I think I'm using social media quite effectively because my message spreads beyond simply the community here, but to other parts of the fan community and to parts of the company and industry.
You are an active voice in an established community with credibility. It sounds like your concerns are not with a social media strategy, but rather questioning the credibility or impact of random mommy blogger.
I take you back to the product review analogy. You don't follow anyone on amazon or tripadvisor, etc.. you take the reviews in and try to determine their credibility based on their content and maybe some metrics the platform offers (# of followers, rating, etc). Social media strategies can include 'ground swell' and not just chasing key influencers. In fact, one of the key ways to combat unfriendly influencers is to simply flood their message out. And that's exactly what they are doing - going for volume.
But a Mommy Blogger in New Jersey has a limited audience ... as does a fanboi podcaster in NYC ... or a blogger in O-Town
But they can still be google hits.. and really how many of WDW's potential audience do you really believe would flock to a site like WDWMagic, or Inside the Magic first... vs typing a term into a search box and start walking the hits.
I think you have points about how much they may invest in a signal, insignificant blogger, but in doing so you are throwing the baby out with the bathwater and damning all social media as a waste. That is a very old media type of position where they believe only the voices they trust, count.
I don't see their reach going nearly as far as mine (and other strong voices in the fan community), and I am saying that without a trace of ego. Just what I am told by others.
But the mommy bloggers out number you.. and for the random potential customer... seeing 50 different sites all repeating a positive message.. vs one random forum poster.. your credibility and impact is measured in a very small window.. and weighed against a tidal wave of contrary opinions. In most cases, the less informed the reader is, the more likely the 'mob opinion' will win over the contrary opinion.
The mom's panel isn't there to sway the industry or diehards... it's to feed the message to the up and coming customers and help upsell those on the fence.
Disney is using carpet bombing.. and empowering smaller, more easily influenced sources. They are trying to make them champions.. so they can go forth and spread the company line. They are not trying to build up people to be new influential writers. They are taking the power of many, over trying to build a few.
It's just another marketing strategy... be it if you were pursing radio vs print vs tv. Using affiliates to echo your message instead of direct marketing is not anything radical. It's just using a new network and with a new type of affiliate.
