Is there a logical sequence of social media?

By on July 29th, 2009 In Social Media

In some of the textbooks I studied for my ill-fated experience with the APR, there seemed to be a sense that in traditional PR at least, there is a logical sequence to how you strategically and tactically roll out a campaign.

Is there a similar sequence in social media?  Local company www.foodieslikeus.com actually started with a Facebook fan page as their initial step. Apparently their website hadn’t launched yet, so they took a different approach from most companies. They put their Facebook page up first, and went from 100 fans to 2,700 fans in just over seven weeks. Seven weeks!  

On any given day, according to founders Susie Timm and J.E. Pizarro, they have 200 to 300 interactions on their page, primarily through comments in response to their postings. They feel the success is a result of keeping their fans engaged about food, asking for their input and not trying to sell anything on the page. Their philosophy is that it’s all about two-way communication. They use Facebook for research and as a discussion forum rather than as a sales site. They direct people to the fan page now through the website, blog, and twitter, and vice versa.  All of their social media components cross pollinate — blog, website, twitter (@foodieslikeus), Facebook. 

Interaction really seems to turn the traditional model of PR on its head a bit. I’m not saying that the tried and true tactics of PR are ineffective or irrelevant, but rather that social media focuses on a philosophy or attitude of two-way conversation and not one-way selling.  As long as that framework is in place, there’s not as much rigidity about what happens in what sequence.  Or is there?  What do you think?

Comments

Marketing Sociologist Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 11:19 am

Ms. VandeVrede:

“there seemed to be a sense that in traditional PR at least, there is a logical sequence to how you strategically and tactically roll out a campaign”

I covered that on a blog posted Saturday – Questions to ask any public relations practitioner before using their advice
http://marketingsociologist.blogspot.com/2009/07/questions-to-ask-any-public-relations.html

I’ll give you a quick preview, something you should remember studying for that APR – there’s a RACE involved.

Linda VandeVrede Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 11:22 am

Yes, RACE was exactly what I was thinking of….

James Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am

You have to wonder how so many people found the Facebook page for a company with such a limited online presence.

Beth Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 1:14 pm

The two founders had quite an extensive database of friends and contacts on Facebook to begin with. Throw into the mix a remarkable concept based on something people are passionate about (food) and it has the potential to rocket.

Foodies Like Us success on Facebook has primarily been viral, friends telling friends, and constant communication and engagement. It’s amazing to see how many responses a simple post like, “Red Vines v. Twizzler? Which do you prefer?” can elicit.

Pat Elliott Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 10:59 am

RE: Interaction really seems to turn the traditional model of PR on its head a bit.

This may be true for a narrow PR program focused mainly on press releases, but those focused on the “public” part of public relations are using focus groups, user groups, town halls, conferences and other tools to engage with their audiences, as well as social media tools. Many non-profit organizations, dependent on community and donor support – as well as transparency – are where they are today due to a long history of interaction with their stakeholders.

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