Comments on: 2010 Resolution #1: Stop Talking About Social Media

By: Why Your Regulatory Team Needs Social Media | Dose of Digital - Digital Marketing in Pharma and Healthcare

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:41:47 +0000

[...] those who are paying close attention, one of my recommended New Year’s Resolutions was “Stop Talking About Social Media,” so you’re probably appreciating the irony that I am talking about social media. Well, [...]

By: Pharma Blog Review » Blog Archive » Happy new year, sort of

Pharma Blog Review » Blog Archive » Happy new year, sort of — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:17:33 +0000

[...] gives us 14 things to inspire digital marketing in 2010; and gives us three resolutions thus far: Stop talking about social media, become an expert in just one thing digital, and learn five things your customers do online. Go [...]

By: Jonathan Richman

Jonathan Richman — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:15:23 +0000

Thanks for all the comments.

Of course, I don’t mean to throw all of your social media efforts out the window, but perhaps to de-emphasize them. Steve W (as he is apt to do) described it well is his comment: “Stop talking about Social Media in isolation from its related digital/communications initiatives.”

In addition to this, I do think many companies would benefit from a bit of a “back to basics” approach. The examples Ryan gives including email marketing and conversion optimization are two great ones that I don’t see being executed very well and that I’d put WAY head of social media on my priority list for a number of reasons.

Chris, I’m with you…I’ll have to change the content on this blog for a bit so that people know I’m keeping this resolution (read your post, BTW…very good).

By: Chris Iafolla

Chris Iafolla — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:56:22 +0000

Thanks for the thoughtful post Jon—though if I abide by this resolution I will have to rethink the majority of the content I put up on my own blog! In all seriousness though, I do agree with the larger premise of your post. Many people presume that social media is a silver bullet capable of erasing the mistakes of marketing programs gone awry. That’s a dangerous mindset that leads to poor engagement strategies and a distorted view of the value of social media. Social media never was, and never will be, a stand-alone marketing tactic. It has to be part of an overall marketing strategy that includes a plethora of areas such as (but not limited to) organic search strategies, ad spend (if appropriate), an effective Website and traditional (gasp) public relations efforts. .-= Chris Iafolla´s last blog ..Pharma Social Media Echo Chamber =-.

By: Marios Alexandrou

Marios Alexandrou — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:05:05 +0000

You’re right about the missed opportunities with SEO when it comes to the pharma space. I can’t think of another industry that spends so much on marketing yet is so good at missing out on organic search. The kicker is that tweaking existing efforts with an eye to getting some search engine benefit is all it would take to get started.
.-= Marios Alexandrou´s last blog ..SEO Clients: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and Umm… 2 More =-.

By: Steve Woodruff

Steve Woodruff — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:13:27 +0000

I mostly agree with you, except I guess I’d put it this way: Stop talking about Social Media in isolation from its related digital/communications initiatives.

By: Ryan Waggoner

Ryan Waggoner — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:35:34 +0000

Ahhh…this is such a breath of fresh air. Two suggestions for items you may have overlooked:

1. Email Marketing – No, it’s not sexy, but the ROI is definitely there and email remains one of the best mediums to connect with your customers.

2. Conversion Optimization – With all the traffic that your SEO efforts are driving, focusing on converting that traffic into leads, subscriptions, purchases, etc. is more crucial than ever. I think 2010 is going to be the year of focusing on conversions for many businesses.

By: Rick Wion

Rick Wion — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:26:00 +0000

Love the theme of “getting your house in order” before the big changes come down the line.

By: Melissa Davies

Melissa Davies — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:21:55 +0000

What I like about these guidelines is that they are the fundamental building blocks that will enable a company to do social media well and have good content to back up that good social presence. I’m not ready to say let’s forget about social media, but you’re right that we also have to cover the basics.