that he simply didn't have time for.

Still, watching the Twitter stream, I saw general disbelief and questioning. I saw dozens of blog posts come up and then the interviews with him to find out why he left. Then as it all faded, people returned to behaving like they di before he came on. They now post about his work and they either love it or hate. But they were suddenly less engaged. And some were outright mocking again. And then the full weight of the statement above bore down on me:

"The conversation is happening whether you participate or not."
Suddenly I had a new perspective on the meaning. It wasn't just that some benign conversation was happening. It was a conversation that was now uninfluenced by his presence. Frankly, it was his brand at the mercy of the masses with no marketing support.

Driving Conversation Underground

Hold that thought for moment, because the insight became even more significant to me after talking to a client recently. While my immediate contacts there completely get the reasons they should be on Facebook, Twitter and exploring other social media opportunities, their organization was not. In fact, they were antagonistic toward it and even had their legal department busy shutting down fan sites. They were not just ignoring the possibilities, they were actively digging themselves into a hole.

I could just image these shut down Facebook efforts going underground now. Will they just go away? No! If anything they will become re-energized and take on a negativity that would have probably never been present if they were just left alone. And not only will this organization now not have the permission to relate with these customers, they've gone so far as to become the enemy.

Not A Choice, A Necessity

The reason we explore social media is not because it's some hot new, untested marketing technique that we want to sink our teeth into. It's not because we are promising ROI. It's not because we don't understand the risks and liabilities. We advocate social media strategies because in the end we really have not choice. Why? Because...

"The conversation is happening whether you participate or not."
It's a simple phrase, but it packs a massive impact if you look deep enough. Obviously we need to manage risk. But which is the greater risk? That you may say or do something that may bring unwanted attention? Or that your brand might become irrelevant -- or worse yet, reviled -- by not being there at all?

Think about it.