Posted by Howard Kang, Ignition Officer
KISS – The usability mantra, the creed of the web designer, the secret of marketing…we’ve already heard it all before.
It’s one of those messages that gets drilled home so much to the point that it becomes noise and we forget about it; …not so fast.
These tools available on the social web…have you remembered to K-I-S-S? Have you gotten lost in the buzz and forgotten the simple things? I know I have.
We do get lost in the “coolness” of it all don’t we? Looking around at what others have accomplished, what we think is possible, and though we don’t admit it…we really do care more about the numbers when we lead on.
When’s the last time we heard somebody say something like, “Oh, the web is great for amplifying a message via word of mouth.” Probably last year because that’s when there were a bunch of buzzwords about word of mouth floating around. Now that message has been stripped down to, “Oh, the web is great for amplifying a message.”
On the most basic level, we love the social web because it helps us connect with other humans (people behind brands/universities/etc. included). That human connection helps us build relationships, along with buzz, and connects us in a community. It doesn’t exist solely to help amplify your message, just to make your brand more popular, or anything along those lines. Having a Facebook Fan Page, does not give you the “license to spam” as Joe puts it.
When we remember our roots, remember what enchanted us so much about communicating on the web, we have the greatest success. People miss the simple things. So here’s your friendly reminder…
Keep it simple, stupid. 