Working Three

One of the most powerful aspects of social media is the ability to connect and listen to what your audience has to say. For companies this means being able to get feedback on products, find opportunities and develop new ways of performing customer service. While the promise of these benefits are exciting to businesses, they are also linked to what is perceived as social media’s dark side. Simply put, people may not always say what you would like them to.

 

Before the communication revolution ushered in by platforms like Twitter and Facebook, companies were very much in control of the messages surrounding their brand. Marketing was a one way street where the brand developed a strategy and told the customer what to think. Customer service was relegated to call centres and market research happened behind closed doors with small focus groups. All of that has now changed. Customers now have more power to voice an opinion than they ever have had, and they are wielding that power ever more rapidly and with greater impact. Ignore this development at your brand’s peril.

 

The reality is that people are not always going to be happy with your brand. They will occasionally complain. And they will do it publicly. You can try to persuade yourself that if you do not get involved in social media then it won’t happen. But you’d be wrong because it will. Ignoring it just means that you won’t be able to do anything about it, and that may do irreversible damage to your brand.

 

The good news is if you recognise and respect the relationship you have with your customers, social media can be a very powerful tool. Your customers deserve to be valued and heard. Work out how to do this well, and do it out in the open, and your reputation will grow. People can accept mistakes. It’s how you handle them that determines whether the outcome is disaster or an opportunity.

 

Being open and honest is healthy for a brand. It tells your market “we can be trusted” – and trust is what your customers are looking for. All it takes is a bit of planning. Develop a strategy. Know what you are trying to achieve, who you are going to be talking to and how you are going to handle difficult situations. Make sure that staff who are involved in the “customer conversation” are all properly trained and on board. If you need help at the planning stage then go and get it. This is a strategic exercise that will enhance and possibly determine your competitive advantage. Getting it right from the outset will save you a lot of time and expense.

 

So don’t be afraid of negative comments. Embrace them. They are part of the texture of the marketplace you compete in. You cannot control social media any more than you can people’s thoughts. But you can manage it by being involved.

 

In the world of social media it is safer to step into the light than hide in the shadows.