Social media lingo got your tongue in a twist? Half Starbucks speak and half techie talk, it’s definitely a romance language. But not one that always make sense. Even to those who speak the most fluently. Keeping up with social media speak can be a full time job. It’s an evolving language. There’s not even a sound for a # hashtag (perhaps we should adopt tongue clicks for this and smooch sounds for upbeat emoticons)
Certain words have been extra well used in the Social mediasphere of late. My ears prick up when this happens. I try and catch how they are being said, used, and/or misused. My three current favorites are:
authentic
organic
transparent
The first two, I’m hearing a lot from PR firms and marketing departments. The third from skittish (perhaps rightfully so) bloggers and legal departments They are often used in a sequence together like this:
“Hi there Momfluential! We’re looking for an authentic post, something organic? Totally transparent?”
Confused? Let me tranlate:
“We want you to rave about how much you love our junk. But don’t hit them head on. Just sort of slip it into your story. On the side. You have to sound like you mean it, and also could you please find a way to tell people that you got it for “free” without sounding like an infomercial? So we don’t all get sued?”
It’s a tall order for most bloggers to fill. Which is why we need lingo. Lingo insulates us from saying the silly thing we really mean. We want you to pull a rabbit out of your butt here! No wonder so many bloggers are being criticized as inauthentic, and their posts scrutinized for secret sponsors. No wonder we’re pulling out our hair and labeling each other as Blog Whores. We’re all missing the point here. The point being relevance.
Authentic, organic and transparent alone, though well intentioned, are an unpalatable soup without the essential ingredient of relevance.
Relevant is not something that can be forced. Without it your reputation as a blogger or a manufacturer will quickly become tarnished and your authenticity questioned. An irrelevant product slipped into a personal anecdote is about as organic as a twinkie at a farmer’s market. No one is fooled.
Brands and bloggers looking for success in Social Media need to start with the main ingredient. How is their product relevant to the consumer they are trying to reach. How does it make their lives more meaningful, more manageable, more memorable? This is not something that can be dictated with a one size fits all slogan. Social media is all about trust, and finding your niche.
Authentic organic posts with a side of transparency? The modern equivalent of a decaf no foam venti sugar free vanilla mocha soy latte. All lingo, no buzz.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What YOU said! Very well put as usual.
Wow! It’s wonderful that you blogged about this. I’m fearful I may have become inauthentic, but truly am sincere when I blog about my weight loss. I’m so excited over what I’m actually accomplishing, I’m afraid I may have gone “over the top” with telling people about the product. I worry about being perceived as sincere every day, as that’s what my blog is about…support community & local businesses while providing honest evaluations. If I determine anything negative, find a way to spin it as positive. so you don’t alienate anyone, but still be truthful to validate myself as a blogger. It’s not so easy!
I’m new to Twitter, so boy, is that difficult trying to ascertain all the lingo! I’m at the early stages and just starting to figure out FF…not to mention the # stuff, whatever that is…
Sandi
I loved this post, especially the part about the tongue clicks and smooch sounds for the symbols. I’ve just started reading tweets and blogs myself and I spend most of the time trying to figure out what people are saying. I look forward to reading more on your blog.