Succulence here, there, and everywhere.

In the real estate world, there is a saying: “The three considerations that most impact value are location, location, and location.” In the world of social media, they are purpose, purpose, and purpose.

Nothing impacts the success of a social media effort more than the choice of its purpose. Because purpose becomes the cause around which people will rally and be inspired to act, it is also the source of social media’s business value.

What is a good purpose for social media? Would you recognize one if you saw it? And if you could identify a good purpose, would you be able to mobilize a community around it and derive business value from it?

If you’re like most executives (and you’re being honest), probably not.

No wonder most organizations struggle with gaining tangible and significant business value from social media. This single most important criterion for success is also the biggest leadership skill deficiency.

That deficiency often leads to a worst practice we call “provide and pray.” Leaders and managers provide access to a social technology, and then pray that a community forms and that community interactions somehow lead to business value. In most cases, adoption never really materializes; communities may form, but their activity is not considered valuable to the organization.

The lesson? People rarely rally around a technology. Success in social media needs a compelling purpose. Such a purpose addresses a widely recognized need or opportunity and is specific and meaningful enough to motivate people to participate. Every notable social media success has a clearly defined purpose:

Facebook’s core purpose is for people to easily track what their friends are doing.
Wikipedia’s purpose is for the masses to collectively build an online encyclopedia.
LinkedIn’s purpose is for people to leverage their professional networks for employment and hiring.
Yes, some social Web environments have strayed from their original purpose. But they made a name for themselves because they started with a clearly defined and tightly scoped purpose, gained critical mass, and mobilized their respective communities.

Choosing the right purpose is difficult (much harder than providing the technology). It requires a new management approach we call “purpose roadmapping” — planning how to use purpose to engage and sustain productive communities. A purpose road map shows how community collaboration and related business value can evolve over time, and provides critical guidance on the required investments and risks. It also informs all lower-level implementation decisions such as technology selection, content seeding, policy, moderating, and tipping-point marketing.

Purpose is a business decision. And business leaders must get involved in strategically choosing and pursuing the right ones. This is why success with social media is primarily a leadership and management challenge, not a technology issue.

Since I started my career in digital back during when there were not many mavens, I’ve always been passionate about identifying the specific ‘role of digital’ in the marketing mix, in an organisation, in a process, in an operation… This article from HBR echoes the same through what they call ‘purpose.’

I knew I was right. Thankfully.

Since I was in grade school, I’ve always dabbled in small scale politics. I ran for election in the first-ever student council election of Don Bosco in 95, did a lot of orgs in high school in lieu of having a school council, and did university politics mainly by running for office and leading a school (political) party for a couple of years. I am a political animal indeed. Really, however, it isn’t politics for politics’ sake. I really believe I could enact change in the little things I do within my spheres.

So IMMAP is holding its annual board elections today. Together with esteemed friends from the industry, I am once again running for a seat. Things like this only make you busier and all for the love of the industry. I think much can still be done to push digital marketing in the Philippines and I hope I add value to it by being on the Board again next year.

I was asked a couple of times if I wanted to be President next year. I wonder. I am sure though that I won’t be elected president by those who will make it to the Board. Looking at the big names on the list, I am certain that they would much rather have somebody else there leading them than someone with not much seniority (pertaining to age) in comparo. I’d like to believe though that I have earned my stripes alright; what I do not have in the discrete number of years in the industry I compensate with how fast I have transformed digital and inspired organisations to adopt a certain way of thinking with regard to digital marketing. If all else fails in wanting to be that leader of the board, I would most gladly embrace my vision for what I could contribute to the industry next year.

I remember last year’s election amongst elected Board directors — from president down to muse, election was a process of nominating one name with everyone’s immediate concurrence as though the election was simply an appointment rite. I wonder how it would be this year. That’s me being presumptuous that I will get to that point. We’ll see.

Some things I would be an advocate for if I get the chance to be part of the Board again:

1. Self-regulation for digital media campaigns is a must – I don’t wish to head the Ethics committee but I feel strongly about the expertise of IMMAP to lead, evaluate, and regulate its members’ work. Principle of subsidiarity suggests that one specialised task must be given to the one who is an expert of it so others who are not specialists could focus on what they are likewise good at doing.
2. I’d like to introduce, launch, advocate, push exciting new platforms (whether actual industry platforms or program platforms) where members can showcase their expertise and encourage participation, interaction amongst members in the pursuit of their own business agenda and IMMAP’s as well. Imagine allowing small groups connecting to the country’s biggest VCs who can provide funding, mentoring and industrial backing as an example.
3. Open dialogue with both members and non-members on industry-level issues; advocate openness amongst players in the industry regardless of whether they are members of IMMAP or not. This openness reinforces the position of IMMAP as the thought leader and catalyst of the broader digital industry in the Philippines. In the end, economics of membership will improve greatly as well.
4. With these in mind, I would like to propose to refresh IMMAP’s brand so that we could keep up with the fast changing landscape of digital in the Philippines. Doing this will keep us relevant to our various stakeholders.
5. Lastly, I’d love to reinforce IMMAP’s position in the industry as a thought leader through and beyond the Summit. We love the Summit, but it should not be the only thing IMMAP could be known for.

I only have three minutes to speak later, but I hope I could share this succinctly yet strongly. Besides, my stage fright has never really disappeared. Believe it or not.