The Deadly Threat that Strikes Healthy Companies in a Digital World

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Many things can be a threat to healthy companies nowadays, especially in a wired world and with the lightining pace of digital disruption.

But I'm referring to one that affects every single one of them: LACK OF OWNERSHIP.

Ownership of their Social Media and Digital Marketing efforts.

The small business owner has the same threat, and as good a chance to make it right.

Complete top-buy in is required for large companies to succeed in adopting emerging technologies, particularly Social Technology. Is not that they don't get it, some of them do, but I believe it comes down to organization, education and prioritizing.

For many it's about "ok, got it ... now what?"

I believe that the agency model which is supposed to act as a guide is flawed at its core. It always has been, but now that small crack is starting to look more like the Grand Canyon. I think businesses intuitively feel this way, but they are just either too misguided or too lazy to prioritize.

It's a tough situation for agencies because if they do their job right, they should be pushing for independence and not co-dependence. They should be relentless as far as educating companies on how to do this right and how to own their social media marketing efforts. 

Why would you want a stranger to manage your social graph?

The most important part of your day is when you connect with a potential customer or an existing one. Who's better qualified to do that, an insider or an outsider?

Believe me when I say that Social Media Management is not scalable for an agency. Look to agencies to help you strategize initially, but then take off the training wheels.

Also, try not to look at social media marketing as technology, but as communication channels that you need to learn to engage on. This might help ease the anxiety that having to learn something with the word "technology" in it creates.

So let me be blunt ...

• Regardless of what you sell, you have to think and act as a Media outlet and a publisher of relevant content to your particular audience.
• You have to prioritize content marketing as the most important way to create visceral connections and foster engagement.
• And you have own these efforts and skill sets internally. Hire and train your employees to think and act with a content driven mindset.

I don't know how big agencies work, I'm not one and I've never worked for one, I'm told by those that have that in a way I'm blessed by not having being exposed to that environment.

I also know many incredibly talented people that work for agencies that do terrific work. I'm not insinuating that agencies don't bring value to INC world, what I'm saying is that sometimes that value is misplaced.

I just can't figure out why I would tweet for someone when the right thing to do is to teach them how, and is frustrating to see good people and good businesses allowing others to drive one of the most, if not the important aspect of their branding efforts, their online engagement and communication.

So OWN it, OWN it big!