In case you missed it in
my tweetstream, I went to
Social Media Club Sydney last night to see
MC Hammer.
Hammer is an absolute class act. Charming, articulate, and really well-versed in social media. His talk was very engaging and peppered with anecdotes that demonstrated Hammer is actually a major geek. He truly gets social media and has much to teach celebrities, brands, agencies and nonprofits.
Some of the parts talk that resonated with me:
Why would you embrace social media as a brand? … You should never let somebody else tell your story.
I completely agree with Hammer in that brands should be using social media to help control flow of information. That said, in the case of nonprofit organisations (and to some extent, brands), they need to be encouraging other people to tell their stories too – interweaving the stories of an organisation and their supporters can enrich the social media experience for all involved.
Don’t run – engage. The humanising of your product is actually an asset.
Another takeaway that’s perfect for non-profits. Don’t be a faceless organisation – be human, be social – we’re talking about
social media after all.
… be disruptive and shake up the world.
While the comment was aimed at entrepreneurs, I think it’s relevant for all – if anyone is to make a difference in the world, you have to be disruptive. Upset the status quo and make things better.
In addition, Hammer talked with us about citizen journalism, social media analytics and gadgets. His talk was such a positive experience, and it was great to hear about social media from someone who lives and breathes it, in a very authentic and awesome way.
Kudos to Social Media Club Sydney for the great night, and thank you MC Hammer for your time!
