I came across a great article on Brain Pickings.org the other day, featuring the Canadian icon of media thought, Marshall McLuhan. You may know McLuhan best for his famous quote “The medium is the message”. I’ve studied McLuhan for about as long as I’ve been involved in media and communications, and if you’re a media maker and communicator, you need to study him too.

McLuhan was a man well before his time. He pioneered new ways of thinking about how we communicate. I often wonder how McLuhan, who died in 1980, would have reacted to the Internet and new media. I think he would have been amazed, and probably would have done a fair bit of “I told you so”, too.

Watch the video below, it’s 8 minutes of vintage CBC gold, and listen carefully to what McLuhan says.

Interesting, eh? Did you think you were listening to someone from the 21st century speak? I did, the first time. I had to remind myself that piece was filmed in 1964. But what McLuhan says still holds today. Check it out.

It’s all about tribes. McLuhan brings up the concept of Tribes early on. He talks of us “banging the tribal drum” and how these new media (which at that time consisted of radio and TV) enabled us to have a voice and share our messages to wide audiences. TV and radio were the birth of one-to-many communication. When electronic media came along, the tribal drums started banging and we never looked back. Seth Godin talks of building Tribes around things that we are passionate about, and that those tribes will spin off other tribes, and that’s how people change the world. McLuhan heard the drums 50 years ago. Today, they are banging louder than ever. You can hear them, right?

Senses. In McLuhan’s book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (the book from which the famous quote comes), he talks about how different forms of media enhance our senses differently – how film enhances our sense of vision, and that due to that enhancement we don’t have to work very hard to make up the rest. Radio, audio – similarly enhances our hearing sense, and our brain is able to attach the corresponding pictures to the sounds. But just look at the Web. Audio, video, text, every combination therein, coming at us all at once! It’s an intensely sensory experience, and it’s enhancing everything at once sometimes. No wonder it’s been challenging for people to find the best ways to communicate and connect in this space. There’s so much to offer the senses, but as McLuhan says – people’s understanding of the message is as much about how it is conveyed as the message itself. Chew on that for a bit. He was right.

Think differently. McLuhan goes on to talk about how electronic media affects us – “…the media is at the heart of our lives, because the media affects our senses.” He believed that media was not on the fringes of life, but that it was central to our lives…whether books, TV or radio, we got our ideas about life from what we read, watched or heard. And that the influence of media caused us to think differently. It had a profound effect, good or bad, on everything in our lives.

Digital natives. That’s a new term for a concept McLuhan was talking about in 1964. At the end of the video (which unfortunately is cut off), McLuhan starts to describe the difference between a teenager and an adolescent (which in my estimation he means young adult – 19-25 ish?). Young adults in the 1960s were born at a time when TV was still new. Teenagers at that time had never known life without TV. This created a difference in the way they perceived and dealt with the medium. Today, we are living in a time where the digital natives and GenY’s are the same as the teenagers and kids of the 1960s. They were born into a world with computers. Some were not alive before there was an Internet. The rest of us, the GenXers and Boomers, had to come into it. We remember well a time before we had the Web. My 9 year old nephew has never known life without mobile phones and email.

What does this mean? Well in McLuhan’s estimation, it means we’re going to have to think very carefully about how we’re making tools for the generations coming up behind us. They don’t have as far to travel on the road as we do. Just like TV was second nature to me when I was a kid, the Internet is second nature to them. And perception is everything.

And McLuhan? Well, he was right again.

Share/Save

I disagreed with David Henderson the first time I met him.

Back in 2008 he wrote a post on his blog that in my opinion, discounted some fundamental truths about social media as I knew it at the time, and both myself and Danny Brown posted comments that expressed our side of the debate.

I confess having been a bit nervous about posting my comment. David’s an Emmy Award winning former CBS news correspondent. He’s appeared on nearly every major news outlet in the world. He’s also one of the top strategic communications consultants around – his client list is extensive and high profile. This guy knows a thing or two about media and strategic communications. Perhaps he was right in his 2008 estimation about social media having “…yet to make a meaningful connection with the real world of business or organizations.” Perhaps I was barking up the wrong tree on this. But I sucked it up and wrote my comment anyway.

David was kind enough to respond right away to our comments, and a lively discussion ensued between the three of us. David even asked myself and Danny to write follow-up post that highlighted some of the ways we had seen that businesses and organizations were using social media effectively. From that point forward, I’ve considered David not only to be someone who I have a great deal of respect and admiration for, but someone I consider a friend.

So, with that said, I’m not making any apologies for giving a glowing review of his new book, “Making News in the Digital Era”. Am I biased? You’re darn right I am. But regardless…this is a great book, and if you are communicating online, it’s a must-read.

Put simply, this is, in my opinion, the definitive book on how to be a more effective communicator in this age of convergence of traditional and new media.

There are many people out here who are quick to discount people coming out of traditional, “old” media as being out of touch, utilizing old fashioned, ineffective methods, and that this behaviour is directly contributing to the demise of traditional media as we know it. For that reason, people may consider glossing over a book written by someone with such a long history in traditional media.

Well, I can assure you, David Henderson is not your typical “old” media guy. He is firmly planted at the intersection between old and new media and has a level of understanding of traditional and modern approaches to communicating that I’ve not seen elsewhere.

In this book he not only describes the important role that traditional media is still playing for communicators and CEOs, but how success in the digital era requires understanding what’s worked in the past, what’s still working, what to throw away and what we still need to learn.

“Making News in the Digital Era” doesn’t muse about old and new media approaches – it provides real, concrete, strategic and tactical methods that you can actually use. David is handing out strategic communications advice here that is absolutely invaluable, whether you’re a PR pro, a CEO or anyone looking to tell better stories and attract the media’s attention. He has a wealth of experience and has generously embedded it in the pages of this book for us to take away and apply to our own projects. He makes it simple and clear.

As mass media and new media come ever closer together, it’s critical for anyone who makes media, online or off, understand how to be heard above the noise. Pick up a copy of this book, and you’ll be well on your way to better understanding not only how, but WHY you need to be a more effective communicator.

Share/Save

It’s not you…it’s me.

In 2007, I was introduced to social media at Podcamp Toronto. I happened upon a group of amazing people, many of whom I’m happy to call good friends today. What they were doing that weekend was remarkable. They were figuring out new ways to communicate, collaborate, do business, and build communities. They were exploring and creating and sharing in ways that 90% of the rest of the world didn’t even have an inkling of yet. But above all, they were there with open arms, willing to welcome media oldtimers like myself into the community without judgement. (Literally with open arms – I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged so much in my life as I was that weekend!). They let me ask silly questions. They didn’t laugh at my first blog post. They didn’t mock me when I asked what a DM was on Twitter. They led me through uncharted territory, and changed the way I do business and connect. To those people (they know who they are), I am forever grateful.

But I think my love affair with social media is over.

It was passionate, steamy, obsessive, blissful, and heart wrenching. There were the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and everywhere in between. I’ve been moved to tears, laughed my butt off, and had thoughts provoked in ways I never imagined possible. But the time has come. I’ve got to end it.

Now before you go getting all in a tizzy…I’m not going anywhere. We can still be friends. The best of friends, in fact.

But here’s the reason I can’t be with social media anymore in the same way. Frankly, I’m ready to move on. I’m not saying I know everything – quite the contrary – there’s still so much more to learn!  The problem is, we are stuck. We, the ground-breaking, cutting edge super early adopters, the ones who were part of the first 1000 people on Twitter, are still having the same conversations.We’re still talking about how to use Twitter more effectively, how to get more readers on our blogs, how to maximize ROI from social media. We’re still talking about how to convince our boss to use social media. I’ve read and written more on those topics in the past 3 years…I could fill an encyclopedia.

Do we still need to be educating people, helping businesses, and figuring out ways to use new media? Of course we do. It’s here. It’s happening now. We need to keep doing it because that’s what we know. We’re good at it. But we also need to be looking ahead. We need to stop twittering about Twitter, and look down the pipe at what things like Semantic technology and linked data are going to mean to us and our clients in 2 years. We need to look at what video is going to be doing in a few years and how the way we consume mass media and new media are going to merge and change. We need to look at the new technology that companies are developing and really understand how that’s going to impact us. And above all, we need to know where the opportunities will be.

We don’t need to be looking at the “big thing” that is social media anymore. We get it. We have our arsenal, we know how to build effective strategies, and mould them and shape them into successful, measurable action plans for our clients. We’re out there, we’re doing it, and we’re making it work.

But the real danger is, if we don’t start to look beyond the current state of social media, then in a couple of years when it all changes, we’re going to be right in the same place we were in 2008 – trying to navigate new terrain without really knowing what direction to go.

So, social media…it’s been fun. I’m taking away from this passionate affair a new way of communicating, building relationships and doing business. I’m also taking away some really awesome new friends (yes, social media, I get to keep the friends in this break up).  I’m passing what I’ve learned from you on to my clients, and helping them to be more successful. But I need to be somewhere else now. I need to be out there…understanding what’s coming next so that I can be ready when it gets here. It’s been fun. I’ll always love you. xoxo

Share/Save

I see that IZEA is has gotten into the sponsored tweets biz. I see that Mashable has some mixed feelings about it.

This is not going to be a post about whether the business ventures that Ted Murphy and his gang are getting into are right or wrong. It’s not going to be a post about what Mashable or anyone else in the social mediaverse thinks about it.  If you want to hear the opinions of the greater Web, the comments on Mashable’s post above will definitely give you that, and it’s recommended reading for anyone interested in the subject.

This is a post about social media and how we’re all doing it wrong. It’s not this post, though. Chris already did that post. And he’s right about lots of the things we’re doing wrong, so listen to him. Or not.

What we’re doing wrong is not entirely about the “how” we’re doing it. It’s also a big part about the “what” we’re doing.

We’re building entire businesses around social media. Social media is not a business model. Just like television, or radio, or newspapers aren’t in and of themselves business models. Social media is a medium, just like those other things. It adds a new dimension to the word “media”. The social part. It’s different from those traditional mediums because it’s not just me listening, or watching, or reading. It’s me conversing, creating, and teaching. It’s you, doing the same. Social media is not THEM and US. It’s US and US. And because it’s about us, we can build opportunities. But we can’t make the medium itself the opportunity. Guess McLuhan was right. Want to make a living in social media? Stop trying to make the medium work for you. Instead, work within the medium.

We’re telling others how they should do things. Even though some of us have been messing around with this stuff for what seems like years, social media is still in its infancy. (Ok, well maybe it’s a toddler now.) The point is, it’s all still very new to many people. I talked to someone the other day who had never heard of Twitter (gasp!). As media and communications professionals, we are up to our necks in this stuff every day, because it’s our business to understand it. Or, perhaps we just like it because it interests us, you know, like knitting is an interest.

We sit up here on our pedestals and we tell others that they must do it this way or that way if they want to be successful. That the only way to do it right is to be constantly connecting with people; that just listening is not acceptable. That using this tool or that tool will give you an advantage over others in terms of getting your message heard. Like it’s some kind of big contest.

What I love about social media is that it’s a “choose your own adventure” medium. You can use it however you like. You can have purely social interactions. You can do business. You can help the greater good. You can just listen if you like. Are there techniques you can implement to maximize your efficiency, and better meet the goals you have? Absolutely. But it’s YOUR experience. So make what you want of it.

We’re forgetting why we’re doing this. Ironically, I first learned about social media at an in-person event – a Podcamp.  I already had an idea about some of the tools, but I mostly showed up out of curiosity as to what all these people were doing talking about podcasting and social networks and blogging and such. The in-person experience I had there guided my online experience. The friends I made that first time I still have today. I’ve made many, many more since then.

People – it’s about the people. We are all here together, sharing this space, having experiences, learning, growing, and connecting. We’re using technology as an interface to our interaction. The tools are here to make it easier, but they are not why we’re here. Too often we get caught up in the tools, and too often others get left out because they are made to believe that one has to be a computer whiz or have the guidance of an “expert” in order to participate. It’s simply not true.

So repeat after me: It’s not about the tools. It’s not about the tools. It’s not about the tools.

So what this post isn’t about is what you aren’t doing right (huh?).

It’s about what we keep trying. And how we keep making it work. And forgetting about all the other stuff.

But wait – maybe me, and Ted Murphy from IZEA, and Pete Cashmore from Mashable – we’re just doing it wrong. Or we’re doing it right – in our own ways.

Share/Save

My business partner and I negotiated late into the night last night and we’ve come to a very critical decision. It wasn’t easy to do, but we know it’s the right thing for us.

We’re totally getting some ShamWows.

The first step. I have a terrible addiction to media. All kinds of media. Yes, even ShamWow commercials. Now, you may be thinking “Suze. The ShamWow commercial is advertising, not media. You, of all people, should know this.”

Yup, you’re right, it’s an ad. But the ShamWow commercial that we all know and love is 2 minutes long. By today’s short and sweet YouTube standards, it’s a flippin’ documentary. And, it’s because of my obsessive consumption of media that I even know about the super absorbency power and the 2 for 1 deal if I call within the next 20 minutes, anyway.

ShamWows aside, I’ve consumed more media this week than I think I’ve consumed in 6 months. Today, I’m thinking about why that is, and how new media is changing the game at a pace that we can’t even fathom.

That’s news to me. Like everyone else, I was glued to my media on Tuesday as the inauguration of the U.S.’s 44th President took place. I even put it on during my Web Media class, using the Associated Press’ Ustream feed. It was remarkably appropriate timing, as we not only watched the proceedings via the Web, but we followed along with the millions of streams of conversations people were having online.

When I watch world events taking place, I am not typically one to get sucked into the emotion of it. I am a complete and utter TV Geek, so what I’m watching is how the news outlets are weaving the stories. I watch what camera angles are used (yes, I was counting how many cameras they had on Capitol Hill!). I think about how they set up the gig, where the production trucks were, and how the journalists prepped. I look at the graphic elements, and think about how they help the story.

This time around, I was also completely fascinated with the new layer of media that appeared on top of the traditional coverage. The addition of the Facebook feed on the CNN Live web site actually gave me butterflies. The steady stream of iReports intrigued me. The way that the whitehouse.gov site flipped over the SECOND Obama was sworn in amazed me. Convergence is here, my friends. And it’s here in a big way.

Hey! I know that expert! Mainstream media always has a steady flow of experts on their roster to drop by and talk about marketing, technology, media trends and whatnot. Usually these people are called in from universities or huge marketing agencies or giant corporations. Well, times are most certainly changing. These days it seems, the experts that are being called in are the same guys I hang out with at Podcamps, and the same guys that come to speak to my college classes. Just this week, I watched with glee as CC Chapman interviewed on CNN Live about the impact of social media on coverage of the inauguration. I then listened intently as both Mitch Joel and Andy Kaplan-Myrth talked technology on CBC’s Spark.

Mainstream media is catching on to the fact that the true experts are the ones that are out here, living, working, breathing this new media space. And that is a VERY good thing.

Conversation is king. Perhaps the most fascinating thing to me about all of this media/new media convergence is that the foundation of it all is the conversation. It’s worldwide, and it’s going on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am riveted as I watch how people react to the things that are happening in the world today. Remember what I said above, about how I’m not one to get sucked in? That’s getting more and more difficult, and it’s BECAUSE of the conversation.

Even from up here in Canada, I  can’t help but get caught up in my American friends’ hope for the future and sense that big changes are coming. I look around me and I see emotional responses coming from my fellow Canadians, as they fully embrace a leader that isn’t even our own. These strong emotional reactions are only heightened by the fact that all of these conversations are going on. It’s community to community, person to person. It’s a chain reaction, and everybody is now part of it.

Media is no longer passive. It’s active. It’s now. And it’s changing the world’s perception of major events at lightning speed.

Final Word. Being the media junkie that I am, I could go on all day and night about this stuff. I get so excited about it that my mind races with all of the possibilities that exist. If Marshall McLuhan were alive today I think he’d be giving us the big ol’ “I told you so!” right about now. The medium IS the message.  This new medium called the World Wide Web is affecting our planet in a society-altering way. And it’s going to continue to affect us in ways we haven’t even imagined yet.

Oh.

One more thing.

Want proof that I’m truly a media junkie? The bulk of this post was tapped out on my little iPhone keyboard at 2:30am, lying in bed in a dark room. Why? Because I woke up out of a dead sleep with this stuff swimming around in my head.

It’s entirely possible I’m going to need an intervention soon.

Share/Save