In keeping with the hoops analogy, I would say that with social media you also have to determine what is the appropriate role SM should play for your respective organization (provided your team has defined beforehand the overall objective you’re trying to achieve). Every championship hoops team succeeds with role players, and I think that’s what organizations need to better define with SM – what’s the appropriate role it should play in the overall marketing strategy.

There’s so much hype about how every company (either big or small, established or start-up) is doomed if they don’t implement every available aspect of social media. The questions I’d like to hear advisors to these organizations ask more often is “why do you think SM is appropriate for your organization at this point in time” and “what role do you think SM should play in your overall marketing strategy.”

When I hear an organization say we’re implementing Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or a corporate blog because that’s “where marketing is going” that tells me they haven’t completely thought out the appropriate role SM should play. What if the target customer or buyer persona you’re trying to influence lacks broadband access or actually prefers face-to-face interaction. Guess what, your team is literally going to throw up “one brick after another” from every part of the court.

Just because your competitors can successfully implement a man-to-man defense or a sophisticated motion offense doesn’t mean your team will be successful with the same strategy. In my opinion, this applies to a well-thought out social media strategy. Define the marketing goals your team wants to acheive first. Then and only then, define the role SM should play in achieving those goals (and that includes being the “6th man”).

This makes perfect sense, coming from the basketball and social media sides. The multi-faceted player that is able to go left surprised defenses and catches them off guard when driving to the left side of the hoop. Versus the player that they scouted and undoubtedly know that he will always go to his right, thus bringing over a double-team to that exact spot on the right side of the key, every single time.

I’m talking ball right now but switch a few words around and you get something that makes sense for a business and their marketing/social media strategy. We’ve all seen companies go to the right, make a few fast breaks to the hoop and even some slam dunks – whether on Twitter or Facebook or an online promotion driven by their communities. The social media ‘game’ is always evolving (as is basketball), and with that comes more innovation, different ways of thinking, new ideas and new opportunities to go left.

In this crowded social space, it’s somewhat imperative that we be able to go left and stand out from the ground, while helping innovate and move SM forward.

Great thoughts here, Marc.

Oh, and I’m a lefty that can dribble left and right