Are planners best placed to take new social media job positions?

[figrantham]

I have been doing some freelancing for a social media agency and all of us involved in my work so far have begun to realise how the mindset, experience and knowledge gained in account planning (and related jobs) can offer this nascent space. They are trying to recruit 'social media consultants' to join their team and instead of looking for strategists from web, digital or SEO background (like many other social media agencies) they want to find people with core planning traits / skills - curiosity, empathy, creativity, researcher, strategic thinker, trend spotter, moderator / facilitator, writer, innovator, knowledge sharer........etc.

Planning could really come into its own in this new social era.

What does everyone else think? Are you all doing 'social work' for your brands and/ or clients? Can any of you see yourself taking on a social media strategist type role at any point in the future?

[erin middleton]

I see planners playing a huge role in this space. I think social media can be one of the first "spaces" that media planners/connections planners and brand/account planners can come together and learn from each other's insights. I'm interested to know why the company you mentioned is MORE interested in account planners than in digital planners??? What do you see as the inherent differences between these planners and the planner you are yourself?

Social media is definitely an exciting space to look at for brand utility. I'm currently putting together a presentation on the topic and if you're up for it: what do you see as the pillars for social media communication? Why is social media thriving like it is? What benefits does it have for the creative community?

Best of luck to you in envisioning a unique way in which your brand can facilitate a community and collaboration.
Cheers.

[figrantham]

The digital planning being done here focused more on the medium and its role to influence a consumer decision as oppose to seeing it as a gateway to behavioural or cultural insight or an innovation tool to spot new trends and develop new creative ideas. I am not sure if me (as a more traditional planner) coming on board has introduced this or it may actually be less about the individual and more about the remit of the agency. A good planner transcends any medium or title i guess!

I think social media can offer a huge amount for the creative community - more so to aid the creative process as oppose to just offering another platform to express developed ideas. This is still a pretty new space for me so i am learning fast but it suprises me how slow the creative community are at incorporating all this stuff into projects and processes!

[Griffin Farley]

The future of branding is not marketing, it's social. The value in paid media is decreasing and the value in earned media is increasing, social media allows those that want to have a voice a powerful platform that can be engaged with traditional account planning techniques. Those account planners that are also natural story tellers will be very valuable in this new media platform.

I've built upon some thinking that Faris Yakob (who created this network) started at www.propagationplanning.com if you want to read more?

[figrantham]

I agree brands that can become social are those that will succeed but what interests me (or scares me!) is the shift in skill or mindset thats required to do so. I find it a hugely complex task to get a grasp of the tools and mass of brilliant information out there. Its complex, fluid, forever changing..... any planner who likes to be in control and find clear points of definition in their thinking will struggle. As will account management or clients who have project deadlines and are not open to follow a iterative planning process.

On your last point i have been playing around with a social approach to brand design as oppose to just brand management or communication. As John Grant highlighted in his awesome book 'The Brand Innovation Manifesto' a brand should be defined from the outside in and by its set of cultural ideas. I compared one of my clients brand guidelines and suite of creative for the year to the flickr photos and delicious bookmarks that have their brand name tag. There was an interesting disconnect! Starting with a brands existing narrative in social media will be my starting point for any brand project i will be working on.

I think planners love all things new and our fascination with 'the way things work' will best place us to find a way in this new approach to branding but its not going to be easy - or maybe thats just me!

[jon tinson]

[Valerie Walker]

I've heard about some companies looking to their PR agencies to lead their social media work. Makes sense, though, that planners would be just as valuable in the social media "dialog" space as in the traditional "business-to-consumer" advertising space.