Open The Dialogue

It seems like a while ago now that there was a big to-do around creating social media newsrooms.  But in recent months the tides have turned to maybe more flashy things (Twitter mania, anyone?).  But as traditional media shrinks, and alternative news sites in the form of blogs, breaking news and citizen journalism are on the rise, this topic remains relevant.  So while the buzz about social press rooms has maybe died out, the need for them has only increased – especially as so many companies have clunking, outdated press centers.

And really, the core elements of social news centers have remained.  The speed and frequency of information, and the range of sources available requires that our content be:

• Written so real people understand it – without marketing speak or jargon
• Easily copied, downloaded and embedded
• Multimedia-rich – people crave visually interesting experiences too
• Super searchable – tags, categories, site search and related content help make busy influencers’ lives easier
• Third-party verified and supported – it is not enough that you say it;  we want to know what other people say too.

Cisco and Toyota get props for their sites.  Who else do you think is doing this well?

Chris Brogan’s recent post “All the Hats and Faces” reminds me of Erving Goffman’s influential work on interpersonal communication theory called “On Face Work” written over four decades ago.  Chris is definitely onto something and it drives a point that I want to bring up:  Is social media flattening the complexities that make us human?

Goffman’s work discusses how as individuals we negotiate “face” in our daily social interactions.  What is face?  Face is basically our self image within the bounds of what is appropriate within a given situation.  Meaning, when we are at work we put on a “face” that fits the work environment which is different than what we may put on when with friends and family.  Chris outlines some of his different faces:

I am a blogger. I write about what captures my attention.

I am a business man. I run a company of marketers and business communicators.

I am a marketer. I promote my clients, and help them gain more business.

I am an author. I write books about things I feel are helpful.

I am a father. I have two loving children I enjoy playing with.

I am a husband. I have a supportive wife (who made the collage in this post).

I am a speculator/future-thinker. I love thinking about what’s next.

I am a community guy. I love people. I live in that world. I love community.

I am a friend. I have lots of friends, and often wish I could give each of them more time.

I am a fan. I love lots of things: hotels, media making, reading, scotch, liquor.

I am a consumer. I buy and use products all the time. I have opinions.

I am a publisher. I write a successful and well-ranked blog.

But Chris goes on to list what he does to maintain these various faces.  Goffman calls this “face-work”, behavior that helps maintain the “face” you put on.  In Chris’ case, when he says he is a blogger, his face-work involves writing about what intrigues him.

This was only possible when these different environments could be kept separate.  When Goffman wrote his piece, there were no BlackBerries or iPhones, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and on and on.  This offered us to be “messy and complex” and at times contradictory.  But in today’s connected world, barriers that once existed have melted away.  What you say or write in a “personal” capacity on your “personal” blog or Twitter profile may have repercussions at work and various other situations.  What may have been said off-hand by an executive that was completely unrelated to the business at hand can affect how business is done off-line.  Was this a failure of the person or a failure of the reacting organization to recognize or understand how face plays into it?

Social media is creating enormous stresses in how we reconcile these different faces that we have in a medium that does not afford nuances that exist in reality.  Are we having a generation growing up on Facebook and Twitter who do not understand such differences? Currently, as Chris suggests, our professional face is the dominant face online, risking that risks a whole host of other faces that we put on in other social circumstances.  But we are more than our professional selves as Chris points out too.  Is corporate culture ready to take this into account going forward knowing that future generations will continue to spill everything onto the medium unfiltered?  Or will social media allow greater control to the user in how, when and by whom their communication can be viewed online?

That’s the question being asked in this mornings Baltimore Sun, which looks at the ability for this real-time broadcasting tool to influence public perception of a film within minutes.  While WOM having a major impact on movie-going is nothing new, the emergence of Twitter- even more so than review sites like Rotten Tomatoes – makes it extremely easy and fast to share opinions with a wide audience.

While in some ways I understand the fear associated with this rapid-speed networking, of which Twitter is really only one one channel in many (we all saw how Bruno’s numbers dropped quickly after opening night).  I also think this presents a huge opportunity, especially for smaller movies with smaller marketing budgets.

This morning, I tweeted about the documentary, Art&Copy about the advertising industry, which I’m excited to see when it gets to NYC.  Looking just at Twitter, over 700 people have already linked to the film’s site, and there is a fairly steady stream of commentary coming in about the trailer.  We’ll have to wait and see how this affects sales.

If District 9 is any indicator, though.  This type of buzz can translate to real sales.  The movie has been one of the top trending topics on Twitter, with commentary being overwhelmingly positive.  And the sales numbers have been higher than expected.  Not to say at all that Twitter is the only factor here.  District 9 had a smart marketing campaign, and seems to actually be a good movie.  But it does look like this fast-tracked buzz is a major force that will continue to grow in importance for Hollywood.

Kevin Pho, author of the medical blog KevinMD, is one of the most prolific medical blogs on the Internet. His day job is as a primary care doctor, board-certified in Internal Medicine, with a practice in Nashua, New Hampshire. In addition to his blog, he’s also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek, LA Times and the American Medical News. Kevin is also one of the most social-media savvy physicians, tweeting away at @KevinMD with over 13,000 followers.

DM: Why did you decide to start a blog? What did you hope to accomplish?
KP: I blog for several reasons. First, is to give a physician perspective on medical news. The media doesn’t necessarily provide an accurate medical context. And with new studies being released on a daily basis, it’s important for patients watching TV or reading the newspaper, to have some type interpretation when digesting this information.

Second, with health care reform in the forefront, I use my blog to advocate for issues that I feel are critical. Namely, the importance of primary care as a backbone to any type of health reform.

Finally, and this ties in with the last point, I blog to spark debate and discussion. Many health issues can be polarizing, and the comments on my blog contain some involved back and forth as my readers flesh out a topic.

How has social media affected you as a physician?
Social media has made it easier to share and disseminate my commentary. I have an opinion on pretty much any medical issue, and by using social media platforms like blogs and Twitter, I can better engage my audience.

You recently wrote about a doctor’s reputation online. What are some key tips that you think people in the medical profession should keep in mind when participating in social networks?
The biggest one is that whatever you say or write online, stays online. Forever. So or Tweet with a filter, because you never know when it’s going to come back and bite you. Write as if your boss and patients are reading it.

How do you think pharmaceutical companies should participate in social networking? Do you think there is a place for them?
Yes, there is certainly a place for the pharmaceutical industry.
Social media will soon overtake traditional forms of advertising, especially as more patients are seeking health information online.
Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, for instance, will be essential tools to engage patients.

As a physician blogger, how do you prefer communication with PR professionals or in-house PR teams as pharmaceutical companies?
Twitter, using @kevinmd.

For healthcare PR professionals, what are your thoughts on blogger outreach to doctor, nurse and patient bloggers?
Instead of e-mail outreach, which can be saturating since my inbox receives 50 to 100 such e-mails daily, PR companies can engage in more formal partnerships with bloggers.

For instance, I belong to Better Health, a company comprising of a group of bloggers. One service that’s offered is the ability for PR companies to systematically disseminate information to the most prominent health professionals in the blogosphere, who can then choose to blog about it individually.

You are a must-read for many health bloggers. What three blogs do you recommend we add to our RSS feeds?
Dr. Val Jones at Better Health, Dr. Rob Lamberts, and MedPage Today Blogs,

In a world where some marketers are bombarding consumers with blog posts, tweets and Facebook applications, its not surprising that some of the older discussion tools get left-behind for their newer, quicker counterparts. While this list could arguably include social bookmarking, wikis and podcasts, one medium stands alone as the most forgotten, the forum.

Forums are the Waffle House of the World Wide Web. When you are cruising the Information Superhighway or Interstate 85, you can find one in any site where a few people stop. Each one is going to have a wide range of people there, from the old-timers looking to get their latest fix of news to the average American family that’s just passing through or the group of people looking to cause a little controversy after the bar closes at 2AM. Plus its all being closely guarded by Flo (or Alice or whoever), who doesn’t mind you staying for that extra cup of coffee but you better be nice or don’t bother coming in at all.

So why are people coming to these quaint establishments and these Waffle Houses? It’s fairly simple, if you are looking for a strange meal in a new place you make sure to go to where you know the food. I don’t care what Waffle House you go into, most people know to stick to the breakfast and be wary of Bert’s Chili.

The same goes with any forum. Most people visit a forum because you trust that site and its readers. Its a safe place to ask any question and get a truthful response from a healthy mix of people (and a few who’ve just had one post too many.) In this space you don’t mind asking or answering the trusted threads, because you expect to hear good advice each time and you know when to avoid Bert’s Chili.

When was the last time you stopped into your local forum?

Next time, I’ll look at the best ways to use forums in your social media strategy. What are some of your favorite tactics?

Photo taken by Rekkid.