Twitter, Facebook and other social media and why cats land on their feet

Two years ago at the annual SIPA conference in Washington, I remember having a conversation about YouTube. One. In 2008 I bet I had a dozen conversations with people about their YouTube marketing plans and strategies. This year, none.

While I don't think YouTube has become irrelevant, the buzz has clearly shifted to the social networking parts of social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, and especially Twitter, were huge topics of conversation, in the sessions, the exhibit area, and in the hallways and receptions. It's a lot for most publishers to absorb, particularly in a challenging general economic environment.

If we had to personify (or perhaps felinify) our industry, there's no doubt, it would be a cat. We land on our feet.

Some people believe cats have some sort of internal ballast that swings them around in time for them to always land on their feet. They don't. What they have is a keen instinct. They know their survival depends on their ability to right themselves, regardless of the situation, so when they hit the ground their ready to face whatever they must.

But, if a falling cat gets complacent -- maybe it thinks it's too much effort to flip over, or there's plenty of time and it can flip over later -- it can land on her back, causing serious injury or death.

Don't be complacent. Wade into social media. Understand how your market wants to be interacting online, with you and with each other. Develop internal expertise in Twitter and LinkedIn, basic video editing, and other tools of the online world that may not have been part of your traditional publishers tool kit.

Like our member companies, SIPA can't be complacent. I'm working with the Executive Committee and SIPA staff to formulate a plan for reinventing SIPA. I'll bring you more information on this soon as I flesh it out. Be assured, SIPA is not going to land flat on its back.

And another myth about cats? 9 lives. They just have one. Cat's don't land on their feet automatically. They land on their feet because they make it happen, and whatever pain they feel in doing so, it beats the alternative.