The Social Media “Mind Skin”
This is from Digital.Leadnet.org, but I had to share it with all of you. It is so good at not only highlighting the exciting possibilities for social media, but the mindset that is needed to go along with it. Social media highlights a different way of communicating, one that requires a different mindset from which to operate.
Kudos to Greg Atkinson for this article. Here is a snippet, you can read the rest here:
“Mark 2: 22 ‘And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. Butnew wine must be put into new wineskins.’
Follow me now – and please don’t take this as an exegisis of this Scripture passage. I’m chewing on something and honestly it’s still stirring in me, so you’re reading thoughts in development – kind of like me thinking out loud. If “new wine must be put into new wineskins”, I think new strategies and tools to reach, connect, engage and mobilize people must be employed with new mindsets.
The following is from my friend, Bill Seaver’s, MicroExplosion blog:
[...A lot of companies are considering trying some new marketing approaches these days. They have become enamored or curious about the new social media tools that are widely publicized and are trying to determine how it can work for them. This is a good spot to be in, but I’ve realized something is still missing. What’s missing is the appropriate mindset needed to use the social media tools, techniques, and stategies well. The old mindset won’t work with the new tools. They don’t mix. Seth Godin wrote an entire book about that called Meatball Sundae.
New marketing only works with the new mindset. Simply using the new tools with the old mindset won’t bring about the marketing change you need and want...]
Many of you know that I work with churches, organizations and companies of all kinds. I’m brought in as an innovation consultant and these days almost all want to talk about using new media and social networking tools. What I’ve noticed is that they get excited talking about these new tools and desire to use them, but haven’t had a change in mindset (like Bill said) and thus are striking out.
I’m thinking of 2 cases in particular: One with a well known Christian organization (there’s no need to share their name) that desparately wants to reach the next generation and brought me in to consult on how to use social media/networking to connect with them and the other is with a fitness/health company that I consult on using new media to help get their message out and expand their business.
Both want to tap into the buzz (or what Tony Steward calls “the awesomeness”) – the latest tools and technology. Mind you: this isn’t a bad thing. I do like to keep it in perspective and realize that these are all just tools, but I like that they are wanting to enter this world.
The problem that I see with these 2 organizations (and honestly with a ton of churches, including my own) is that they don’t dive in. They try to dip their toes in the water and hope they catch a fish. A fisherman gets dirty, gets wet and smells. I love to fish (that’s for another blog – Brian Davis and I can bore you with fish tales) – but I know that when I fish, I don’t wear my best clothes and I don’t expect to cast once and catch a bass on the first throw. You have to have patience. You have to be committed. You have to think like a fish.“
You can read the rest of the article here. Please do! Here’s to new “mind skins” for new “wineskins”!
Wow, spot on. I'm trying to do this with my work and however expensive or daring it might be, as long as you do your research and understand what you're getting into–it should be an easy decision. It's almost as if that bold step is, in the hesitant one's reality, a reflection of their timid approach to decisions in general. Hey, you can't put a cassette tape into an iPod and expect it to work! It seems sometimes these things require a dramatic overhaul of not only a technological response, but more importantly a mental and ideological response to “new.”
Spot on brother. It seems that “dipping the toe in” isn't only a response to a specific technology, rather it may be a person or organizations response to new (insert here) and how they are able to handle change. More and more I find that the people without the current information (i.e. current events, celeb gossip, work-related news), are the ones who refuse to acknowledge that there are better forms of media and social outreach clearly available to everyone of us. As a young person it's easy for me to point out the obvious, but heck I'm not the one holding people back.
Wow, spot on. I'm trying to do this with my work and however expensive or daring it might be, as long as you do your research and understand what you're getting into–it should be an easy decision. It's almost as if that bold step is, in the hesitant one's reality, a reflection of their timid approach to decisions in general. Hey, you can't put a cassette tape into an iPod and expect it to work! It seems sometimes these things require a dramatic overhaul of not only a technological response, but more importantly a mental and ideological response to “new.”
Spot on brother. It seems that “dipping the toe in” isn't only a response to a specific technology, rather it may be a person or organizations response to new (insert here) and how they are able to handle change. More and more I find that the people without the current information (i.e. current events, celeb gossip, work-related news), are the ones who refuse to acknowledge that there are better forms of media and social outreach clearly available to everyone of us. As a young person it's easy for me to point out the obvious, but heck I'm not the one holding people back.
Wow, spot on. I'm trying to do this with my work and however expensive or daring it might be, as long as you do your research and understand what you're getting into–it should be an easy decision. It's almost as if that bold step is, in the hesitant one's reality, a reflection of their timid approach to decisions in general. Hey, you can't put a cassette tape into an iPod and expect it to work! It seems sometimes these things require a dramatic overhaul of not only a technological response, but more importantly a mental and ideological response to “new.”
Spot on brother. It seems that “dipping the toe in” isn't only a response to a specific technology, rather it may be a person or organizations response to new (insert here) and how they are able to handle change. More and more I find that the people without the current information (i.e. current events, celeb gossip, work-related news), are the ones who refuse to acknowledge that there are better forms of media and social outreach clearly available to everyone of us. As a young person it's easy for me to point out the obvious, but heck I'm not the one holding people back.
Hey – thanks for sharing my article with your readers. Cool blog.
Thanks Greg. You write solid stuff! Happy to share it….