"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Juliet Capulet
Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
Juliet's words can be universally applied to everything in this world. Changing the name does not change the structure of anything. It may make it more pleasing to the ear and appealing to the mind but the fundamental foundation remains the same. Knowing this, why are there so many different names for members of online communities?
Is there an online renaming committee whose sole responsibility is to change common names into something else? Peeps, tweeps, fans, and friends are just a few of the names used to describe the people who chose to follow, like, or join social media groups. They may sound better (or at least different), but the new names don't change the fact that communities are filled with people.
Webster defines community as a group of people who live in close proximity or share common interests. Technically, online communities are the same. The "close proximity" is created when people connect at the same link. It may be a blog, Twitter handle, Facebook account, LinkedIn profile, Google+ Circle, or any other networking platform. In theory, the people in close proximity share common interests. Like many theories, this one loses merit when put to the test.
In the quest to have the most followers, fans, and so on, people are connecting with anyone who offers reciprocity.
This relationship is not based on commonality and will not move your business forward. How you define "community" directly affects the success of your social marketing strategy. If you follow conventional social media wisdom, your fans, followers, and so on are your community. This definition works well if you are seeking online celebrity. But, if you want more from your community than a head count, your definition needs to be different.
The best community for a company seeking a return on investment is one that is filled with people who are customers. Now, there is a name that is commonly missing from the typical social media renaming vocabulary. And, here is another one that has been forgotten in the quest to eliminate anything reminiscent of traditional marketing: prospect. Filling your online community with qualified prospects is the next best thing to filling it with customers. Focusing on attracting customers and prospects increases your chances of generating revenue exponentially.
Searching online for people who fit in your target market is about as easy as finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.
There are too many platforms with minimal search capabilities to make it economically feasible to find people. Instead of wasting your resources searching online, start your social search in your customer and prospect database. This is the easiest way to find the best platforms and connect directly with the people who mean the most to your business.
Ask your IT team to add some database fields for you to capture online ID's. You will need a minimum of five fields, one each for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Other. If you are in the music business, you may want one for MySpace too. In the Other field, you'll need to input the ID and the platform. Be consistent with your data input so it can be segmented when needed. This is very similar to the early days of email. The order management systems didn't have fields available for email addresses so we had to create new ones.
Most databases have custom fields available that are relatively easy to configure. If your IT team is making noise about the challenges, you need a better IT team. It's that simple. Being able to connect with your customers and prospects on their preferred channel or platform is critical to your company's future. Don't allow a few technologically inclined people hold your business hostage. If they can't set it up, use a spreadsheet to capture the data until you find someone who can.
When your customers and prospects share their contact information, reach out to connect with them.
No matter how much they love your company and products or services, you need them more than they need you. This process belongs in customer service. Your customer care team knows more about your customers, products, and services than your marketing team will ever know. That is how it should be. Keep things simple and let your teams do what they do best.
Creating a networking community filled with customers and prospects is the first step towards delivering a return on investment for social activity. The people who know you best are most likely to share recommendations and watch your back. Even if they aren't leaving thousands of comments, their participation will attract others with similar interests to your community. The real secret to social media success is the quality over quantity when it comes to community members. Connecting with your current customers and prospects is the best start to a solid social marketing strategy.