Whether or not you like these tools doesn't matter (it NEVER did). What matters is whether your markets do (it ALWAYS has).

I've been seeing (and mainly hearing) several of my very brainy colleagues talking about how they find so many Web 2.0 tools downright inane. To be fair, many label them "just plain stupid."

Last week alone I spoke to 3 of my talented peers about this subject and was astonished at their stance. I was not astonished at their personal preference-- hey, use the tools or don't, I don't care as that choice is certainly not mine to make or impose upon another. It's up to each and every person. Oh how I love choice.

I'll only suggest my colleagues use these tools when I think they might find value in them... and if it were me, I'd be happy that my colleagues wanted me to participate since it signals that they value my opinions and like my company.

But what's astonishing (read: myopic) is when they take their personal preferences and apply those to their markets. And that's when I become mouthy.

Because we shouldn't be speaking for our markets, we should be listening to them speak to us--be it through their feedback, media preferences, product consumption and so on.

Now, some colleagues understand the benefits of, say, blogging, but find Facebook, Twitter and podcasting completely meaningless. To be fair, they often label it "mind-numbing chatter." And hey, I well understand preferences and certainly possess my own (disclosure: I blog and twitter, but don't at all fancy Facebook).

But, again, personal preferences aren't the issue since we're marketers and the root of that word is "market," which means "them" not "you."

I asked these colleagues if, by chance, when they found a certain TV show stupid, even though it had the desired demographic/viewing audience, they would also suggest to their client not to advertise on it. And they snapped back, "Of course not, that's stupid!"

Hmm. Lots of "stupid" being thrown around... which is ironic.

Because just as your own opinion would not dictate a media buy, it shouldn't dictate which Web 2.0 tools you suggest that your clients use in their marketing. It also shouldn't dictate whether you monitor the market feedback on these tools on behalf of your clients. Let me explain a few things that, admittedly, perplex me given they are such basic principles so I assume the profession already understands, but here goes:

• First, what is so compelling about this new age and these new social media is not the media themselves... it's the fact that, given these tools, our markets are actively using them to swap ideas, feedback, preferences, passions, stories, likes and, yes, dislikes.
• Second, whether or not YOU as individual (and most definitely as professional) find these tools meaningless, it matters not. Because of all things you do, the most important is that you focus on your market, not your own opinion. Being guided by the former is smart, being guided by the latter is not.
• And, third, what has NOT changed about this new age is that your markets are still the ones that are buying from and recommending others to your client's offerings. Thus, your market's preferences are still very important. And if they're finding certain tools important--and moreover, if they're using them to discuss their preferences (go back to point #1)--then you should be considering them, too. Even if you personally find them stupid.

Now, can the feedback that your markets are voicing through these tools give you all the market research you'll need? Nope. But it can certainly help to greatly inform one's products, programs and messaging. And by not considering these tools as part of one's marketing plan, and not monitoring them on an ongoing basis, you're not doing your clients (or your markets) any favors.

You'd be amazed how few professionals have even taken the time---which, to be precise, consists of 10 whole minutes--to set up some very elementary Google and Twitter RSS feeds for the purposes of marketing research, brand monitoring, overall sentiment and competitive research. Even more astonishing is that these feeds are free and the results come directly to you in real time (ah, the beauty of RSS feeds).

Thus, new media tools, or TV programs on old media, don't need to suit your fancy, nor do you have to be an avid personal user of each and every one of them. Heck, you don't even have to like them. In fact, feel free to call them stupid because you have every right to you opinion. Though I will offer a suggestion: by saying the tools are stupid, means your markets are stupid for using them, so it's best not to broadcast that opinion.

But what you never want to do with any media--be it very old or shiny new--is to take your judgment, be it positive, negative or indifferent, and apply it to your markets. Unless, perhaps, those market demographics, psychographics and ethnographics also match yours. And even then you want to do your research.

Because as marketers we need to focus on what our markets are finding value in, not us. Even if we're shaking our heads--or pulling our hair out!--in trying to understand how they could possibly find any value in what you might deem as "meaningless, mind-numbing chatter."

Said another way: Where markets are concerned, your personal judgments are not.

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Comments

[Connie Reece]

Preach it, sister! I hate MySpace. But if one of my clients was in the music industry, I'd recommend it as the place to be.

[Daan Jansonius]

This has been one of my main frustrations with some of my fellow students this year. So many simply write off Twitter as it being inane, egomaniac, self centered, trivial, etc etc...

Fair enough, don't use it - but KNOW about it. Some of these students voluntarily decided to take up the unit Interactive Media Strategies (which is entirely focused around online marketing), yet so easily dismiss some of the largest trends. Some even went as far as to say that they don't think internet is that big a deal and can't see themselves working with it.

It's frustrating to hear that even practicioners still struggle to deal with it as well. Although on the bright side - more work for us! :)

[Jeremy Meyers]

In many cases, "this is stupid" = "i dont understand this and it scares me".

Mentioning podcasts struck a nerve for me especially (crazy I know, considering my professional focus). At this point, podcasts serve niche communities with information and insights in a way that is becoming more authoritative than many of the traditional media equivalents, when there even ARE equivalents.

A lot of the chatter on twitter may be 'inane', but it's also authentic and unfiltered conversation about your brands. Whether its 'i love my ipod' or 'stupid line at mcdonalds making me late for work', those are statements about your brand that get amplified exponentially from minute to minute. Hiding your head in the sand by insulting the technology doesn't make these conversations go away, and like water over the rocks, over time they build up to changing public sentinment to something more accurately representing what your company is ACTUALLY doing than any banner ad (which have been statistically proven to be ignored by 99% of people) or interruption-based spin could ever do.

So, calling these tools stupid may be an easy response, and yes there is a lot of noise on each of them, but the signal contained within each will change marketing, PR, and ultimately brand strategies forever. Dismiss at your own risk.

[Jon]

Chocolate.

First chance I get.

The customers are empowered. Why would any marketer not want to at least have the same tools is beyond me. I'm a big advocate of the consumer, but I don't see that marketing or advertising must suffer because of the consumers' might. There is a win win win situation out there that's just waiting to be developed, and it starts with communication.

The conversations have been going on for as long as there have been products sold. Prudence insists that brands become aware, and even more than that, participate. Ignoring this shift could be fatal to a brand's future.