Message still matters more than method…or math

Image by JP Holecka

I read this post by JP Holecka of POWERSHiFTER Media in Vancouver about the follies of assuming that having a lot of new media “friends,” followers on Twitter, in particular, means a brand is somehow succeeding in creating a positive image in the minds of the masses.

“If you gather up a ton of Twitter followers and have nothing relevant to say. Your brand will become dull and tiresome quickly and the giant swath numbers your brand has worked hard to get will have zero value.”

No matter how you look at it, new media + lotsa followers ≠ mission accomplished !

In fact, lack of well-developed messaging strategy and openness to two-way symmetrical communication can ultimately make all those followers your worst nightmare. What could be worse than directly and personally pissing off several thousand people who used to be your biggest fans?

Holecka says your content, specifically on Twitter, should “be engaging, insightful, helpful and maybe even carry a narrative.”

So, matter how sexy a new online tool may seem, it is not a strategy apart from your strategic implementation of it–and getting as many followers as possible doesn’t count as strategy! Know what you want to accomplish through your chosen media– and then, carry it out with personality and benefit the people who do choose to engage with you.