About 6 months ago on the North Shore of Massachusetts, I was sitting on a friend’s floor, eyes glued to the TV. Tom Brady had just connected with Randy Moss for the go ahead touchdown in Super Bowl 42. My friends ERUPTED with high fives and hugs.
But not me. You see, I’m a New York fan.
Not the obnoxious , tank top wearing, beer swilling yahoo, but the passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated fan who humbly, and somewhat quietly, follows his teams (Giants, Yankees and Rangers thank you very much)
So, 2:38 was still left on the clock, could Peyton’s little brother actually pull it off?
So, I sat their nervously on the floor- about 3 feet from the tv. Hands clenched together. Praying. Hoping.
Manning to Toomer, 11 yards- first down.
Jacobs up the middle on fourth down.
Manning to Tyree on 3rd and 5- first down.
Manning to Steve Smith dancing along the right sideline-first down
Then finally, Manning to Burress- TOOOOUUUCCCHDDDOOOOWWWWNNN!!
No eruptions, no high fives, no hugs. The place was dead quiet. Just me sitting on the floor, balling my fists together and squeaking out a barely audible “yesssssss”.
I’m just not the type of guy to jump up and down and rub it in to my dejected friends – and besides, if you’re a real Giants fan, they always manage to screw it up somehow. But still, I really wanted to celebrate with someone…
So, we know all know what then happened. ..the Giants won…game over. ..party’s over… everyone go home. That place emptied out in 3 minutes..
So I went home. By myself.
Does anyone have any idea what it’s like to be living in New England, in the dead of winter, on a Sunday night, with no one to celebrate a world championship and one of the biggest upsets in NFL (and professional sports) history??? It’s like…
-Winning the lottery. And being told your spouse has already spent the money.
-Getting a hole in one. By yourself, when you’re just trying to squeeze in a round before the kids wake up.
-Finally getting to perform in Carnegie Hall. With no audience.
So, on the 6 month anniversary of the Giants memorable win. I’d like to finally celebrate with all of my Giants brethren out there. Here is a virtual scream, hug, and high-five to all of you…
(and to all my Boston friends-we didn’t just get lucky, we beat you…sorry)
Why do I spend so much time online?
Well, for one, I manage an online community and I need be connected to its members. But here are my other 3 reasons:
1. Transactions. Buying tickets, books, subscriptions, etc.
2. Lightning-fast access to any and all types of information
3. Connecting to, and learning more about, the people, and companies that give me that
information.
And, in this day and age, point #3 seems to be taking up a much larger chunk of that time. And, my guess is if you are reading this post, you’re probably doing the same thing too. It’s what social media is, right?
Other firms are catching on. Scott Monty and his team are leading the charge over at Ford. Agencies are adding new social media experts. The Social Media role will soon be part of the org chart.
Social media, at it’s very core, is still all about relationships. Relationships between people, and relationships between people and organizations.
But what about the industries that may not need social media to help them grow. Does your plumber need to have his own blog? Probably not. Your dentist? Not so sure. The real-estate lawyer (what was his name again) who helped you close on your first house? I don’t know.
You see, while I’m a social media person, I’m still a little old-fashioned when it comes to relationships. I need to look my plumber in the eye, shake his hand, and decide whether or not I trust the guy. My dentist needs to be good at cleaning my teeth. If he’s good, I’ll tell people, but probably not through social media.
Bottom line, there are businesses and organizations out there that thrive on personal, human interaction and don’t need social media (and I don’t consider a static website social media)
Here’s what I think some of them are, in no particular order:
Your local library or fire station.
Independent, local contractors-plumbers, electricians, the guy who plows your driveway…
Family doctors/pediatricians
Financial advisors
Career counselors
What would you add/subtract?
Two weeks ago I spent the better part of a 45-minute car ride home from work trying to convince my friend of the power of social media. He didn’t buy it. He’s an up and coming sales executive for a medical instruments company. He doesn’t have the time or inclination to learn about it or get involved. And why should he?
He’s a road warrior-spends a lot of the day networking with the right people, talking to doctors and advising them during surgeries (“Um, yeah, Dr. Smith, you’re gonna want angle that that titanium screw juusssst like this”)
So, I got off my soapbox, and realized , hey, maybe he doesn’t need social media…He doesn’t have TIME to blog, make connections on facebook, get linkedin, twitter, etc. He also has four kids under 7 which probably has a tiny little something to do with it.
My guess is that most of the sales execs on the road are probably like him too. They’ve got a quota to reach, food to put on the table, and don’t necessarily need to hop on twitter and tell everyone that Manny just signed with LA.
Buuuuut, I’m dying to see if he (and other people like him) changes his tune in the next year or so. What if he started blogging about his company and their effectiveness of their newest instrument in XYZ surgery? What if he Linkedin with a few doctors and was able to connect them to a great resource or idea? Has he heard about Sermo yet? I love their business model.
It seems like this little part of the world (medical instruments) isn’t ready for social media yet. But could it be? What’s holding it back?
