Technology is not the problem and it's not the answer.

I just finished the first day, or rather half day...you've got to love executive events, of the DMA Agency Winter Executive Briefing, focusing on "Profitability, New Media and the Shifting Landscape." And I'm struck by three things. The first, it's raining in San Diego, golf boondoggle canceled. The second, economy bad, agencies of all sizes are starting to feel it, especially B2C. And third, the assumption that technology is the answer to all my social marketing problems.

My second and third points beget each other a bit, in that in a recession more budgets are shifting to online marketing, oddly enough at about equal parts agency recommendation and client direction, and the understanding that a product or products are the way to make online marketing work. This was most obvious as the discussion inevitably turned to social marketing. There's a lot to do here, a lot of options...blogs, social networks, RSS, twitter, wikis, etc., and then the mobile aspects of all of those. The question was asked, "well where do I start", and the answer was "start with your vendors." Being one of those vendors, I was more than happy to chime in with a yes, definitely, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, that's not how I would want my agency to answer that question. 

The fact is, technology will solve about 10% of the problem, the other 90% is going to come from the agency and the client. It takes about 4 mouse clicks to set up a blog, even less to set up a twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook account, the point is that technology is the easy part. The strategy before and the process after that technology is the hard part. And in case you haven't picked up on it yet this is exactly what we typically hire our agencies for. The opportunity is right there, shooting up flares from a sinking ship and everyone seems to be looking for the widgit that makes the boat go faster.

Of course technology is important, and vendors are a great resource for information to take back to clients and build into marketing plans. But ultimately it's the agency that is being hired as the subject matter expert not the vendor. The agency and the client both need to understand that a blog isn't a single post by the CEO on the day of its launch, it's the conversation, good and bad, back and forth. Process and strategy make this work, make social marketing work...and get agencies work.

Comments

[Air Max 2010]

You won't have a service to make system modifications after launch. Every time you need a new type of page, a new layout, a change to workflow, a simple integration, somebody needs to modify the system. Have a service or have a CMS that stinks to high heaven within 12 months.

[best custom essay]

I think technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class.

[drug testing]

I am normally not like these people but you dont seem to understand that with quantity the quality looses.