Is Social Media Really “Bulls**t?”

No, I didn’t come up with this phrase. It belongs to author, B.J. Mendelson, author of Social Media is Bullshit. I came across the title recently and admit that it piqued my interest. I’m almost finished reading it and thought I’d share some of the book’s main points and see if you agree.

• “Offline matters more than online.” Mendelson believes that your offline location, circumstances, and audiences are what matter most.
• 95% of the things that go viral “are driven by offline forces: real-world connections, traditional media, legitimate celebrities, corporate spending.” Mendelson goes on to say that being in the right place at the right time can also play a role, as well as the right keywords at the right moment, or attracting the attention of a big corporate blog.
• Like the movie line, “If you build it, they will come,” Mendelson says there are plenty of YouTube videos and Web sites that have few visitors.
• What counts online is momentum. Things don’t spread just because you posted them. It requires getting the word out with your connections and engaging the media.
• Mendelson warns us to be skeptical of metrics that focus on “awareness” and “engagement.” He says they don’t really mean anything. What truly has meaning is if your activities are making money, especially for small businesses.
• So-called social media experts who call you a dinosaur are frauds.

And, lastly…

Telling people that they’re losing money by not using ‘social media,’ is a lie made up by marketers of all stripes to sell you bullshit that’s going to benefit them.”

What do you think? Is Mendelson right?