Raise the Bar of Social Media

Journalism, music, film, advertising, television have reached a very high level of professionalism through obsessive control, scrubbing out every flaw for perfection.  An image of an operating room comes to mind, right down to the anesthetized patient.

However, as we all know this "clinical" style does not fit with today's market.  As Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC says, “who doesn’t want to just sit there but to take part, debate, create, communicate, share.”

Media professionals must feel like a surgeon being asked to operate with the patient awake, complete with responding to the patient's questions and input during the surgical procedure.

However, there are two reasons media professionals should step back and figure out how to raise the bar of  Social Media.   First, it just takes going back to your roots.  And, that's where the money is.

Back to the Future
The demand for media was created by the scarcity of live information/entertainment events.  Media could distribute the same information and entertainment.  First in print.  Then on the radio.  Then on film.  And then Television. 

Live information/entertainment events still occur and still command a premium price because live is the gold standard.  It is the perfect virtuous circle of audience and presenter.  Both make a financial investment before the event.  Both contribute to the outcome of the others' reward.  A live event is an experience that still has more value to the audience, vendors, and presenter than the perfect production, scrubbed to perfection.

The internet is the first medium with the capability to emulate the factors effecting the success of live. 

$$$$$$$$$
The audience demand to participate is just mind-boggling based on participation on Friendster, MySpace, and now Facebook.  And the replacement of one by the next demonstrates the demand for improvement.   Specifically, demand to publish without being exposed to unwanted, unfriendly interaction.  Facebook surpassed MySpace probably because the publisher can limit exposure to friends with permission.  And there's still room for improvement here.  We are, after all, still in the CB Radio phase of social media.  CB radios introduced the value of mobile communication AND created a demand for improvement - avoid being exposed to unwanted, unfriendly interaction.   The switch to the more civilized alternative, cellphones, was fast and big, even with a premium price, longterm contracts, and less reliable reception than CB Radios!

Vendors are also demonstrating demand for a context in which they can contribute to the community.   P&G is producing their own content and building online communities for the lifestyle contexts relevant to their brands (e.g., beinggirl.com and Tampax).

Raise the bar of Social Media to your Level

Professional media is much better qualified to be the producer and "governor" of these lifestyle communities.    Odds are consumers will trust the Media's independence and objectivity over the brand produced content.  Audience trust and credibility raises the value of media to vendors.  Back in the day, in the 1980's before the decline in perceived accuracy of the press reported by Pew, the credibility of the press had a measurable halo effect on an advertiser's message.  Context can change the meaning of communication.

So I would challenge media, who wants to be paid by consumers, to look to your roots - live information/entertainment - to raise the bar of the internet up to something you can be proud to produce.