Sunday, June 17, 2012

Facebook Five: Mobility

The Facebook Five hits No. 4: Mobility

There is no substitute for being there.  Period.  I read my share of "web tourist" blogs and columns.  Oh, you can watch an event "live" via streaming or interactives.

Rarely does it beat being in the moment.  I can look at all the nice National Park Service images, but nothing trumps:

This seems obvious.  You'd be surprised.

Engagement happens when you can project, when you can defeat time and space.  Humans have a particular fascination with this, and your posting from the unusual place and at the immediate time things happen feeds this.

I've lectured over and over -- if an institution is committing human resources to social media the most absurd "savings" comes in the technology deployed with them.  For years, universities resisted providing cell phones, then no iPhones, then no iPads.  Ridiculous.  You expense salary, and often travel expense, only to have a $50 a month data plan savings undermine a thousand dollar investment.

The other hindrance is the belief by staff that "it's not my job" to do social.  It is the job of the communicator on the ground to make the impact.

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