{"id":3904,"date":"2012-04-06T17:46:52","date_gmt":"2012-04-06T17:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/?p=3904"},"modified":"2012-04-06T17:46:52","modified_gmt":"2012-04-06T17:46:52","slug":"beware-of-the-shiny-new-toy-syndrome-people-are-social-not-platforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/beware-of-the-shiny-new-toy-syndrome-people-are-social-not-platforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of the Shiny New Toy Syndrome: People are Social\u2014Not Platforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Late last year I posted a discussion about whether or not Pinterest will replace Facebook<\/a> as a social platform. The post was meant to spark conversation. It\u2019s interesting\u2026 whenever a new platform rises (like Pinterest or Google Plus), there is always chatter about whether it will bring down the big giants.<\/p>\n

Lots of people try out the new kid on the block, and some become die-hard converts saying: \u201cThis is GREAT! I\u2019ll never go back to _______ (Insert Facebook, Twitter, etc.)!\u201d\u00a0 They may have been big complainers about the other platforms, just waiting for an excuse to leap away to something they perceived as a \u201cbetter,\u201d or they simply may just be intrigued by something new.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be fooled. It\u2019s people<\/span> who are social, and their activity is what drives the creators of platforms to innovate. Platforms cannot be \u201csocial\u201d in and of themselves. When people or\u00a0brands\u00a0say they don\u2019t like a platform, what I believe is really happening is that they\u2019re either interacting with the wrong people or they don\u2019t think they\u2019re receiving value from those they are following.\u00a0 Social media is about us… not the technology that facilitates it for us. Social technologies are just tools to help us communicate with each other. \u00a0<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s always a good idea to keep an eye on new platforms (especially high-performing ones), brands should be careful of falling victim to the \u201cshiny new toy\u201d syndrome that can fragment marketing efforts and drain resources. As with any marketing initiative, the benefits derived from using a platform depend on how well you can maximize its potential. \u00a0Before dumping a platform for the next rising star, ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n