On the origin of Social Media and Advertising

Read it here

Though Mark Selby speaking at Forum Oxford today says its not UGC - It is in fact Collaborative Social Media and I buy that.

UGC - for advertisers USER read CONSUMER - faceless and nameless. This will not cut the mustard in the world of conversation and Social Media. And that is why many will fail because they attempt to ram the straight lines of an industrial world into a networked eco-system that is completely different.

Just listen to Richard Rosenblatt explain Social Media goes vertical

People will talk about you whether you like it or not the good the bad and the ugly - so you might as well join the conversation

Fear of the dark

A major obstacle to doing anything new is fear of the unknown. Many advertisers simply aren’t clear on how to go about UGC Social Media advertising, or are unsure of which solution will best fit their objectives. But advertisers who approach publishers with a desire to get started will fi nd no shortage of eager, accommodating partners

One prevailing method of UGC Social Media advertising is to produce content that borrows the esthetic, the attitude and sometimes the distribution modes of actual UGC. This can be a tricky proposition, one that demands full transparency (i.e., not trying to pass off your content as actual UGC) and respect for the culture of UGC Social Media. But done correctly, it can help brands weave themselves seamlessly into conversations online.

As we wrote in CDB the biggest challenge for brands is to become a part of the social fabric of peoples lives.