Miracle On Social Street

Miracle on 34^th Street is one of my mom’s favorite Holiday movies.

I’ll catch her watching it over and over again. I’m sure many of us do things like this because we want to believe in miracles…yes, it CAN happen to ME!

Unfortunately, I’m here to tell you that there will be no Miracle on Social Street.

Any time there’s a “marketing miracle” it usually means a smart and savvy marketer has planned out a strategy and tactics, bringing this “miracle” to fruition. And sure, sometimes people get lucky.

Watch Out For “Guaranteed”

I bring this up as a warning.

Just this week I got an email from someone (it was spam really, even though this person and I are connected on LinkedIn).

It claimed all sorts of social miracles – one of which was a “GUARANTEED SOLUTION” for targeted Fans and engagement. Another was a “guaranteed” 1500 Facebook Fans.

Wow. Perhaps if I weren’t an owner of a social media agency I might have fallen for this. However, being that I AM the owner of a social media agency, I immediately wondered why someone offering social services targeted me.

Why would I need their services? Perhaps I would outsource them for my clients…?

But then there’s the “guaranteed” 1500 Facebook Fans. Granted, there was no time frame listed in this email for when this “guarantee” would take place. And okay, obtaining 1500 Facebook Fans isn’t that hard to do.

But let’s just play Devil’s Advocate and ask, “WHAT IF?”

The Lesson

What if they DON’T reach 1500 Fans in that given time frame? Since it’s “guaranteed,” would they BUY the Fans they were lacking? Or would they just not meet their guarantee? You catch my drift…

I’ll leave this poor sap alone now and get to the lesson here:

1. There are NO miracles, and hardly any guarantees, with social media.
2. If you’re selling something, whether it’s a “guaranteed” social strategy or candlesticks, you don’t EVER, EVER want to spam someone. That’s what list building and opt-in strategies are for (see also, Marketing 101).
3. If you’re selling something, whether it’s “targeted” social media or any other lead gen, you might want to prove that you know how to target (i.e.: not targeting a candlestick maker for your awesome, shiny candlesticks).
4. BEWARE OF THE SOCIAL “EXPERT”! It seems everyone out there is now versed in social media marketing and online marketing strategies. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Ask about your social consultant’s education, background, experience, publications, and awards and accolades. Ask who their current clients are. If you’re still in talks with the person/agency at this point, ask them to SHOW you what kind of Return on Investment they’ve provided for their clients. And as the last step, CALL their clients personally and speak with them about that ROI – you never can be too sure what “guarantees” are real or embellished these days.

What lessons have you learned from marketing messes like this?

See you in the social sphere!

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Brooke B. Sellas

Brooke B. Sellas is an award-winning Customer Marketing Strategist and the CEO & Founder of B Squared Media. Her book, Conversations That Connect has been recognized nationally and is required reading for a Customer Experience class at NSU. Brooke's influence in digital marketing is not just about her accomplishments but also about her unwavering commitment to elevating the industry standard of digital customer experience and customer marketing.

Latest posts by Brooke B. Sellas (see all)

• Quoted, Not Clicked: Why Authority Wins in the Era of AI Discovery - August 6, 2025
• The Modern CMO’s Playbook for Shaping the Market - July 30, 2025
• The Human Advantage Over AI: Why Empathy Still Wins in Digital CX - July 23, 2025