The last 6 months according to my Tweets (aka the definitive report of what’s going on in social)

It’s time to go back in time a whole six months and look at what’s happened in the social, digital, and advertising world. Why don’t I go back one year like everyone else does in January? Because the digital world is like dog years to the 2.718th degree, in other words, who cares what happened seven months ago and also that’s how often I change cell phones.

So a lifetime ago in what luddites refer to as…

…July, I interviewed Morgan Young, former colleague and creative mind behind the Smithsonian’s first issue advocacy ad. Finally, an important genre of work is recognized next to Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Cool.

July also brings an answer to one of the years most frequently asked questions in the social sphere: Why do some campaigns go viral and is there a measurable impact? The #IceBucketChallenge stands alone as this statistic shows. Yet, when we look back years from now, will campaigns like this be likened to “peer pressure” and social bullying? Where do we draw the line on whether charitable actions should be private? Would we achieve the same effect (without the ice) if we just publish online a list of all donors to, say, the Red Cross, during an emergency? Things to ponder.

In August, I have a Twitter-induced epiphany. Jon Stewart, taken seriously by all millennials (synonymous with the important humans for marketers and social media managers), and Brian Williams, no longer taken seriously by anyone human or alien, should just switch jobs. Match your audience with your persona, I always say in content production.

In September, I take over the Washington Women in Public Relations Instagram account for a day and share my inner thoughts with their audience. Lesson? Don’t hog your social accounts, sharing your audience with like-minded personalities is a win-win. And behind the scenes viewpoints are always engaging! Check out my day of posts in this recap here. 

In October, an interesting mashup of topics: politics + Airbnb + San Francisco + advertising. In this case, Airbnb draws the ire of federal regulators when what they claim was brand advertising is seen as crossing the line to political advocacy. What’s your take when a locally targeted ad appearing right before a tax fight begins with, “Dear Board of Education?” (By the way, I would gladly pay hard cash for anyone who has their hands on one of these bus station posters…you know, as a collector’s item. DM me.)

In November, my favorite tweet is the one where I ponder the metaphysical question, should your product ad contain images of your actual products? The mind boggles to consider the following West Elm Facebook ad where commenters kindly point out that the items pictured, noticeably the featured side table and prominent chair, are not available at West Elm but rather sold by competitors. A little sleuthing (cough, online shopping) of my own confirms this and more – in fact none of the items pictured are on WestElm.com, not even the little doggy. Lesson, besides the obvious, you learn a lot by reading the comments section. Always read the comments if you want to know what your audience thinks of your advertising or social posts.

In December, the Rose Bowl reminds us that real time advertising is never to be underestimated as an attention getter, geo-targeting matters, and Americans love sports and their alma matters. Combine these (as the appearance of Iowa at the Rose Bowl naturally drew the eyes of the political class) and you make news, good or bad. Ignore these truths and you have Carly Fiorina and the tale of the #CarlyCurse. 

Sadly, December is also when the social media community at large lost a pioneer in Robin Fray Carey, founder of the online publication Social Media Today. I had the honor of meeting her one-on-one nearly a decade ago, when there was still the danger that a career in social media might be a giant mistake. Robin herself made sure this was not the case with her passion and vigor as a social media champion. Please do read this wonderfully written tribute, “Robin Fray Carey danced on the stage of life.” The lesson I carry from Robin is that those who are worth meeting are worth meeting in person, which seems ironic given her cause. But I live that out to this day.

And that brings us to January 1st, where even Twitter Government heaves a sigh we have all been holding in for eons or 16 months, same thing.

And remember, when all else fails and you are having Tweeters block, the #fail safe has always been and will forever be…cute baby animals. Stuck in a digital team brainstorm going nowhere? Just shout, “let’s use kittens,” and walk away.

See you the next time I throw out all my tired digital devices in 6 or 7 months and until then, follow me on Twitter at @suezoldak.