It’s proven hard for most companies and people to really grok the end of interruption marketing. The natural inclination seems to be to try and interrupt people in new ways. Certainly if you read most of the frothy press and comments about the new FaceBook Advertising Scheme (FAS) (best ones I’ve found are ones are here, and here, and here, and here and here) the undercurrent and fear is that ‘the cluetrain has left the rails’.

So how do you do it right? Here’s a short simple guide and self-test. It’s based on three phrases picked up from a few of the masters.

1. Markets are Conversations. Doc and the Cluetrain boys first explained this to us all – it’s about listening as well as talking, understanding the power that always has lived out with people and the implications that the internet and other new tools give them to exercise this power. One party can’t control a successful conversation. Test: Are you preaching or talking?
2. The Best Conversation Wins. Hugh much later added this nugget. Interesting conversations grow and spread and grab attention. Weak or fake or forced ones die an agonizing and quick death. It’s effectively required that you’re genuine, reasonably transparent, and worth the time. Test: Is this really compelling information that should interest me more than other similar content?
3. Targeted Advertising is Just Information. Dave Winer nails the ending with this one yesterday. A market conversation that isn’t perfectly relevant and interesting to me is still advertising. One that is perfectly targeted is information. And advertising is something I’m increasingly trained and able to avoid and ignore – and something that will increasingly leave a bad taste if it chases, fools, penetrates me despite my efforts. Of course, only I as the consumer can define when something is targeted and interesting to me, and I get to do so at each stage. Peter Drucker said ‘help is defined by those receiving it’ and the same goes for information. Test: Will I truly be glad you told me?

Thus the bar for social marketing is really high and quite clear. You have to communicate in a human voice in a compelling way that I find personally relevant. If you do my brain will automagically turn your marketing message into just plain interesting information, which I’ll then accept and probably act upon and even share. And if I share it with friends it will be done in a conversational, interesting, and perfectly targeted way – these same three criteria define why pre-trademarked word-of-mouth always worked.

Bonus Link: Doc himself on the whole issue. Worth reading.