SoMe's with Coco

So did you guys see the story in the news the other day? The one all excited that Conan O’Brien sold out his entire comedy tour? And here’s the kicker—that goofy ginger did it using only social media! No joke. Pretty amazing. A triumph of Twitter, Facebook and free media everywhere. I bet Dane Cook’s manager is salivating. No longer does he need to buy TV spots to push his client. He can simply tweet and fill seats. It worked for Conan, it’ll work for Mr. Cook, right?

Of course not. But to listen to some self-proclaimed Social Media Gurus, you’d think Twitter and Facebook sold every ticket. Not the nearly two decades of Conan busting his balls night after night on national TV. Nor his public divorce from NBC that captivated the nation for weeks.

I find it amazing every time someone pitches a social media campaign with only an explanation of social media. I get that this stuff is fairly new and you need to introduce it, but this isn’t a lecture hall. Regurgitation doesn’t get you an A. It’s like me (a copywriter) walking into a pitch, and my main concept is that your ad needs a headline. I’m not sure what the headline will be, but I’m 99% sure you need one. That’s a campaign as much as Twitter sold Conan’s tickets.

Sure social media can be great. But it needs content. An ad doesn’t need just a headline. It needs a headline that quickly and uniquely communicates a message. Those are two different beasts. Just flip through a magazine the next time you’re at the doctor’s office. You’ll see what I mean.

And for you, Mr. Client, get this. The content doesn’t even need to be developed in the creative department. Yep, screw that smug writer and punk art director. YOU could create the content with your very own product. There’s nothing awesomely creative about the iPad’s advertising. It’s the iPad itself that’s awesomely creative. The ads (while professional, good and lovely) let the product shine. Same with Domino’s new pizza. Sure, the campaign made every single American want to nom a nibble of the new recipe (admit it, you saw the spots and were at least curious). But it was around the new product that Bogusky’s crew created a captivating campaign.

Which gets down to the biggest reason why social media is getting out of control. Ready for the secret? There’s no friction. It’s free. It costs nothing for Red Stapler Manufacturer down the street to start his own Twitter account. So he does it. Because it’s easy. And safety-first clients love easy, low risk, buzz-word laden options. To some extent, we all do. And that’s great. It’s made people open to the new and embrace technology.

Just remember, Mr. Client and Social Media Guru, your Twitter account is nothing without its own masturbating bear.

- By Matt Meszaros