Bob Newhart, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Social Media

Possibly the most frustrating aspect of working in Social Media is that I feel that I spend most of my time educating people. Educating my clients and potential clients about everything from defining Social Media to explaining WHY Social Media can be important and effective. This was brought home to me yet again as I read a rather insightful blog from Aliza Sherman called “Why Social Media Marketing is Still a Red-Headed Stepchild.” Sherman does a great job helping us understand why we’re not quite “there” yet. I think 2010 will be the year when we finally do get “there.”

But a lot of it comes down to explaining something quite foreign to people who have been trained to do things a certain way. It’s almost like telling someone the sky is green when they’ve been told it’s blue their entire lives.

A complete re-education is needed. It reminds of a skit from the brilliant mind of comedian Bob Newhart. Newhart made a name for himself by having phone conversations where you only hear his half of the conversation. One such skit was “Introducing Tobacco to Civilization.” In the skit, the head of the West Indies Company is on the phone with Sir Walter Raleigh, who is apparently trying to sell him on the idea of tobacco (as well as coffee). Newhart does a great job relating the incredulity in the mind of his character.

Just imagine….who WAS the first person who stood there and thought “What if I roll these leaves up and light them and put them in my mouth?” Or the first person to drink heated water filled with ground coffee beans? Not only are you the first person to try it, you then have to convince others that it’s a good idea! And while I’m not a smoker, it certainly has caught on.

Sherman reminds us to be patient as we educate others…and be persistent without being a pain. Right now we’re dealing with a bit of a learning curve, and an even steeper adaptation curve.

This year more and more individuals and businesses will begin to “get it.” Social Media will become more understood and accepted, and will stop being “that thing.”

Some day we won’t even be referring to Social Media as such. It will just be a normal, and integral, part of the marketing mix. And THAT is why I love what I do and am excited for what 2010 holds.

What are your thoughts?

Tagged as: Marketing, Social Media

Daniel Klotz

I agree and share the expectation that down the road, talking about "social media" will be like fish talking about the water in which they swim. At the very least, I would imagine that we'll drop the "social" bit, since practically every medium will have integral social elements.

Come that day, what will your job title be?

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Steve Blot

Great article, Ken. I laughed just thinking about Newhart.

Once upon a time there was this new thing called the internet, and people wondered if it would take off....-:)

kmueller62

agreed, Laura!
Though I happen to be a T.S. Eliot fan...not so much a fan of Cats. But I'm sure there are plenty of other examples as well.

Laura Stocker

Wonderful examples Ken! I've often imagined the conversation that must have occurred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's office back in the early 80's..."remember those old TS Eliot poems? The ones about the cats? What if we made a musical where the cats sang and danced..."

Of course, it became the longest running Broadway show in history...but I can just imagine that initial conversation...