Philippe Jeanjean, Head of Digital
And we’re off! Social Media Week kicks off this morning and the breadth of participants’ career roles, industries and interests will be wider than ever – it’s no longer just for those who work in social media.
If this is your first Social Media Week, you’ll get involved in great discussions and walk away with useful insights. However… you’ll also have lots of buzzwords thrown at you. Do most of them mean anything or are they a smokescreen used by people who have nothing useful to say? I think the answer is a bit of both. Let’s start with 3 useful terms…
1. Agile marketing
In the Queen’s English
Marketers react to current topics and quickly change their approach to be more relevant. They also test ideas on a small scale and adapt them continuously.
Is it new?
Not for those working in social media and PR, but a recent development for people used to running large, pre-planned ad campaigns which often focussed on a single message.
Why care?
Agile Marketing derives from the ‘agile software development’ approach, but is well suited to multichannel communications and is essential for brands that want to capitalise on the news agenda.
Watch out!
For people describing agile marketing as a specific service they offer. Agile marketing should be an approach that should underpin the campaign.
2. Storytelling
In the Queen’s English
Make your brand’s message interesting and something that people can relate to, while providing context to what your brand does.
Is it new?
This term has been around for a while now and is no doubt overused.
Why care?
Storytelling became important due to the fragmented nature of modern communication, which makes it essential to tell an interesting story that is coherent across multiple channels instead of sending out different messages on different channels.
Watch out!
For people who don’t link storytelling back to business objectives.
3. Engagement
In the Queen’s English
When a person responds to something that your brand does online.
Is it new?
This term has been around for as long as social media itself, and has been used by numerous ‘gurus’ to try to justify expensive campaigns that don’t deliver results (‘Who cares if they are not buying, they are talking about you on Twitter’).
Why care?
Engagement is important, but only if you identify the sort of engagement that lead to people taking actions that support your business objectives. See the AMEC video above for a great resource to get you started.
Watch out!
For anyone who sees engagement as an end goal.
They can’t all be good, here are my 3 worst terms…
1. Snackable content
Are You Hungry for 'Snackable Content?' Mashable http://t.co/23hzakcVAY
— Nate Hoffelder (@thDigitalReader) April 29, 2013
In the Queen’s English:
A message from your brand that grabs people’s attention and is short enough not to lose their attention.
Is it new?
There is nothing new here for anyone who understands the current reality of media consumption and the enormous amount of messages people see every day.
Why care?
People often overestimate the amount of time that people will give a brand before turning to the next shiny thing, so this ridiculous buzzword has an important message behind it.
Watch out:
Using this phrase will likely set off people’s bullshit alarms.
2. Impacter
In the Queen’s English
Someone who recommends or promotes your company and causes other people to do the same.
Is it new?
This is the new word for Influencer, someone who has the ability to change other people’s opinions in order to help your company.
Why care?
Why do we need a new word for influencer you ask? Possibly because the term ‘influencer’ has been degraded by bad marketers who have used it to describe ‘anyone with a lot of followers who mentions a brand’.
Watch out!
You don’t need a new word if you start with a well-considered approach to influencers (see Publicasity’s evaluation criteria below):
3. Growth Hacker
In the Queen’s English
A marketer who has technical web skills and is focused on growing the user base of a new company
Is it new?
I suppose we needed a new title to replace ‘ social media guru’ that would identify marketers with delusions of grandeur and poor communication skills.
Why care?
Marketing for start-ups has specific challenges that require specific technical skills. Check out Mashable’s take on the term.
Watch out!
For anyone who describes themselves proudly as a ‘growth hacker’.
Disagree with any of these? Have your own to add? Let me know on Twitter @Pjeanjean