I had a chance to watch Jeremiah Owyang's interview with David Parmet about helping companies find a social media consultant.
David, a New York-based PR and social media professional, provided tips on assessing experience, reputation and yes dealing with negative feedback from the very customers you are trying to reach.
Good points, to be sure, but when selecting a media consultant, I point (amusedly) to something that Seth Godin wrote in a Forbes Magazine article.
"Great companies don't push, they lead. The next time a p.r. firm's experts offer to take your money in exchange for their help in dominating the network, show them the door. Hand the cash to your R&D, training and service people instead."
A little tongue in cheek I hope. PR and new marketing isn't, as Seth said, something "magical." All the social media in the world won't help if the product or service stinks. But it can be transformational for an organization that understands that social media is not just a blog and a podcast. It's an acknowledgement that new media must pervade the organization from the CEO down to the call center rep. A good consultant must be able to assess how an organization's marketing fits with product development, customer service and company culture.
For another perspective, I listened today to a webinar hosted by Charlene Li, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. She talked about how a social media strategy must first begin with understanding your target customers' attitudes and behaviors towards social technologies. Charlene also emphasized it's about relationships, not specific technologies. Even before you go searching for a consultant, you need to understand your objectives (what you hope to accomplish) and strategy (what customer relationship do you want to change).
This may seem pretty straightforward, but clearly the hype around social media can distort a true assessment of your organization's and your customer's needs.
Let me get back to you.
link to original post