So if you’re not a pop music fan, here’s the story: UK TV’s biggest talent show, X Factor, turns out its annual pop wannabe winner. Winner releases insipid ballad. Record goes to number one at Christmas. No surprises there – it’s been like that for years in the UK.
This year, however, the internet changed all of that. Rage Against The Machine’s 1992 song “Killing in the Name Of”, a strident rock ditty that certainly isn’t a ballad, pipped X Factor’s prodigy to the post. This caused mass satisfaction in the UK among those who, according to RATM guitarist Tom Morello, “are tired of being spoon-fed … ballads”.
So what’s all of this got to do with your business on the web? Actually, if you’re clever, lots. In the words of the playmaker in this little bit of mischief, an anonymous British part-time rock DJ and logistics manager whose idea – dreamt up with his wife in their living room in from of their home PC – sparked all of this:
“I think it just shows that in this day and age, if you want to say something, then you can – with the help of the internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. If enough people are with you, you can beat the status quo.”
For “beat the status quo” read “beat our competitors”. For “say something”, read “sell something”.
Now do you get a feel for the sea change that has happened in commerce thanks to the internet? X Factor, with all the power of “old media” behind it, was tripped up by a low budget “new media” campaign.
I’m not going to explain to you what Twitter is, or why Facebook Groups were important here. What I am going to point out is a few home truths that anybody wishing to see their business thrive in the new decade will need to take on board:
• Consumers find each other nowadays online and make decisions without the help of corporations
• These decisions can make or break whole business enterprises
• Authenticity is key for all businesses in the new economy
• Everything is moving really quickly and we’re all feeling in the dark, but that doesn’t negate the need for tomorrow’s winners to start working out how to tap in to the new order
• What you do can be truly mould-breaking (people are even speculating that now, this could become an annual event, the public deciding on a track with which to take on the X Factor winner)
• You probably won’t get it right first time (our hero tried the same thing last year and had little success, but he says it taught him all he needed to know to pull off his coup this year)
Action points? Buy a book on social media. Find out what your customers think of you. Find a problem that’s really itching them, and scratch it good. Document it all online. Stay close to your customers with things like Facebook, Twitter, forums and so on. Take part from the other side in areas of your life that aren’t associated with your business. Have fun – social media is hard to get at first, but it really is addictive.
And keep trying. You’ll succeed when you least expect it.
So if you’re not a pop music fan, here’s the story: UK TV’s biggest talent show, X Factor, turns out its annual pop wannabe winner. Winner releases insipid ballad. Record goes to number one at Christmas. No surprises there – it’s been like that for years in the UK.
This year, however, the internet changed all of that. Rage Against The Machine’s 1992 song “Killing in the Name Of”, a strident rock ditty that certainly isn’t a ballad, pipped X Factor’s prodigy to the post. This caused mass satisfaction in the UK among those who, according to RATM guitarist Tom Morello, “are tired of being spoon-fed … ballads”.
Tapping into the public consciousness
So what’s all of this got to do with your business on the web? Actually, if you’re clever, lots. In the words of the playmaker in this little bit of mischief, an anonymous British part-time rock DJ and logistics manager whose idea – dreamt up with his wife in their living room in front of their home PC – sparked all of this:
“I think it just shows that in this day and age, if you want to say something, then you can – with the help of the internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. If enough people are with you, you can beat the status quo.”
For “beat the status quo” read “beat our competitors”. For “say something”, read “sell something”.
Now do you get a feel for the sea change that has happened in commerce thanks to the internet? X Factor, with all the power of “old media” behind it, was tripped up by a low budget “new media” campaign.
Where does all of this leave businesses?
I’m not going to explain to you what Twitter is, or why Facebook Groups were important here. What I am going to point out are a few home truths that anybody wishing to see their business thrive in the new decade will need to take on board:
- Consumers find each other nowadays online and make decisions without the help of corporations
- These decisions can make or break whole business enterprises
- Authenticity is key for all businesses in the new economy
- Everything is moving really quickly and we’re all feeling in the dark, but that doesn’t negate the need for tomorrow’s winners to start working out how to tap in to the new order
- What you do can be truly mould-breaking (people are even speculating that now, this could become an annual event, the public deciding on a track with which to take on the X Factor winner)
- You probably won’t get it right first time (our hero tried the same thing last year and had little success, but he says it taught him all he needed to know to pull off his coup this year)
Action points? Buy a book on social media. Find out what your customers think of you. Find a problem that’s really itching them, and scratch it good. Document it all online. Stay close to your customers with things like Facebook, Twitter, forums and so on. Take part from the other side in areas of your life that aren’t associated with your business. Have fun – social media is hard to get at first, but it really is addictive.
And keep trying. You may succeed when you least expect it.
by Phil Morse
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