Thanks for your comments. As you probably could guess I have a slightly different take on things; but in general my post was less about “why aren't marketers spending more money” in social media, it was more why aren't people spending more attention and effort looking for ways to make the channel work for them? In part, it may have been poor expectations on my part. I was looking to ad:tech for inspiration and innovation. Instead I found out about a lot of companies that can sell me traffic. Good to know I suppose, but not as fulling as inspiration.

Secondly, it felt more like an attitude about social media as a fad or bolt-on tactic rather than an important area to innovate and that was worrying. I think there are fundamental shifts in consumer behavior underway and to think of them as fads or as something not to worry about yet reeks of complacency. We can ask the newspaper and radio about how that tends to work out.

In terms of the channel itself as a marketing effort I agree with you that as it stands RIGHT NOW it's not proven as an effective advertising channel. But that's how most of these things start, right? I mean if we went back to 1994 and had a conversation around Web sites the argument is eerily similar. Further, there is a big difference between advertising and marketing. I think social does a good job of marketing a company – it's the advertising that isn't realized.

But just because it hasn't been figured out yet doesn't mean that it isn't worth figuring out. Because social media provides the opportunity for a new type of metric for advertisers. Lifetime value of a customer. Advertisers on the web are so focused on CPM, CPC and CPA. And those metrics haven't translated well to the social space. But I believe that LTV will become more important, and social will help tremendously in that regard.

Finally, I agree that social is just one aspect of any successful marketing campaign and would never advocate that brands and agencies stop spending on what's working to place big bets in untried areas. But the general attitude that social is a fad, that social doesn't work is a dangerous mindset. After the dotcom bust everyone said “see, ecommerce doesn't work on the web” they were right in 2000, they look foolish now. I just hope that at these types of conferences we get more of a push forward and a look to what can be, not simply what is.

Sorry for the rambling nature of this comment, but I wanted to respond and there's a lot of ground to cover in your comment. I'll try to address more of my thinking in future posts. Thanks for the thoughtful response.

Thanks for the comment. I think you've articulated the current situation very well and I would agree with all of your points right up until the end (surprise!)

I do think you're right. If you asked someone in 1994 what the ROI of building a Website would be could they tell you? How ridiculous a question is that now? I think you've echoed that sentiment. I also agree with you that social or new media is always just one piece of an overall marketing strategy. And that other mediums deliver something that online cannot, mass of reach. Online simply cannot aggregate the number of eyeballs that traditional media can reach. Social/new media even less so.

Where I do differ from your perspective is that for me ad:tech is about the innovation and future of online advertising. Looking at the way that social was discussed (more as a tactic or adjunct strategy than mission critical to learn, figure out and win at) and the lack of use of existing social tools by attendees and exhibiting companies (specifically Twitter & Foursquare) and the premise of most of the companies I met (we buy and sell traffic) led me to think that ad:tech is more about looking at the status quo than pressing into the future.

For me, I want to learn what I don't know – I don't want to rehash the current state of the world – let's push this thing forward. I thought that was missing from the show. But again, small sample size with me and the panels I chose and my personal experience on the floor.

Thanks for the feedback!

I agree that people don't have it figured out, but isn't that what the future is all about? Figuring out tough problems and new ways of doing things?

What if, in 1994 I asked you what the ROI of a Web site is? How ridiculous is that question now? I believe we'll look back and say the same thing about social media marketing and shifting ways of reaching customers and how customers buy from businesses.

So my argument would be that while we have to keep doing the things that are working, we have to see, experiment and understand the shifts that are occurring in the space as well. I thought that spirit was missing from the show.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. You really articulate it well. I get that their customers demand audiences. They need reach. I get that social media doesn't scale the way other advertising methods (on and offline) do. I get that until they can aggregate enough networks, enough niches, enough customers through new channels they'll stick with the ones that get them paid. And it's a fine argument. Social is always one part of the puzzle for any company. I don't think anyone would argue for a marketing strategy that only uses social marketing.

But what was and is concerning is the point you articulated. That the people (agencies) advising their clients with the money don't *get* it. This was the main point I was trying to make with my points about Twitter and Foursquare being used in a very limited way at the conference. Sure, they are just two brand new tools, and may or may not last themselves, but the fact that they were not being used by many conference members, and that when used the way they were being used is not what anyone would call “best practice” points to a lack of understanding or acceptance of important shifts in the online environment that will impact them and their customers.

It is exactly the “fad” mindset that you speak of and that is what makes it really scary. If ad:tech is supposed to be the future of online marketing and advertising then I would say that many at the conference are betting on a future where social marketing is a gimmic or a fad that goes away – and to me that's a sucker's bet.

Thanks for the comment!

I think they're aware of the benefits, but I think the bigger problem for them as an industry is that social media doesn't scale well. They need to reach mass numbers of people that the social channels don't allow for. So they need to find ways to reach customers and, yes, interrupt them, to get their message out. It's what their clients pay them for. Until they can figure out a way to scale the online audience in a way that in total reaches an aggregate in the ballpark of offline they will be forced to think of social as just one element of a plan, as opposed to a leading role.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for your comment. I agree. Being among too many “we love non-US traffic” booths and not in enough sessions likely skewed my views. While I agree with you that it's not fair to peg an industry based on one conference I do think that there are several telling signs that point to the fact that social is relegated to adjunct status. And I'm not here as an apologist for social media. I don't believe it's a panacea that is going to “save” online advertising, but I do think that some of the signs that I alluded to above point to a general mindset that puts social media behind old media measures – mainly traffic and eyeballs.

I've spent about 10 years in online marketing and I know that there are many important pieces of the online puzzle, and that social is an important, growing part; but it is just one part. It also has many challenges articulated well by many smart people. But what I found a bit surprising was the fact that people in the industry, who are at ad:tech are not using the new technologies in a way that seems to suggest that either they embrace them, are trying to learn them, or leveraging their core abilities. This was the part that was concerning.

Again, small sample size – me on the trade show floor and a few panels does not give an accurate overview of where social stands in the industry as a whole. More just my observations compared to my experiences at other conferences.