Media Emerging

Someone once told me landscapers have no use for social media. I couldn’t disagree more.

When someone needs to find a landscaper, they ask for recommendations via Twitter. When the landscaper shows up late, we trash talk him on Twitter. If he does a really nice job — or a really poor job — someone might even blog about it.

Peter Shankman, speaking at the PRSA Charlotte luncheon yesterday, nailed it when he said “Your job as a PR isn’t to rave about your client. It’s to get someone else to do it for you.”

Social media is the podium from which your raving fans will shout their praises. A good PR person might get you mentioned in a newspaper article. A better PR person will show you how to turn your customers into raving fans on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube and other forums. 

David Meerman Scott calls it a World Wide Rave – people around the world talking about you, your company, and your products.

“But my landscaping business is in Charlotte, not worldwide,” you say. It’s okay — raves can happen locally, too.

You don’t have to be a Twitterholic of Facebook junkie. But keep in mind that your biggest fan and harshest critic are. 

Still not convinced? Here are some companies you might assume “aren’t a fit” for social media:

• Tutor Time, the daycare that watches my 2-year-old son, does a pretty good job. He’s happy, he likes school, he socializes well. Overall, I’m very pleased. I’m likely to recommend Tutor Time to other parents.
   
• Hendrick Honda on South Blvd. in Charlotte takes excellent care of me. I bought a Honda Pilot there a year ago, and their service department has been very professional, very helpful, and has superb follow-up. I am a big fan of Ford (and love the work Scott Monty of Ford is doing), but I also have high praise for the service and attention of Hendrick Honda.
   
• Jiffy Lube gets a thumbs down from me. Every time they change my oil, I find an oil stain in my garage the next morning. The technicians try to sell me things I don’t need, too, and they know it. The auto mechanic industry has a perception of dishonesty, and Jiffy Lube is doing little to change it.

See that? I just used social media to send new business to Tutor Time and Honda, and to tell my friends to avoid Jiffy Lube. And here’s a hint: My friends care more about my recommendation than your ad.

That’s the power of social media. Still think landscapers don’t belong?

Danny Brown kicked off a cool idea — building a social media fantasy team — with his Social Media for Soccer Lovers post. Kari Rippetoe followed it up by putting together her social media rockband.

In playing to the theme, I need your help building a Super Agency — a PR, marketing, and advertising dream team. The only rule? The team will be built entirely of historical figures and fictional characters.

Here are the building blocks. Who would you draft to fill each slot?

• Head of Operations
• Creative Director
• Copywriter(s)
• Art Director(s)
• Account Executive(s)
• Media Planner(s)/Media Buyer(s)
• Market Research
• Traffic
• Public Relations
• Event Planning

Here are my picks:

• Head of Operations: Kermit the Frog
• Creative Director: Steven Spielberg
• Copywriter(s): Groucho Marx, Ambrose Bierce, Ben Franklin
• Art Director(s): Andy Warhol, Banksy (British graffiti artist), 
• Account Executive(s): Drew Rosenhaus (NFL sports agent — I hate the guy, but he gets business done)
• Media Planner(s)/Media Buyer(s): Capt. Jack Sparrow (the ultimate swashbuckler)
• Market Research: Ivan Pavlov
• Traffic: That guy from the Sprint/Nextel Direct Connect commercials
• Public Relations: Barack Obama
• Event Planning: P.T. Barnum

So…those are my picks. Who you got?