The Continuing Power of Face-to-Face Communications

Earlier this month Gallup released an article entitled "Three Social Media Myths" in which is made three broad statements worth considering:

1.  Social Networking Primarily Happens Off-line.  It then carries over to on-line social media outlets, not the other way around.

2.  Social Media Doesn't Drive Customer Loyalty. Brand Engagement Drives Social Media Engagement.  Brand loyalty is a complex thing but once it happens it, like social networking, spills over on-line.  Again, not the other way around (i.e. you don't build brand engagement on-line).

3.  Social Media is a Tactic Waiting on a Strategy. 

HR is a face-to-face business.  It like so many similar pursuits from retailing to sales calls has felt the pressure of outsourcing or centralization leveraging social media communications channels. Here's a daring prediction: the next dot bomb will be some social media outlets.  There is way more hype than substance, but there is some substance.  This medium is a game changer, but it doesn't change the game's fundamentals. 

Most every business is a people business. Businesses who abandon that understanding and try to replace face-to-face interaction with technology won't succeed.  The exceptions to that are the technology companies themselves and those who promote it.  The rest of us need to keep pressing the flesh.