Social Media Marketing and Strategic Communications

A major news outlet called me, Dave, last week and wanted to ask me some questions. I said “No.”

Before you call me a wacko and say that I should have said yes because it would have been TREMENDOUS positioning for me, Area 224 and our Real SMM launch, here’s the backstory.

Back in the day — circa 2006 until early 2009, ages ago in Internet speak — I ran a business called U Sphere. We were in the college admissions portal business; it was a great learning experience, we made a little noise, blah blah blah.

As part and parcel of that business, I got out there as an expert on college admissions: the process, how families can navigate through it, what schools are up-and-coming, all those fun things.

Well, a reporter with Smart Money got ahold of my name, gave me a call, explained what she was working on. Could I help? She was on deadline and it had to happen like, this morning.

I said no…but it was a qualified no…and that’s what’s good for business.

My qualified no was pretty simple — U Sphere was no longer operating, and I know someone who would be dynamite for her interview.

So I gave her the name and number of my friend in the admissions world, Paul Lloyd Hemphill, and said that he’s the right guy, he’d be happy to help her, go ahead and give him a call, and say that you know me.

The result? Well, here’s a link to the full college admission article from SmartMoney.com.

Could I have done the interview? Absolutely, operating under the theory of having forgotten more than most people will ever know about that subject. But that would have been a bad idea, and pretty arrogant of me. So here’s why the next step was GOOD for business.

1. It scored points with the reporter. Reporters like helpful people, even if you are not their eventual interview subject. Your honesty will help big time — “I’m not the right person, but [so and so] is.”
2. It allowed someone else to be positioned as an expert — good for him, good for the reporter, good for the story.
3. It did NOT take Area 224 off the 8-ball. We don’t play in the college admissions game; why waste everyone’s valuable time?
4. It solidified a working relationship — Paul now knows for a fact that we have him “on the shelf of the mind” when anyone needs college admissions advice. We are now his go-to for PR and marketing advice and counsel.

So, peanut gallery — did Dave from Area 224 do the right thing?

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