How Social Media Is Like Cocaine

Bill Cosby did a stand-up video back in the day called “Bill Cosby, Himself.” It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, and probably had a bigger impact on my parenting philosophy than anything outside my own family. You can get it on Amazon. You can also watch the video for free on Google Video.

At around 5:30, Cos is in the middle of a bit about drugs and alcohol, where he makes this observation:

“…But the worst is that cocaine. I came across a guy once, doing a line, and I said, “Hey – Tell me… what is it with the cocaine that makes it so wonderful?”

He said <snobby>, “Well, what’s wonderful about cocaine is that it intensifies your personality.”

And I said, “Yes, but what if you’re an asshole?”

In this sense, social media is like cocaine. It intensifies your brand personality. But not the one in your advertising. The one in reality.

For most brands, the best way to take advantage of social media is to do something worth talking about. Use it to make your product better. Deliver “remarkable” service, in the literal sense of that term. Listen, and engage where you can help. In the long run, that will take you further than 1,000 Facebook fans ever could.