Stop Thinking in Two Dimensions
The language of computers is binary, it is ruled by ones and zeros 1/0. I fear that this has rubbed off on us humans; Yes/No, Black/White, Lager/Ale (I digress), the list gets longer and longer. In the land of the social web, it gets even worse; Like/<nothing>, +1/<nothing>, ‘Heart’/<nothing>, this is not even two dimensions, it is one!
It is not about Offline versus Online, it is not about Sales versus Service, it is not about User Experience versus Customer Experience, finally it is not about Mobile versus <what is the opposite of mobile?>. Is it about Public versus Private, Digital versus Analog? Maybe, but probably not.
If you are a business, your customers have already integrated the elements to their own liking (businesses are behind in this regard). This is why I struggle with ideas like a channel strategy or a social strategy. What is needed is simply a communications strategy and if you are a business a ‘provide our customers the best possible solution’ strategy. On a personal level it is simply about being you, wherever you are. As I stated in my previous post, personal and business are integrated, so this is about both.
If your true colors shine through online, then it is pretty likely that they shine through in person. This conversation is about being a person in a world that has more than 2 dimensions. Maybe we should stop trying to think and act in two dimensions and start to think and act in 3 or 4. Give individual elements proper focus, but consider the impact to the other elements – consider that 3rd dimension.
Leave a comment
SocialCRM Content
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Mitch Lieberman - A title would limit my thoughts 
You are almost there…
Engagement is a four-dimensional activity – it only happens over time (which is the fourth dimension, right?)
Thanks
Esteban
Esteban, I would add a fifth one – the way engagement happens. Maybe I am not there 😉 but I still think that the digital world adds a dimension to physical world and time.
Cheers
Thomas
Thanks Esteban – agreed. Thus, as a practice, we are falling short, way short. To simply highlight the importance of your point, true engagement does not happen easily or quickly.
Maybe the buzzwords simply cover a lack of knowledge, a “social strategy” can be as simple as popping down the cafe with a customer you havent seen in a while to have a chat, all about effective communicating.