Social networks are key to the success of companies for just this reason. They allow us to gain greater insights on what our customers think, from a wider variety of customers. Views that we do not currently have. A bi-directional communication channel opened to or customers and are not a part of our current dialog. This is valuable communication for a couple reasons. The information is fresh and from a perspective we may not have.
My clients are finding that customers are tweeting messages about them to their personal networks and influencing how others view their products. These tweets come from a source that consumers are likely to believe and trust. This can have a significant snowball effect; before you know it a company can have a PR problem and have no idea where it's coming from. Paradoxically, for the same reason social networks are a great way to reach out and enhance your relationship with consumers. At the very minimum companies have to monitor popular social networking sites to see what customers are saying about them. They should also communicate on these sites, to help build networks and relationships that can help spread the messages you want your customers to hear about your products.
The real power of social networking is the ability to influence consumer behavior via relationship with people they know and trust. A product recommendation in a social network is more likely to influence the behavior of friends. Think about this, are you more likely to trust and act upon a product recommendation from a friend or a super model? Unless of course your friend is a super model, you are more likely to trust the recommendations of your friends. Companies can use social networks to influence behavior, beyond any other advertising medium. This works for one very significant reason, people trust their friends. Social networks are not really advertising venues; they are communication channels and should be treated as such.
I have spent my career helping retailers and consumer product companies create strong and lasting loyal relationships with consumers. I have worked to make every communication with consumers a part of an ongoing and bi-directional communication. Now, deeply entrenched in translating the value that social networking brings to my clients, I work to find ways to connect with weak ties in a compelling and personal way. It is for these reasons that I view attempts to advertise over social media networks an unproductive endeavor. Unlike other advertising venues social networks are all about listening and responding. If you are not prepared to do this, before you jump in with both feet, you should consult a professional.
I agree that social networks can be very effectively used to inform advertising and marketing decisions, but they are not the best venues for simply broadcasting messages. If you are going to engage in this practice I strongly suggest that you use a separate account, the last thing you want to do is to undermine a real attempt to interact with consumers in a meaningful way. Admittedly, this advice tends to fall upon deaf ears, but it is good advice none-the-less. Exploiting communications channels as advertising venues is a typical rookie mistake.
My best advice for companies trying to understand and make use of social networks is to hire a professional to help see you through the process. Don't jump right in, but start with some pilot programs aimed squarely at problems that need to be solved. Use these efforts as an opportunity to learn and tune, when you feel you have a grasp on this new medium, jump in. Don't hang on to the ledge too long; you might miss some great opportunities to impact your relationship with your consumers.
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