On some respect, I have found that social media from a corporate standpoint is largely misunderstood. Many executives listen to media reports and believe that Twitter and Facebook are the channels that make up the bulk of social media. Throw in a MySpace page and maybe Blogger, and we’re done. And so, the approach is essentially:
- I don’t care about social media, because my customers are not on Twitter and Facebook. In addition, I don’t think my customers care about Twitter and Facebook either, so why bother spending time and money on Social? This includes things like: my customers are too old, don’t have time to be on social networks, etc.
- It sounds like a pretty daunting task to be figure out Twitter and Facebook. In reality, it feels like just another channel to manage my corporate brand image. Why don’t I just let my PR firm handle this? How is this different from anything they do already?
- How hard can it possibly be to create a page for my corporate brand considering every kid across America has one? Why don’t I just get someone who is young and hip within my own organization to put together a Facebook and Twitter page?
First of all, Facebook and Twitter ARE NOT the final word on social media. Sorry. Social media includes ALL user-generated content across the web. Anytime that anyone anywhere writes a comment, a blog, a review, an answer to a question that isn’t part of a corporate PR machine, you are listening to social media.
If you look at all of the excuses above to not really look at social media and make it a part of the way of doing business, they all start to fall away when you think about social media in this new way. People have conversations about every buying decision they make whether for it is for their personal or business lives. It’s just the way the human mind is wired, and we like asking for validation before making a purchase.
Social media is just the online version of that conversation lubricated by social networks, forums, message boards, microblogs, etc. Some people will look for answers, others will discuss their opinions, and yet others will contribute new ideas for innovation. How can you as an organization not believe that your customers are engaging in social media in some form when over 70% of people make decisions after looking online?
Too many companies are blindly putting up, or having their PR agencies put up Facebook and Twitter profiles, without having taken the time to understand where the conversation around their organization and their brand is actually taking place. I would encourage you to stop wasting time and money, and figure out where the conversation is actually taking place before making a move.
But the conversation is out there. That I can guarantee you. Whether or not you are listening, people are talking… about your brand, your industry, your products, your services, and your reputation. They are asking who can meet their needs and deliver value, and if you decide that you don’t have the time, energy or resources to talk, then your competition or an upstart will start talking. Once you are outside of the conversation, it is a lot harder to get back in.