Do Better Marketing by Jim Holbrook

Tomàto… tomáto… tomatoe….

You call it social media, and I call it personal media.
What is so ‘social’ about sitting here in my shorts typing on a keyboard (and checking email, texting my wife, listening to CNN, scanning the WSJ) preparing for a conference call?  Now, I’m no Ted Kaczynski or anything, and I like to socialize just like the next guy.

But are blogging, tweeting and facebooking really social?  Even social mediaist extraordinaire Chris Brogan says that he often goes into coffee shops to work and immediately puts on his headphones.  Now, when I’m flying and don’t want to talk to the passenger next to me, I put on my headphones.  It’s the universal sign of “I don’t want to be sociable right now”.

What I do know is that social media is really personal media.
To explain what I mean, here’s a recent example.  And, it’s personal!
On my facebook page, I have been writing a bit about an incident that happened to my son and its effects on my family and how it’s touched all of us.  Well, the outpouring of prayers and blessings and karma and advice has been overwhelming.  That’s pretty personal, but done in ‘public’, sort of.

One friend of mine and former co-worker suggested that my son and I go hear a motivational speaker named John O’Leary.  John suffered very serious burns as a child, and now tells his story in the most positive way.  John is on facebook and also has a very good website www.RisingAbove.com.  Well, we couldn’t make John’s speaking date, and I didn’t really think any more about it.

Then my son came back from his millionth session of speech and occupational therapy, and he mentioned that the therapist, Beth, is married to a motivational speaker.  Turns out my son’s lead therapist is married to John O’Leary.
Further, we went up to visit friends in northern Michigan for a long weekend last weekend, and they are also friends of John O’Leary.
As I posted this story on facebook, many people sent me messages about John.  Some had gone to school with him, some know him professionally, some have simply heard him speak.
So, our connection with John was really enabled by my personal media usage.  If I hadn’t gotten ‘personal’, we would never have connected with John.
And look at all of the connections – his wife as my son’s therapist, my friend as his friend, others who know him who are also in my ‘rolodex’.
That’s why I call it ‘personal media’.
You’re going to ask, where’s the marketing in ‘personal media’ (and I often ask ‘where’s the marketing in social media’)?  I’m not sure.  I’m not sure if there needs to be marketing.
But in this example, me and my family connecting with John, there is a little bit of marketing in here.  Turns out John is in the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame. I think that’s plenty good!

What do you think?