Conventional Wisdom is what knowledgable people know. / Conventional Belief is what the masses think they know.
Unfortunately we often times confuse conventional belief with conventional wisdom, particularly in marketing circles. For example, if you just listen to the masses, social media is still THE top vehicle for marketers. But shift through the noise. Log off Twitter and those annoying #chats and talk to some really smart marketers who are working in the trenches. The conventional wisdom has it that the tried and true practices of marketing are making an enormous swing back into the mainstream. But they have been rejuvenated by the social media assault of 2008-2010.
Direct mail. Email Marketing. Events. And, yes, even advertising, are getting the best results these days.
But today they are done in a smarter and more focused manner. Because of all the social media noise these smart campaigns have become a breathe of fresh air. Certainly creativity and strong content still win the day, but the "old school" delivery mechanisms remain the best way to sell your product.
I'm not trying to write some "social media is dead" post, not in the slightest, but it goes back to something I wrote in January of 2007, when the blog was the highest form of "social", in the post "Blogs are to hieroglyphics as Scoble is to _______?":
"Content is still King, the blog is just one form of transportation."
Don't be blinded by conventional beliefs that social media is a revolution that you must be a part of or you will never succeed as a marketer. Instead listen to the conventional wisdom and realize that social media is (still) just another fantastic tool for you to use. Use it as a compliment, not in place of fantastic content and creative results-driven marketing campaigns. Always trend towards the wise and away from the believers.