For someone who enjoys experimentation, creativity and failure, this is a bit of an anachronistic post for me to write. When I say I like failure, what I really mean is that I like what failure teaches us, if we listen. And how failure leads us to eventual success.
After a rather jarring encounter earlier this week with a small winery owner who literally got offended when I politely suggested that social media had implications for his business, I’ve been thinking about all those firms that won’t even try to engage social media, and whether maybe there is something to that decision. But beyond that initial question, I’ve been thinking too about businesses that fail at social media and whether they will give themselves a second chance to get it right.
Is It Possible Social Media Isn’t For Everyone?
My three favorite words: I. Don’t. Know.
Maybe. I guess its possible, though not probable, that social media doesn’t apply to certain brands or businesses. One of my favorite restaurants these days is Joseph Leonard in Greenwich Village. Run by Gabe Stulman, one of the best front-of-house guys in New York, the joint is perfect. The food, executed by former Bouchon cook James McDufee, is delicious. The music and vibe, hip, fun, not too serious. It is a home away from home for me.
But the place is small. In a good way. It’s cozy. Maybe space for 30 people, tops. And as much as Joseph Leonard might be able to tell us through social media, it may not be worth it. They do what they do so well that perhaps social media doesn’t really apply to them. They don’t really need it. They’ve been packed since they opened over the summer and waits on weekends routinely stretch beyond the 90 minute mark. They don’t take reservations, preferring people to mill around, pop in spontaneously, mingle, drink.
But just because they don’t need social media, it does not follow they that shouldn’t have it. A place like Joseph Leonard could get a lot out of social media engagement. They have a great story to tell. From the food to the decor to the playlists they choose, Joseph Leonard has a narrative that people are digging. Even more people would dig it if they broadcast it to places like a blog or Twitter. Places like Joseph Leonard are quirky in a way that they don’t NEED or WANT to dominate social media the way a Coca Cola or Ikea does. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t have a lot of fun on Twitter, sharing stories and jokes, or information that they find interesting.
But if Joseph Leonard was going to engage social media, they would need to do it right. Why? Because they don’t need it. And if they did some experimentation, lets say with a blog, and it didn’t work for them, they’d just except that social media wasn’t for them and go back to doing what they do best, serving great food to a funky crowd.
But What Would Social Media Failure Tell That Business?
It would tell them that they didn’t need it. It would tell them that for all the hype and hoopla surrounding social media, all the promise and glitz, it didn’t work for them, and they would disengage. This would be the wrong lesson to learn from failure.
This is why I believe that for right now, businesses get ONE chance to make social media work. If a business already reticent about social media engagement, decides to give it a try, and fails, then that business isn’t going to try it again. They are simply going to learn the wrong lesson from that failure and pull back. And it will be months, even years, before they try again. By that time, will it be too late? Is it even too late now?
That’s why its important, if you are considering getting into the social media world, to think about what your goals are, how best to achieve them. For some its blogging and twitter. For others its video content. For restaurants, maybe experimenting with Foursquare is all you should try.
But if you are going to do it, you have to do it right. Take your time, do some research, ask questions. Please don’t hire a guru. Talk to people you trust. Talk to me! It’s free!!
Image Source: Max Wolfe on Flickr
