Not To Be All Eric Carmen-ish And Whatnot, But You've Got To Lose Control

I think the hardest lesson we're going to have to learn is this: We. Can't. Control. Everything.

Or ... maybe we can't even control very much.

Silicon Alley Insider:

Marketers have generally entered these networks in one of two ways:

Some buy display or text ads that sit around the outside fringes of social
interactions, essentially treating social media sites like any other online
publishing property. Other marketers choose to participate directly in the
activities these sites are designed to foster.

We believe the latter is the more powerful choice because it harnesses
what’s interesting about social media – the direct connection. However, by
entering into conversation, you give up a measure of control.

Then there are brands who similarly feel that engaging on a social media platform like Twitter or Facebook is to cede control of their messaging and identity. In fact the opposite is true – allowing the conversation to happen without a way to respond and engage as well as to listen is to leave your brand bound and gagged.

Given the increasing concerns about the propriety and efficiency of nonprofits, my team and I are in unanimous agreement that transparency and authenticity are more crucial than ever. We have some very specific thoughts as to what tactics we should use to demonstrate such transparency (accepting its inherent lack of control). A first experiment is this blog post and thread.