While catching up on a weekend’s worth of news, I came across an intriguing New York Times article (which Mashable also commented on) dealing with the “struggle” certain advertisers are having creating successful social media campaigns. The article dealt with a certain subset of marketers who do not see the value in engaging the consumer with topical social media elements. It read like a textbook case of plug and play advertising, taking a circle peg from the past and trying to jam it into the square opening of the present.

My favorite example of  this”marketeering” lollygagging perpetrated by the offending party is their dismissal of targeted advertising. In their example they try to target individuals in their office by including such relevant activities as “Cereal and Sex.” Miraculously only one person in their office matched their query. Really!? They were shocked by this?

Another sweeping change occurring within the marketing community is in the metrics used to gauge the success of a campaign. Previous gross estimations of viewership and engagement are no longer acceptable. The architecture of the social web allows for scrupulous reporting tools, strategically targeted content, and superior engagement with branded content. In short, the revolution that has been prophesied for decades is now upon us.

Using the tools of the social web, it’s much more advantageous for a marketer to reach out to a targeted group of 200,000 users than a mass market audience of millions. The conversion rate on a blanket advertisement is around 4% according to a recent study by Integrated Media Measurement. The same report also deduced that the introduction of a second engagement point for consumers can raise that figure three-fold to 12% and higher. Social Media tools that are just now coming into prominence, serve as the perfect complement for an integrated campaign seeking to engage users in a multi-platform approach.

One very important thing to realize about social media, it’s not one size-fits all: There are some brands that don’t belong on Facebook.. Facebook is not the only social media tool in a marketer’s arsenal. Not all brands belong on all social media platforms. There is a reason that so many sites have popped up, each serve a specific purpose. To me, the bigger issue is the complete lack of understanding from members of the old guard. The game has changed, and few people want to admit it. The key to success in the new information economy is to leverage the data at hand to make informed decisions about what/how/and when your customers are interacting with your brand. Let your customers talk to each other. The marketer is there to guide the conversation, not be the monarchical overlord.

I call on journalists, marketers, and the media at large to take note: social media is here to stay, it’s relevant, useful, and will change the face of capitalism forever. Writing it off as a failure is an admission of personal and corporate ignorance. Embrace it, find new ways to harness its power, and most importantly write articles in support of its importance.