Social media as the new alternative fuel

So, waiting in the dentist’s office this morning I caught a CBC Nature of Things show on the new hydrogen powered cars.  Then, when I cracked open my local paper’s business section I saw a great article on how BuildDirect has built its successful supplies business with social media at the core.  So a couple of synapses went off in the noggin’ and viola yet another analogy for y’all to chew on.

(image credit by heidiheidiheidi via Flickr)

I’m a big fan of social media as the primary alternate fuel to power a business.  Radian6 owes a lot to this fuel.  We have spent very little on traditional marketing fuel since the company began.  So, what are some of the attributes of this alternative business energy source that make it such a great choice.

Low Emissions – Yes, you just have to look at the amount of waste you’ll produce when using traditional marketing.  You burn through a lot in order to get maybe 1-3% engine response rate.  Social media is about directly building relationships with the community, avoiding the extra “eyeballs-to-interested” catalytic conversion with traditional marketing fuel, and producing much higher efficiencies.

Very high MPG – When your business has a remarkable product that resonates with its audience then it takes very little fuel to propel it forward.  It’s all about providing little boosts to get things going and to get up the hills.  Remarkably there will be times when you’ll think your vehicle is driving forward on its own.  And, amazingly, if you don’t have the perfect product the fuel will actually tell you what to tweak and improve on.  Try that with traditional marketing fuel.

Powerful & Responsive – Talk about 0 to 60 in seconds.  Social media fuel does not have a lot of additives between the cause and the effect.  Basically your vehicle connects directly with the community, with the right product & solid traction you can get immediate results and continue to accelerate.

Ah, but like hydrogen in today’s gasoline economy there are a few things you must overcome if you want the benefits.

Produce your own fuel – Yep, just like hydrogen there are very few stations you can pull into and get a fill up.  This of course will change over time as there are a number of agencies and specialty firms building reserves in this area of expertise.  Yes, social media fuel is not a commodity.  It takes an investment of time and people resources to produce the fuel that powers your business but, boy o boy, does that engine ever fly when it does.

Highly Explosive – This is the nastier side to the “Powerful” attribute above.  Yes, if you mishandle social media fuel or improperly use it it can blow up in your face.  Just remember, transport the fuel in “transparent” containers, use only “real ingredients” and constantly monitor for feedback.

So, are you ready to switch to the alternative?  Any other pros and cons of this new alternative fuel?

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February 7th, 2009 - Posted in analogy, social media, viral | | 2 Comments