Some may think it just a tad ironic that with my first post on a new platform that hopefully will help get this blog more readers, I am posting about social marketing and self promotion.
The Hodges Partnership has been in business for almost seven years. When Josh and I started the company we made some blanket decisions. One of those decisions was we would not enter any award competitions. Nothing against those who do, but we always thought they took too much time to write. Time we’d rather be spending on clients than spending on ourselves.
Over the years we’ve tried to let our work speak for us. Happy clients have led to referrals. Life has been good. Even when we hosted our first public event with Peter Shankman in January, the money raised went to FightSMA.org, a local charity.
Since we have started learning about social marketing, I have been increasing conflicted about that early decision. No we’re still not going to enter awards competitions (hate them), but social marketing by the very nature of it is about promoting “personal brands,” blogs like these where people give their personal opinions, and cross-promoting content (sometimes self-generated content) across a number of social-marketing platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
So should we spend more time promoting ourselves? It’s not that we don’t do it at all, it’s just that it is not the number-one priority. Our clients are.
In my previous post, Amber Naslund on her Altitude Branding blog talks about social marketing “experts” promoting themselves, then in some cases doing shotty work thus plowing the way for folks who can offer successful social marketing and public relations opportunities and results for clients and other interested parties.
Maybe that’s what’s bugging me. Is it good enough to do the hard work and be successful without the “public” exposure, or should we begin to seek that exposure through traditional media and social marketing for ourselves as others do perhaps at the cost of client work? And what about those folks who are proclaiming to be experts in your practice areas (whether they are or are not is debatable)? Should you ignore them and stay the course?
I would like to think the smart people know the difference between those who work hard for clients first and those who work hard for themselves first.
Do they? And in this new world of social marketing are you expected to promote yourself more?
Please comment and advice. Oh by the way to subscribe please click here.
Sally Witzky
/ April 7, 2009Jon,
This post definitely struck a chord with me as I occasionally struggle with similar issues. But there’s nothing more important to being true to who you are as a brand. You know well enough that a company’s brand is simply reflective of its leadership. Authenticity with a dash of servant leadership speaks louder than awards or screaming from the rooftops of self-promotion. A client’s testimony always attracts the best new client.
I’m still a believer in perseverence — that the road to success is paved with working hard on smart things. While we come from different perspectives and backgrounds, we both have a desire to promote those people and companies who excel in their given field. We do it because we believe in them and see their greatness and ultimate potential. But flipping the mirror on ourselves begets its own challenges, like the dutiful mom raising 3 kids who won’t stop for a moment to get a massage for herself once in a while.
Sometimes we have to face the idea that we have our own greatness, our own potential, and that we might need to be a client of a company like our own to eliminate the internal struggle of that definition of “what is time well spent.” That’s the struggle that so often accompanies the likes of great marketing agencies, especially those who are humbled by their own success. We know from working with our clients the value of an outsider’s view, that we can see more than our clients who are in the trenches every day. Is it different for ourselves?
I could go on as I read your post last night and it really made me think. The Hodges Partnership is a great agency because you’ve earned it. It’s still the best route, with or without hype.
jonnewman12
/ April 7, 2009Sally,
As always good food for thought. And a reminder that we are overdue for that lunch!
Jon
Chuck Hemann
/ April 7, 2009Jon – I think this is a helpful post for all professionals actually. I’d like to sit here and say that self-promotion, particularly in social networks, isn’t necessary if you are doing good work. Don’t get me wrong…I think good work matters a great deal more than self-promotion. With that being said, I’m not sure how you can avoid it, especially with social networks. The idea being that you are there to share content with like-minded individuals. Whether the content is yours or not seems to miss the point. did you write something that your community would care about? If the answer is yes, then I think you share it whether or not it might feel self-promotional.
It really feels great when someone else takes up your cause, particularly if it is a superior. However, the reality is you are probably going to have to push the envelope and do a little self-promoting.
jonnewman12
/ April 7, 2009Chuck,
Thanks for the comment, I have come to value your opinion. I think that’s what this post really boils down to. Just by blogging, tweeting, having an FB fan page and keeping our website up to date we are promoting ourselves. Where I want to draw the line is not being disgusting about it as others sometimes can. In most cases, as Amber stated, those folks are all promote and no deliver. I want us to be there and available to their clients when that happens.
Jon
James Weddle
/ April 7, 2009Jon,
Great post and follow-up by Sally. Here’s my take on it…
I am VERY encouraged by the new technologies and mediums that have come about over the last few years. Not because they add a new channel in which to market or promote yourself or your brand but that they truly enable unique, diverse and real talent and opportunity to get “on the grid” so they can be found. Don’t forget the other side of this new stuff are the searching tools — Google, Twitter Search, RSS, etc. It is so easy now to find stuff (and great people).
Do you follow me? (e.g. can you hear me now?)
My point is — I don’t think talented people should either ignore or feel guilty about using Twitter, Facebook, etc. etc. Just “be real” and reveal your talent and/or your opportunity and you will be found by the “right” people. A Jack for every Jill, so to speak. Of course, it all starts by being a little proactive and “putting it out there” first.
I am building a product that connects people within groups directly across all of these tools/technologies so the talent+opportunity match can happen anytime, anywhere. There. There is my shameless self promotion. I just have a feeling I’m talking with someone who needs to know about it.
Cheers,
James
jonnewman12
/ April 7, 2009James,
Thanks for the Texas-sized response, very appropriate. All great points, if you are out there you do tend to be found by all the right people. Unfortunately, the right people have to weed through the “wrong people” sometimes to find you.
Good luck with the product and stay in touch.
Jon
James Weddle
/ April 7, 2009We refer to those “wrong people” as “all hat and no cattle” and the folks in the white hats (us!), “all cattle and no hat”. In fact, I use that latter as my nickname on Yelp (just for grins)!
Thanks for the best wishes re: the product. ETA: 7/1/09
I’ve subscribed to your blog and I’ll follow you on Twitter to keep in touch.
Best,
James
Andrew Miller
/ April 8, 2009Nice post, Jon. You’ve captured the essence of what a lot of us have been grumbling about lately. I’m just glad the lowly opportunists and shameless self-promoters have moved on from SEO (my playground) to social media.
We even have a word for them up here in Michigan called “SMEG”, short for “Social Media Expert Guru.”
The problem boils down to the dilution and over-application of the terms “expert” or “guru”. It is now a self-designated title for many undeserving individuals. The last time I checked, one could not confer “expert” status on themselves.
Either way, time and results will separate the wheat from the chaff. As many have pointed out, “Take care of the clients and the rest will take care of itself.”
Looking forward to reading more here.
jonnewman12
/ April 8, 2009Andrew,
LOL, SMEG is my new favorite word and will be forever institutionalized at my firm.
Exactly what I was trying to express.
Best,
Jon
Andrew Miller
/ April 9, 2009This should be right up your alley: http://www.wolf-howl.com/socialmedia/web-2-weenies/
mglitos
/ April 13, 2009Jon,
I always aspire to the standard of: there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Applying that standard has never failed me.
Or, go with Dizzy Dean: “There’s no such thing as braggin’. You’re either lying or you’re tellin’ the truth.”
Best,
–MGL