Make no mistake, when you get involved in social media as a business, you are setting expectations. You are communicating through actions as well as words that you are prepared and willing to open up the lines of communication. You’re committing to let people see you how you really are, and encouraging them tell you what they think – good, bad, and ugly.
Beth Harte’s main point about the scalability of social media in corporate America – and it’s an important one – is that if companies reach a level where scaling their efforts at more personal communications becomes prohibitive, they’ll disengage and revert to broadcast-type communications and mass marketing. (If you haven’t read the post and ensuing comments, take a few minutes to do so. I’ll wait. It’s worth it.)
Herein lies the danger. My short answer about scalability is that yes, it’s absolutely possible, with commitment to the long term and an understanding that it’s about scaling the practice of conversation as a whole, not just literal 1:1 interactions. (We don’t ask whether our customer service department can scale, do we? We just do it because we recognize that it’s not negotiable.) If you’re after it for the right reasons, you work it into your operations. Period.
So why is it nearly impossible to go backwards?
Internal Expectations
I’d venture to say that the precedent you’re setting with the walls of your business is as critical as any. You are either explicitly or implicitly telling your team members that not only is the customer relationship paramount, but you are telling them that you trust them. That by including them in your team, you are empowering them to have a voice both within and for the company.
Customer Expectations
The only thing worse than not giving someone a voice is giving it to them and then taking it away. If your community has been clamoring to talk to you and you start to do so, you’ll thrill them beyond belief. Want to shatter their trust in an instant? Start the conversation, then walk away as if it never mattered.
External Expectations
People who aren’t your customers are still watching you. They see what you do, how you act, what choices you make and how you treat your customers. It’s likely that their future decisions about whether or not to do business with you will rest heavily on what they observe. So what do you think they’re going to think if you rush headlong into opening your doors to dialogue, only to shut them again?
I say all this because social media is not a plug-in, people. It’s not a joke, it’s not fun and games, and it’s not for everyone. It’s a serious approach to business communications and customer service and if you’re to succeed with it, you had better take it that seriously from the outset. You are making a commitment. To your business, and to the people that keep it in the black.
The single biggest opportunity for social media is that it builds and engenders trust. The single biggest risk for social media is that it builds and engenders trust. Once you have it, you’d better be willing to put in the effort, time, and resources to steward that trust properly.
So what say you? Am I crazy? Is entering social media an all-in play? Can you go backwards once you’ve started? Is fear of coming up short a good enough excuse to stay out of the game? What kind of expectations does it imply to you?
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This is probably more of a tangent, but it’s related: Has anyone ever written about carrying a commitment to social media forward across personnel changes (especially at the top)… and the organizational policy changes that usually come with them? How do organizations ensure that the next boss will commit as firmly to social media/customer service as the last one did?
This is probably more of a tangent, but it’s related: Has anyone ever written about carrying a commitment to social media forward across personnel changes (especially at the top)… and the organizational policy changes that usually come with them? How do organizations ensure that the next boss will commit as firmly to social media/customer service as the last one did?
Exactly, its all about the conversation! Thanks for the post, excellent points.
Jon-Mikel Baileys last blog post..Wood Street & walczy+hamilton Launch Metropolitan Choppers Web Site
Exactly, its all about the conversation! Thanks for the post, excellent points.
Jon-Mikel Baileys last blog post..Wood Street & walczy+hamilton Launch Metropolitan Choppers Web Site
Amber-
I think you’re spot on. When I first got into this business I remember hearing a great analogy about social media. Someone said that it was like having a dog, not like having kids. The dog, no matter how long you have it, will never walk itself, feed itself, clean up after itself, etc. The point being that any SM effort needs constant care and feeding. And, as you quite rightly point out, once you start, it would be unwise to stop.
Matthew Chamberlins last blog post..Obama, Social Media and Top Down Change
Amber-
I think you’re spot on. When I first got into this business I remember hearing a great analogy about social media. Someone said that it was like having a dog, not like having kids. The dog, no matter how long you have it, will never walk itself, feed itself, clean up after itself, etc. The point being that any SM effort needs constant care and feeding. And, as you quite rightly point out, once you start, it would be unwise to stop.
Matthew Chamberlins last blog post..Obama, Social Media and Top Down Change
Amber:
Nice post – this is one of the fundamental challenges with SM.
1. It is a relationship, not a campaign.
2. Requires involvement across marketing, product, customer service, legal, exec.
That makes it hard to do well, because it violates all that is understood by large organizations.
TO’B
Tom O’Briens last blog post..Google and P&G
Amber:
Nice post – this is one of the fundamental challenges with SM.
1. It is a relationship, not a campaign.
2. Requires involvement across marketing, product, customer service, legal, exec.
That makes it hard to do well, because it violates all that is understood by large organizations.
TO’B
Tom O’Briens last blog post..Google and P&G
I’m new to Social Media however I will share my novice opinion nonetheless.
I think the best strategy is to do your homework, research, and then evaluate. It will not be for everyone and I think to jump in with both feet only to recoil doesn’t make much sense.
Like so many things, you get out of it what you put in to it. I am a firm believer that intergrating social media into business is in its infancy. I sense more and more companies will join the bandwagon once they realize their competition is having success. I also know that many will be unsuccessful because they won’t devote the proper resources and effort to make it work.
Not sure I answered your question, trying to share my take on the topic.
I’m new to Social Media however I will share my novice opinion nonetheless.
I think the best strategy is to do your homework, research, and then evaluate. It will not be for everyone and I think to jump in with both feet only to recoil doesn’t make much sense.
Like so many things, you get out of it what you put in to it. I am a firm believer that intergrating social media into business is in its infancy. I sense more and more companies will join the bandwagon once they realize their competition is having success. I also know that many will be unsuccessful because they won’t devote the proper resources and effort to make it work.
Not sure I answered your question, trying to share my take on the topic.
Amber,
Great observations through the whole post. Though the focus is on marketing, I think that group often shares the same symptoms that John Bell observed during a recent conference as an ailment of many PR teams – they have lost connection with both the meaning of “public” and of “relations”. A perscription of social media engagement is the right medicine, but it is hard for many firms to swallow given the advanced stages of their communications disorder.
I think you are right, taking the medicine (or drinking the kool-aid) is a
Amber,
Great observations through the whole post. Though the focus is on marketing, I think that group often shares the same symptoms that John Bell observed during a recent conference as an ailment of many PR teams – they have lost connection with both the meaning of “public” and of “relations”. A perscription of social media engagement is the right medicine, but it is hard for many firms to swallow given the advanced stages of their communications disorder.
I think you are right, taking the medicine (or drinking the kool-aid) is a
…real commitment going-in that shouldn’t be considered as reversible.
…real commitment going-in that shouldn’t be considered as reversible.
Amber, great addition to the scalability conversation, I really like your angle on expectations.
This is of interest to me: “We don’t ask whether our customer service department can scale, do we? We just do it because we recognize that it’s not negotiable.”
I’ve always found that customer service is a major issue with companies because they can’t scale. Long hold times, you never get a human or you are actually calling “Tom” in India.
How many times has that experience alone been the determining factor for customers to leave one company and move onto another?
People want 1:1 interactions/conversations…at least for the time they have something to say or need help.
Maybe that’s more of an issue for customer service than it is for people engaging in social media. But I definitely think the scalability issue makes an argument for your Social Media and Hybrid Disciplines concept.
Beth Hartes last blog post..Is Social Media scalable?
Amber, great addition to the scalability conversation, I really like your angle on expectations.
This is of interest to me: “We don’t ask whether our customer service department can scale, do we? We just do it because we recognize that it’s not negotiable.”
I’ve always found that customer service is a major issue with companies because they can’t scale. Long hold times, you never get a human or you are actually calling “Tom” in India.
How many times has that experience alone been the determining factor for customers to leave one company and move onto another?
People want 1:1 interactions/conversations…at least for the time they have something to say or need help.
Maybe that’s more of an issue for customer service than it is for people engaging in social media. But I definitely think the scalability issue makes an argument for your Social Media and Hybrid Disciplines concept.
Beth Hartes last blog post..Is Social Media scalable?
Great insight Amber. Social media is a commitment, and while there are those who would argue that all companies need to engage, I agree that it’s not for every one. Some businesses just aren’t ready to make the leap. I think companies who do, especially now, can still fail successfully and have the upside of distinguishing themselves. I’d love to read this post again in 5 years and see how corporate adoption has evolved.
Adam Cohens last blog post..Redefining Social Commerce
Great insight Amber. Social media is a commitment, and while there are those who would argue that all companies need to engage, I agree that it’s not for every one. Some businesses just aren’t ready to make the leap. I think companies who do, especially now, can still fail successfully and have the upside of distinguishing themselves. I’d love to read this post again in 5 years and see how corporate adoption has evolved.
Adam Cohens last blog post..Redefining Social Commerce
Investment in social media is a choice many companies prefer not to make. It’s not something that fits into a spreadsheet. It places too much trust in the employees in contact with customers. It cannot be scripted.
Companies, in general, take chances the same way that they always have. They repeat processes and procedures that have both succeeded and failed, with the expectation that successes will outnumber failures. No evidence for that premise, just expectations.
Social media is a “no failure” scenario, but it requires the company and all its employees to abandon “proven” methods. It is a sea change and if committed to cannot be undone.
However, very early in the process of social media, employees will discover management’s level of commitment to the topic. If they do not see full backing from the top down, they will not endanger themselves with all-out efforts.
I have sat through more seminars, team meetings and presentations by consultants on cultural change in businesses than you could count. Every single one failed because the only ones expected to change were the lowest level employees. In less than a week, every single time, upper management demonstrated its unwillingness to embrace change in such a way that all of us who were willing to change gave up.
If you embrace social media, there is no going back. If you do not fully embrace, you will be back at the beginning within days, not weeks.
Investment in social media is a choice many companies prefer not to make. It’s not something that fits into a spreadsheet. It places too much trust in the employees in contact with customers. It cannot be scripted.
Companies, in general, take chances the same way that they always have. They repeat processes and procedures that have both succeeded and failed, with the expectation that successes will outnumber failures. No evidence for that premise, just expectations.
Social media is a “no failure” scenario, but it requires the company and all its employees to abandon “proven” methods. It is a sea change and if committed to cannot be undone.
However, very early in the process of social media, employees will discover management’s level of commitment to the topic. If they do not see full backing from the top down, they will not endanger themselves with all-out efforts.
I have sat through more seminars, team meetings and presentations by consultants on cultural change in businesses than you could count. Every single one failed because the only ones expected to change were the lowest level employees. In less than a week, every single time, upper management demonstrated its unwillingness to embrace change in such a way that all of us who were willing to change gave up.
If you embrace social media, there is no going back. If you do not fully embrace, you will be back at the beginning within days, not weeks.
Amber,
This post is brilliant on how to do it right. The right expectations do set the right direction for a company coming online. I’m so with you on that.
But no one and no company gets a whole new culture right every step of the way the very first time.
I think expectations on our side need to be looked at too. Do we really expect whole companies to integrate a new culture full and whole seamlessly without ever making a collosal error.
I sure screwed the week in 2005 I thought I could blog about SEO
Sure seems that the social media community is unconsciously sending a message that we’ll not tolerate if they do anything wrong, and yet I’m not hearing anyone applaud when they start slow — what I hear is “that’s not enough.”
I know we can’t expect perfection, but all of our blog posts and reactions sound like we do. Nobody seems to be talking about forgiving them for that.
From the company perspective it’s starting to look like social media expects perfection and the company will be slammed if they slip up.
We made mistakes when started. They will too. Am I missing something here?
Liz Strausss last blog post..Not Every Town Square Needs to Be a Coliseum – Small Communities Grow
Amber,
This post is brilliant on how to do it right. The right expectations do set the right direction for a company coming online. I’m so with you on that.
But no one and no company gets a whole new culture right every step of the way the very first time.
I think expectations on our side need to be looked at too. Do we really expect whole companies to integrate a new culture full and whole seamlessly without ever making a collosal error.
I sure screwed the week in 2005 I thought I could blog about SEO
Sure seems that the social media community is unconsciously sending a message that we’ll not tolerate if they do anything wrong, and yet I’m not hearing anyone applaud when they start slow — what I hear is “that’s not enough.”
I know we can’t expect perfection, but all of our blog posts and reactions sound like we do. Nobody seems to be talking about forgiving them for that.
From the company perspective it’s starting to look like social media expects perfection and the company will be slammed if they slip up.
We made mistakes when started. They will too. Am I missing something here?
Liz Strausss last blog post..Not Every Town Square Needs to Be a Coliseum – Small Communities Grow
@Beth – Here’s the thing. There’s no such thing as perfect. And scalability will be an issue for companies in every aspect of business as long as growth is an issue. I agree that customer service models often leave something to be desired. But some work exceedingly well (Zappos comes to mind). So do we continue tweaking and refining and testing and see what works, or do we throw up our hands and say “conversation doesn’t scale” and walk away? Do we take failed examples as proof that this doesn’t work, or do we try and solve the problem?
@Chuck – You make an excellent point about change being expected at the lowest levels of a company, and I’ve seen it happen myself too. So how do we keep communicating that sea change affects every boat?
@Liz I absolutely agree with you. And my stance is not at ALL that we can’t tolerate mistakes and missteps – those are part of the learning process. What I’m suggesting is that we can’t take mistakes as an excuse to back off. To stop trying. It’s a commitment to the *spirit* of this that has to remain, even if that means the execution falters.
We don’t teach kids learning to ride a bike that falling off is a deal breaker. We teach them to keep at it. That’s my message here – Once you’ve made the commitment to having the conversation, you need to keep having it. You need to keep learning and adapting and growing, because people are counting on you to do that. We’re much more forgiving of mistakes made through honest effort, aren’t we?
I never want to vilify a company for sticking their toe in the water (and wrote a post about exactly that after the Motrin fiasco). I just want to make sure that we’re not treating this whole idea of open dialogue lightly. I think sometimes we have a tendency to think that we can just have a kumbaya session and all will be well with the world if we’re living in harmony.
Truth is, though, this stuff is work. And it takes nurturing and realistic business framework to make it happen. To me, that includes understanding the commitment you’re making to your community – for your sake as well as theirs. That’s all. It’s about getting the intent right. The execution evolves.
Love it! This is why I actually try to DISCOURAGE most clients from getting into blogging. I know that its a big commitment, and and an abandoned blog is much worse than no blog at all. I always said that one of the main reasons is that people may come to your site and think that your business is no longer active or having trouble if they see a blog that was last updated in august 07, but this post articulates another factor that I previously wasn’t sure how to explain.
Love it! This is why I actually try to DISCOURAGE most clients from getting into blogging. I know that its a big commitment, and and an abandoned blog is much worse than no blog at all. I always said that one of the main reasons is that people may come to your site and think that your business is no longer active or having trouble if they see a blog that was last updated in august 07, but this post articulates another factor that I previously wasn’t sure how to explain.
Great post Amber…being employed by a large company (400 people…nothing to sneeze at) that is just beginning to dip their toes in the shallow end of the pool, I see a lot of fear/trepidation when trying out new SM activities. Usually, it takes after a little while and enough convincing, but there has been some getting in and out of the water. The danger in getting OUT of the game is how it looks to people outside of your company, as you said. But I get the feeling that the people who walk away from SM efforts shouldn’t really have been trying them in the first place.
Example: does Time Warner need a Twitter account? Probably not. Warner Bros Studios? Nope. Warner Independent Pictures? Not really. DC Comics? Should probably have one.
My two cents. Thanks for a great post!
Great post Amber…being employed by a large company (400 people…nothing to sneeze at) that is just beginning to dip their toes in the shallow end of the pool, I see a lot of fear/trepidation when trying out new SM activities. Usually, it takes after a little while and enough convincing, but there has been some getting in and out of the water. The danger in getting OUT of the game is how it looks to people outside of your company, as you said. But I get the feeling that the people who walk away from SM efforts shouldn’t really have been trying them in the first place.
Example: does Time Warner need a Twitter account? Probably not. Warner Bros Studios? Nope. Warner Independent Pictures? Not really. DC Comics? Should probably have one.
My two cents. Thanks for a great post!
I don’t think it is an exaggeration to state that social media changes all the rules. When your organization starts opening up and inviting their clients (current and potential) to weigh in on decisions, the game really changes.
I used to work at Resource Interactive, an interactive agency that pushes their clients to create “OPEN” experiences (on-demand, personal, engaging and networked). I’ve moved on, but I can’t get that attitude and approach out of my head. It’s about empowering individuals and fostering brand advocates, and that’s not just something you can take away if you truly believe it’s the right thing to do.
And if you don’t believe it’s the right thing to do, you shouldn’t have started it in the first place.
Here, want some kool-aid?
Andrea Hills last blog post..Is mobile part of social media?
I don’t think it is an exaggeration to state that social media changes all the rules. When your organization starts opening up and inviting their clients (current and potential) to weigh in on decisions, the game really changes.
I used to work at Resource Interactive, an interactive agency that pushes their clients to create “OPEN” experiences (on-demand, personal, engaging and networked). I’ve moved on, but I can’t get that attitude and approach out of my head. It’s about empowering individuals and fostering brand advocates, and that’s not just something you can take away if you truly believe it’s the right thing to do.
And if you don’t believe it’s the right thing to do, you shouldn’t have started it in the first place.
Here, want some kool-aid?
Andrea Hills last blog post..Is mobile part of social media?
Amber
I know you’re far too compassionate a person to ever think anything less than you just said in comment 13. It’s the reason so many aspire to be to you.
My only purpose in commenting was to keep the rounded argument on the table. I’m hearing more about the fear of failure every day.
Liz Strausss last blog post..Not Every Town Square Needs to Be a Coliseum – Small Communities Grow
Amber
I know you’re far too compassionate a person to ever think anything less than you just said in comment 13. It’s the reason so many aspire to be to you.
My only purpose in commenting was to keep the rounded argument on the table. I’m hearing more about the fear of failure every day.
Liz Strausss last blog post..Not Every Town Square Needs to Be a Coliseum – Small Communities Grow
@Liz – you’re right to do so! Fear is a very real component of this whole thing. How can we get better at reassuring people while pushing them forward? Is it a tough love thing? Or do we need to allow confidence to build at its own pace, even if that means some companies don’t evolve at all? Maybe so – you can lead a horse and all.
I always, *always* want you here, keeping the discussion well rounded. You’re brilliant that way, and you keep me thinking and on my toes. This is SUCH a huge topic and I can’t tell you how invigorated I am to even be having the discussion. We’re transitioning from the “if” of social media to the “how”. It’s very exciting, and full of meaty challenges that people like you are helping to unravel. I love it.
Zappos has a wonderful possible answer for companies management of social media interactions. Their company does not have a customer service department. Their whole company IS the customer service department. All customer service calls go to everyone in the company.
Translatability of this to social media with one aspect going to a different person for each area is:
-People talking directly to your company
-People talking about your company, not directly to you
-People talking about your industry
-People talking about features of products related to your company
Different people can be assigned to monitor each of these aspects for your company. How large your company is depends on how many people and who monitors the interactions in social media.
Social Media monitoring should be a group effort for companies, as it deals with your WHOLE company not just one person.
Damien Basiles last blog post..The Wonderful Ways of Wicked
Zappos has a wonderful possible answer for companies management of social media interactions. Their company does not have a customer service department. Their whole company IS the customer service department. All customer service calls go to everyone in the company.
Translatability of this to social media with one aspect going to a different person for each area is:
-People talking directly to your company
-People talking about your company, not directly to you
-People talking about your industry
-People talking about features of products related to your company
Different people can be assigned to monitor each of these aspects for your company. How large your company is depends on how many people and who monitors the interactions in social media.
Social Media monitoring should be a group effort for companies, as it deals with your WHOLE company not just one person.
Damien Basiles last blog post..The Wonderful Ways of Wicked
Amber, I think I’m just going to stop writing posts and link directly to your blog. 😀
“People who aren’t your customers are still watching you.” Absolutely. I love it.
Once you’re in, you’re in. Which is why it is SO important for decision makers to understand a couple three things:
1. The term ‘Social Media’ may be the flavor of the month, but the act of creating and fostering communities (user communities, customer communities, fan communities, etc.) is what we are really talking about. The tools are going to keep evolving and changing, but the core objective won’t. Business leaders have to understand that the importance of building these communities (or “tribes” as Seth would call them) won’t go away when the “social media” craze turns into the next thing. SocMed “consultants” have to be very careful in articulating this, otherwise many of their clients will confuse objectives with tactics… an two years from now, their Social Media “experiment” will be a faint memory. Engagement of this type is not something companies should be “testing out.” Context here is very important. Social Media for the sake of social media is meaningless.
2. Business leaders also have to understand that Social Media tools and channels can’t be treated the same way as traditional channels. The SocMed universe is fluid, dynamic, and completely unleashed. It flows in every direction at the whim of influence clusters. Companies more comfortable with messaging and tight control on information may want to SERIOUSLY consider the implications of jumping into a medium which doesn’t play well with broadcasting and tightly regulated messaging. They will have to address complaints and occasional vitriolic attacks. a) They have to be ready for the negativity, b) they have to be ready to address the negativity properly, and c) they have to take the negative feedback and actually commit to doing something about it. These are real commitments. Not difficult to execute, but they take a truly engaged mindset.
3. Unless you’re the New York Times or Cnet, Social Media channels aren’t mass media channels: The objective isn’t necessarily to “scale”. Most of my clients have seen better results from deep engagement rather than broad engagement, which is to say: develop a core following. The kind that is truly engaged and passionate about the conversations you trigger. Especially if you are a small business, don’t worry so much about meaningless growth in your social media “network”: 500 core followers on Twitter or clients/friends/users on Facebook will yield far better results than 5000 strangers scattered around the globe. Numbers for the sake of numbers is an “old marketing” thought process. It’s ‘eyeballs’. While there is value in having breadth strategies, consider SocMed first and foremost as a depth strategy. Take care of your core first, and scale later.
4. Whether your company is officially engaged in social media or not, people are already using social media to talk about it. What it does well, what it doesn’t do well, etc. The conversation about your services, products, quality, and the experiences you create is already ongoing. Everything your company does is already being scrutinized. By joining the conversation, you aren’t inviting dissent or complaints, – they’re already out there – you’re just tuning in. The choice is simple: Choose to live inside a little corporate bubble and ignore the chatter, or show up to the party and join the conversation. You may not recruit any new customers that way, but you may considerably improve your brand’s image by just chatting with your customers and listening to their ideas and concerns. If you’re already spending money on market research and PR, you owe it to yourself to add Social Media to that mix.
Fantastic post, as always. 😉
olivier blanchards last blog post..Stand Out!
Amber, I think I’m just going to stop writing posts and link directly to your blog. 😀
“People who aren’t your customers are still watching you.” Absolutely. I love it.
Once you’re in, you’re in. Which is why it is SO important for decision makers to understand a couple three things:
1. The term ‘Social Media’ may be the flavor of the month, but the act of creating and fostering communities (user communities, customer communities, fan communities, etc.) is what we are really talking about. The tools are going to keep evolving and changing, but the core objective won’t. Business leaders have to understand that the importance of building these communities (or “tribes” as Seth would call them) won’t go away when the “social media” craze turns into the next thing. SocMed “consultants” have to be very careful in articulating this, otherwise many of their clients will confuse objectives with tactics… an two years from now, their Social Media “experiment” will be a faint memory. Engagement of this type is not something companies should be “testing out.” Context here is very important. Social Media for the sake of social media is meaningless.
2. Business leaders also have to understand that Social Media tools and channels can’t be treated the same way as traditional channels. The SocMed universe is fluid, dynamic, and completely unleashed. It flows in every direction at the whim of influence clusters. Companies more comfortable with messaging and tight control on information may want to SERIOUSLY consider the implications of jumping into a medium which doesn’t play well with broadcasting and tightly regulated messaging. They will have to address complaints and occasional vitriolic attacks. a) They have to be ready for the negativity, b) they have to be ready to address the negativity properly, and c) they have to take the negative feedback and actually commit to doing something about it. These are real commitments. Not difficult to execute, but they take a truly engaged mindset.
3. Unless you’re the New York Times or Cnet, Social Media channels aren’t mass media channels: The objective isn’t necessarily to “scale”. Most of my clients have seen better results from deep engagement rather than broad engagement, which is to say: develop a core following. The kind that is truly engaged and passionate about the conversations you trigger. Especially if you are a small business, don’t worry so much about meaningless growth in your social media “network”: 500 core followers on Twitter or clients/friends/users on Facebook will yield far better results than 5000 strangers scattered around the globe. Numbers for the sake of numbers is an “old marketing” thought process. It’s ‘eyeballs’. While there is value in having breadth strategies, consider SocMed first and foremost as a depth strategy. Take care of your core first, and scale later.
4. Whether your company is officially engaged in social media or not, people are already using social media to talk about it. What it does well, what it doesn’t do well, etc. The conversation about your services, products, quality, and the experiences you create is already ongoing. Everything your company does is already being scrutinized. By joining the conversation, you aren’t inviting dissent or complaints, – they’re already out there – you’re just tuning in. The choice is simple: Choose to live inside a little corporate bubble and ignore the chatter, or show up to the party and join the conversation. You may not recruit any new customers that way, but you may considerably improve your brand’s image by just chatting with your customers and listening to their ideas and concerns. If you’re already spending money on market research and PR, you owe it to yourself to add Social Media to that mix.
Fantastic post, as always. 😉
olivier blanchards last blog post..Stand Out!
Amber, not looking for perfection at all.:) Companies should test and re-swizzle and see what works for their customers and themselves. I just think companies need to recognize that SM means a conversation and they need to consider the scalability of that conversation once it’s started. I do not think it’s okay to disengage once a community has been built up. If you want to just talk and not engage in conversation…stick to traditional marketing. As well, if companies think that SM is a band-aid for traditional marketing (i.e. lower lead counts, responses, etc.), they are making a mistake. SM isn’t 1:many mass communications…I think we all agree on that to a certain extent.
Amber, not looking for perfection at all.:) Companies should test and re-swizzle and see what works for their customers and themselves. I just think companies need to recognize that SM means a conversation and they need to consider the scalability of that conversation once it’s started. I do not think it’s okay to disengage once a community has been built up. If you want to just talk and not engage in conversation…stick to traditional marketing. As well, if companies think that SM is a band-aid for traditional marketing (i.e. lower lead counts, responses, etc.), they are making a mistake. SM isn’t 1:many mass communications…I think we all agree on that to a certain extent.
Great post and important things to consider. It is a cautionary tale about entering into social media and while your focus is on dealing with the concept of “going backwards”, it screams out the need for a PLAN. Without a plan, you are asking to fall short of expectations. Therefore, the focus needs to be on constructing an agile plan that is evaluated and adjusted frequently.
I know that, personally, I’ve been wary of this exact problem and it has hampered my activities. However, it’s more of a personal branding than a customer relationship situation in my case. Either way, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Jon DiPietros last blog post..Do You Speak “Geek”?
Great post and important things to consider. It is a cautionary tale about entering into social media and while your focus is on dealing with the concept of “going backwards”, it screams out the need for a PLAN. Without a plan, you are asking to fall short of expectations. Therefore, the focus needs to be on constructing an agile plan that is evaluated and adjusted frequently.
I know that, personally, I’ve been wary of this exact problem and it has hampered my activities. However, it’s more of a personal branding than a customer relationship situation in my case. Either way, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Jon DiPietros last blog post..Do You Speak “Geek”?
I think you’re spot on with this one. Personally I would rather see a company hold off a bit till they have a dedicated team to use the tools than to start something and walk away.
I’ve found several of the brands that I like who have done just that and it leaves a bitter taste to see all of the abandoned potential.
Recently I did an alaysis and audit for a client who had tried twice before to get into social media but they people they hired to do it didn’t properly train the marketers, didn’t show them how to use the tools, or used them for their own purposes and now there are dozens of abandoned profiles littering the web with that companies name all over it.
Even though it’s not 100% their fault it’s still a really bad image for their customers to see one abandoned profile and communication outlet after another. The consultants they hired did a poor job but the company not commiting is what really did them in.
Josh Peterss last blog post..Consulting Survival Guide by Jacob Morgan
I think you’re spot on with this one. Personally I would rather see a company hold off a bit till they have a dedicated team to use the tools than to start something and walk away.
I’ve found several of the brands that I like who have done just that and it leaves a bitter taste to see all of the abandoned potential.
Recently I did an alaysis and audit for a client who had tried twice before to get into social media but they people they hired to do it didn’t properly train the marketers, didn’t show them how to use the tools, or used them for their own purposes and now there are dozens of abandoned profiles littering the web with that companies name all over it.
Even though it’s not 100% their fault it’s still a really bad image for their customers to see one abandoned profile and communication outlet after another. The consultants they hired did a poor job but the company not commiting is what really did them in.
Josh Peterss last blog post..Consulting Survival Guide by Jacob Morgan
Hi Amber,
Your insight is amazing! I agree that social media is a “serious approach to business communication and customer service.” I also agree that its success depends on a company’s willingness to put down the old crutches of mass marketing and one-way communication.
As you elegantly put it, social media is a tool. It used best by companies who already possessed a culture of trust in their employees and a tradition of openness to the public long before they ever embarked on using new communication technologies to reach their stakeholders. These qualities have to exist for social media to work for them, and these qualities have to exist for companies to understand its value.
Based on this understanding, it’s easy to understand why a company like Sears would probably fail miserably if it tried to use social media. I worked at a Sears retail store years ago, and every one of my co-workers felt like cattle at a ranch, being fed rotten grain (bad money) and herded left and right by ominous corporate directives. On the other hand, Southwest Airlines, one of the most praised companies in America, runs an active twitter with over 6,000 followers. Perhaps more importantly, it follows over 5,000 people and tweets at least three times a day with notes like, “A grown man sends a LUV letter to Southwest,” and “Heading over to the bar. Whose joining SWA?”
These examples demonstrate your point, and also show that in order for social media to work for a company, that company must already have a culture of trust in its employees and openness to its stakeholders.
Julian Peregrine Joness last blog post..Social Media Marketing and Short-Term Publicity Campaigns
Hi Amber,
Your insight is amazing! I agree that social media is a “serious approach to business communication and customer service.” I also agree that its success depends on a company’s willingness to put down the old crutches of mass marketing and one-way communication.
As you elegantly put it, social media is a tool. It used best by companies who already possessed a culture of trust in their employees and a tradition of openness to the public long before they ever embarked on using new communication technologies to reach their stakeholders. These qualities have to exist for social media to work for them, and these qualities have to exist for companies to understand its value.
Based on this understanding, it’s easy to understand why a company like Sears would probably fail miserably if it tried to use social media. I worked at a Sears retail store years ago, and every one of my co-workers felt like cattle at a ranch, being fed rotten grain (bad money) and herded left and right by ominous corporate directives. On the other hand, Southwest Airlines, one of the most praised companies in America, runs an active twitter with over 6,000 followers. Perhaps more importantly, it follows over 5,000 people and tweets at least three times a day with notes like, “A grown man sends a LUV letter to Southwest,” and “Heading over to the bar. Whose joining SWA?”
These examples demonstrate your point, and also show that in order for social media to work for a company, that company must already have a culture of trust in its employees and openness to its stakeholders.
Julian Peregrine Joness last blog post..Social Media Marketing and Short-Term Publicity Campaigns
What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Damn right it’s a commitment! On both a personal and professional level. If I’m away from the internet for even a weekend, I have a helluva time getting back into the swing of things, and it’s not just with my email. It’s with blogs, Twitter, networks, the whole deal. I feel like I need vacations from the internet sometimes, but when I take a two-day one and come back, I remember how much of a commitment it is to be involved with so much SM stuff and other things.
What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Damn right it’s a commitment! On both a personal and professional level. If I’m away from the internet for even a weekend, I have a helluva time getting back into the swing of things, and it’s not just with my email. It’s with blogs, Twitter, networks, the whole deal. I feel like I need vacations from the internet sometimes, but when I take a two-day one and come back, I remember how much of a commitment it is to be involved with so much SM stuff and other things.
THE EMPEROR’S NEW SITE:
Once upon a time lived an emperor who thought so much of the web that he spent all his money on the latest web technology. He did not care about the cost, or if the technology was easy to use; the only thing, in fact, he thought of was it had to be known as the latest in the world of web and as one would say of a king “He is in his cabinet,” so one could say of him, “The emperor is updating his home Page!”
The great city where he resided was very content; every day many strangers from all parts of the globe arrived. One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe they could manufacture the finest web technology that can be imagined by any human being. They called it the Web 2.0! Their technology, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the applications they possessed had the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid.
“That must be a wonderful technology,” thought the emperor. “Maybe it is better than all the community platforms! If I were to own this web technology I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid. And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time. They set up two work stations, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on their work stations.
“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with my web page,” thought the emperor. Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood.
“I shall send my honest old minister to the developers,” thought the emperor. “He can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he.”
The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty desktops. “Heaven preserve us!” he thought, and opened his eyes wide, “I cannot see anything special at all,” but he did not say so. Both swindlers asked him if he did not admire the exquisite Web 2.0 Platform and the beautiful Community Applications. The minister tried his best, but he could see anything new, for there was nothing to be seen. “Oh dear,” he thought, “Can I be so stupid? No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the new technology.”
“Now, have you got nothing to say?” said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to be busily coding.
“Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful,” replied the old minister looking through his glasses. “What a beautiful application, what brilliant technology! I shall tell the emperor that I like the platform very much.” And so he did.
Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious technology and how the website might look. At last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the ‘testing phase’. He went to the two clever swindlers.
“Is it not magnificent?” said one of the statesmen who had been there before. “Your Majesty must admire the applications and the programs!” And then they pointed to the empty webpage, for they imagined the others could see the technology.
“What is this?” thought the emperor, “I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor?”
“Really,” he said, turning to the developers, “your technology has our most gracious approval;” and nodding contentedly he looked at the empty webpage. All his attendants looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others, they said “It is very beautiful.”
And all advised him to put up the new website on his homepage at a great procession which was soon to take place.
The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers pretended to work. They pretended to take the software from the workstation, and worked about in the air with big codes, and said at last: “The emperor’s new website using Web 2.0 is ready now.”
“Does it please your Majesty now to graciously take down your old site and put the one made using our new technology,” said the swindlers?”
The emperor deleted his old website, and the swindlers pretended to put the new site on, one program after another; and the emperor looked at his website from all angle.
“I am ready,” said the emperor. “Does not my website look marvelous?” Then he turned once more to look at the website, that people should think he admired the new Web 2.0 technology.
The emperor marched in the procession and all who saw him exclaimed: “Indeed, the emperor’s new website is incomparable!” Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid.
“But I don’t see anything on the screen! The screen is just a blank page!” said a little child. “Good heavens! Listen to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. “But there is nothing on the screen,” cried the whole people. That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.” And the chamberlains walked with still false dignity, as if they carried the latest and most amazing technology ever!
THE EMPEROR’S NEW SITE:
Once upon a time lived an emperor who thought so much of the web that he spent all his money on the latest web technology. He did not care about the cost, or if the technology was easy to use; the only thing, in fact, he thought of was it had to be known as the latest in the world of web and as one would say of a king “He is in his cabinet,” so one could say of him, “The emperor is updating his home Page!”
The great city where he resided was very content; every day many strangers from all parts of the globe arrived. One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe they could manufacture the finest web technology that can be imagined by any human being. They called it the Web 2.0! Their technology, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the applications they possessed had the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid.
“That must be a wonderful technology,” thought the emperor. “Maybe it is better than all the community platforms! If I were to own this web technology I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid. And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time. They set up two work stations, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on their work stations.
“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with my web page,” thought the emperor. Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood.
“I shall send my honest old minister to the developers,” thought the emperor. “He can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he.”
The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty desktops. “Heaven preserve us!” he thought, and opened his eyes wide, “I cannot see anything special at all,” but he did not say so. Both swindlers asked him if he did not admire the exquisite Web 2.0 Platform and the beautiful Community Applications. The minister tried his best, but he could see anything new, for there was nothing to be seen. “Oh dear,” he thought, “Can I be so stupid? No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the new technology.”
“Now, have you got nothing to say?” said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to be busily coding.
“Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful,” replied the old minister looking through his glasses. “What a beautiful application, what brilliant technology! I shall tell the emperor that I like the platform very much.” And so he did.
Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious technology and how the website might look. At last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the ‘testing phase’. He went to the two clever swindlers.
“Is it not magnificent?” said one of the statesmen who had been there before. “Your Majesty must admire the applications and the programs!” And then they pointed to the empty webpage, for they imagined the others could see the technology.
“What is this?” thought the emperor, “I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor?”
“Really,” he said, turning to the developers, “your technology has our most gracious approval;” and nodding contentedly he looked at the empty webpage. All his attendants looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others, they said “It is very beautiful.”
And all advised him to put up the new website on his homepage at a great procession which was soon to take place.
The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers pretended to work. They pretended to take the software from the workstation, and worked about in the air with big codes, and said at last: “The emperor’s new website using Web 2.0 is ready now.”
“Does it please your Majesty now to graciously take down your old site and put the one made using our new technology,” said the swindlers?”
The emperor deleted his old website, and the swindlers pretended to put the new site on, one program after another; and the emperor looked at his website from all angle.
“I am ready,” said the emperor. “Does not my website look marvelous?” Then he turned once more to look at the website, that people should think he admired the new Web 2.0 technology.
The emperor marched in the procession and all who saw him exclaimed: “Indeed, the emperor’s new website is incomparable!” Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid.
“But I don’t see anything on the screen! The screen is just a blank page!” said a little child. “Good heavens! Listen to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. “But there is nothing on the screen,” cried the whole people. That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.” And the chamberlains walked with still false dignity, as if they carried the latest and most amazing technology ever!
Taxi Design, that seems like a repost of a blog, email, viral, something that I’ve seen before. Who wrote it?
Taxi Design, that seems like a repost of a blog, email, viral, something that I’ve seen before. Who wrote it?
Mike Shields, I took the original story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and worked around it to write this.
Mike Shields, I took the original story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and worked around it to write this.