(empo-tuulwey) Social Strategy Part 0

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I recently had occasion to re-read something that I wrote back in September 2008, which said (in part):

[O]ne of [my co-workers] suggested to me, "Hey, while we're at the IAI [conference], why don't you Twitter it?" The idea was that this would be a good way to get some publicity out of our efforts there.

Unfortunately, this would only make sense if anyone were listening. I performed a search of both Twitter and FriendFeed, and I was unable to discover anyone other than myself who even had a passing interest in the IAI. If an IAI tweet lands in the Twitter forest, it won't make a sound.

Several years later, there's still a perception that the tools of social media (Twitter, Facebook, whatever) have magical properties that will automatically increase your sales. Or that you can hire a "social media expert" to work the magic with no effort on your part.

Bull.

Having been around online communications for over thirty years - yes, I was communicating online in the early 1980s - I've acquired a few thoughts on the philosophy behind online communications. Over the next few days, I'm going to share those thoughts here.

Comments, criticisms, and alternative thoughts are welcome.