The web has many conversations about brands each day. I often have conversations with people who say "I fear social media, I fear the negative aspect for the brand"
What I think is important, is that brands realize that the web is social by nature...
...and if you don't give your customers something to share, or if you don't give them something to talk positively about....
...then your brand still remains talked about, but with you on the outside of the conversation. Your inactivity does not stop the social web, it may even increase the negative aspects of the social web...because people feel ignored.
People will talk about the buying process, the customer experience or talk about your competitors....the question is do you want to be part of the conversation or ignore it?
For me, I would always want to be talking to potential customers, existing customers, disgruntled customers....at least I know how the brand is perceived.
Negative feedback can be painful - had my fair share!....but it can also be a brilliant reality check on your business. You can so easily become insular, believing your own hype, your own marketing!
Social media keeps you honest, keeps you close to the conversations, keeps you close to those people who pay your wages....those wonderfully enigmatic customers!
I understand the concept of the conversation but what happens when you miss out on the sale as well. The recent branding study by Razorfish showed that 44% of people that "friend" companies in social media just want a deal... they don't really care about the conversation.
I agree with everything you have said... I just think the "un-emotional" and "un-sexy" concept of deal making online is largely ignored.
Posted by: Kyle Lacy | Feb 08, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Kyle - do you know I think people just want to be valued, I agree that they don't necessarily want a conversation. I have just done a podcast...http://theengagingbrand.typepad.com/the_engaging_brand_/2010/02/socialmediaandcustomerretention.html - with Joseph Jaffe about how social media fuses with customer service and I think that is an excellent way of looking at it. Also in "real"life isn't that what customers are looking for anyway?? We all want value for money...
I think it is about giving channels of communication rather than demanding conversation...so I 100% agree with you on that bit...I also think it depends on the way you use it, many larger brands are using it for the deal but many smaller customers are creating communities...so for instance Wiggly Wigglers ask their customers to supply slogans for their t shirts, or send in photos of them using their products for the next catalogue...which has been a huge success.
Any thoughts?
Posted by: Anna Farmery | Feb 08, 2010 at 03:09 PM