Part I: Chapter 02 "The Marketer's Dilemma"

It's ironic that as a powerful force -- the Social Web -- is emerging, the overwhelming share of media spending is still directed to marketing channels that don't tap it. Part of this is metrics, something I cover beginning in Chapter 7, "Infl uence and Measurement." Part of it is newness, and part of it is the continued performance of mass media. Regardless, the primary challenge facing marketers remains: cutting through the clutter. From the consumer's perspective, marketers are the clutter. By comparison, the Social Web is an oasis. The challenge marketers face now isn't just competition from other marketers. It's from consumers themselves, turning to each other, avoiding ads. Savvy marketers are turning to social media and the opportunity and market without using ads at all.

The Main Points

• Marketers are facing a dilemma: Giving up control in order to gain a presence in the conversations that matter.
• It is the interruption that is driving the backlash that advertisers are feeling.
• The importance of disclosure as a means to establish trust cannot be overstated.
• Trust is essential to any form of conversation on the Social Web.
• Robust metrics and measurement are available that can be used to track and prove the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of social campaigns.