Fear and Loathing in Social Media

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/443560667_ca229de8df_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/443560667_ca229de8df_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" /></a>You would think at this point that we'd be up to curiosity or even playful experimentation.<div><br /></div><div>But it seems that, according to <a href="http://www.e-tailing.com/">the e-tailing group</a> and <a href="http://www.powerreviews.com/">PowerReviews</a>' survey earlier this month that brands are still hesitant to entirely give over to the power of social media for fear of (what else?) loss of control of their brand and concerns about their competence. A secondary fear is that consumers might find social sites more engaging than the brands' sites, and therefore stop visiting the brands'</div><div> sites.</div><div><br /></div><div>I may be oversimplifying this a bit, but if I were at a brand that was concerned customers might leave my site for a better site I might, oh, I don't know...maybe <b><i>BUILD A MORE ENGAGING SITE</i></b>?!?!?!</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/SocialMediaFear-736074.gif" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 268px;" /></div><div><br /></div><div>That's only a start. Another course is to engage with consumers where they want to be reached. When the surveyed companies state that their goals of using social media are: to increase engagement, build brand loyalty, and spur word of mouth. If that's the case, you don't get there by (a) ignoring where the rest of the world is going; or (b) burying your head in the sand in terms of these sites.</div><div><br /></div><div>The good news is that half of the suggested activities/sites mentioned in the survey (Facebook page, Twitter, customer reviews, blogs and viral [sic] videos) are already accepted or used by more than half of the respondents. That's a great start, but there's more potential. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before I make a recommendation, I'd like to review a crude approximation that I've been working on - it's how some brands and agencies approach social media with trepidation. Because it's not unlike how humans deal with grief, I've developed a similar model for marketers:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The 5 Stages of Social Media Grief</span></b></div></div><div>(With apologies to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model">Elisabeth Kübler-Ross</a>.)</div><div><br /><ol><li><b>Denial</b> - first stage of social media grief in which the marketer refuses to acknowledge the existence of social media. This was the case early on in the industry's development. Luckily, I don't think there are many companies left that think like this.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "It's just a kid's thing," or "It's just a fad."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: avoiding the Internet, putting hands over ears and singing "I can't heeeeeaaaarr yoooouuuuu. La la laaaaa."</li><br /><li><b>Anger</b> - In the second stage, jealousy and rage are misplaced and rage ensues.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "This is stupid," "I've got better things to do with my time."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: full-fledged slave to work email; increase in print or television media buy to show effectiveness and superiority.</li><br /><li><b>Bargaining</b> -Anger gives way to hope that incremental adoption of social media will be enough to make a difference.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "If we have a Facebook page, we should be covered," "Let's just create a blog," or "Let the agency figure it out."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: the use of social media only in time-limited campaigns; half-hearted efforts on a limited number of social sites.</li><br /><li><b>Depression</b> -The fourth stage manifests itself in an understanding that the inevitable cannot be delayed and the marketer becomes doleful.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "Twitter/Google/Facebook is taking over the world," or "We're overwhelmed with choices."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: moping; pacing; complaining to friends on Facebook.</li><br /><li><b>Acceptance</b> -With the final stage, the marketer finally realizes that social media is here to stay and begins to determine ways to integrate activities and craft strategies that are truly integrated.<br /><i>Common phrases</i>: "Let's craft a comprehensive social media strategy," or "Let's spend some time listening to what consumers are saying about us."<br /><i>Common behaviors</i>: integration of marketing and communications functions, determination of measurement goals, online and offline alignment from the beginning of projects.</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>As we know in dealing with emotional grief, you can't skip steps - you have to go through them. Some folks may be stubborn and may take a while, while others may be ahead of the curve and breeze through them quickly. [<i>Aside: in 2004, when I heard Elisabeth Kubler-Ross died, my grieving went as follows: "No that can't be true. Curse you, Lord, no just God would take her from us. I wish she was back. Geez, life stinks. Oh, well, that's the circle of life."</i>].</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, in order to address those fears and to get on with the acceptance, why not start by aligning your social media activities with your business plan and your overall marketing and communications objectives? A second step would be to listen, listen and listen - get a sense as to what's being said about your brand and how people engage on these social platforms.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then if you'd like to make a more engaging site for customers, consider <i>integrating</i> or <i>aggregating</i> content from third party social sites or services right there on your own web page. Give people a chance to find contextually relevant material from other sources on <i>your</i> site. We've done it on the <a href="http://www.fiestamovement.com/"><b>Fiesta Movement</b></a> site and we continue to do it in a variety of ways on <a href="http://www.thefordstory.com/"><b>The Ford Story</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The thinking there is that people will go out and search for other peoples' opinions on your products anyway. Why not give them something contextually relevant while they're on your site and provide value? It's an acknowledgment - dare I say acceptance? - that the world around us is changing.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><i>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58425233@N00/443560667/">tavopp</a> on Flickr</i></div><div><i>Chart credit: <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007296">eMarketer</a></i></div></div>

Fear and Loathing in Social Media

You would think at this point that we'd be up to curiosity or even playful experimentation. But it seems that, according to the e-tailin...

Read more »

Are You Really Satisfying Your Customers?

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/483501996_f61c4ab208_o.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/483501996_f61c4ab208_o.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 280px;" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">We all know that social media plays a part in customer service.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As business becomes more fierce, margins shrink and barriers to entry are almost nonexistent in some areas, the competitive advantage that many companies can leverage exists in an often-overlooked but absolutely essential part of the marketing team: customer service.</div><div><br /></div><div>And for every new company that springs up to supply solutions to problems we didn't know we had, there are many companies that already exist and are competing in a commoditized market. "<i>There is nothing new under the sun</i>," <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1:9&version=NIV">the quote goes</a>. And for those organizations, one of the accepted methods of differentiation is customer service. This itself isn't (or shouldn't be) news. <a href="http://www.briansolis.com/2007/12/social-media-customer-service-20/"><b>Brian Solis</b></a> and <a href="http://www.conversationagent.com/2007/05/customer_servic.html"><b>Valeria Maltoni</b></a> both wrote that customer service <i>is</i> the new marketing a while back.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b>Examples abound</b></div><div>Because this is not a new concept, there are countless instances of companies stepping up their customer service efforts, particularly in the social media space. Here are a few to note:</div><div><ul><li>Comcast is <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2009/ca20090113_373506.htm"><b>the shining example</b></a> of customer service on Twitter, led primarily through the efforts of the head of their digital team, Frank Eliason (aka <a href="http://twitter.com/comcastcares">@comcastcares</a> on Twitter). </li><li>Recently, Best Buy ran national TV spots promoting their <a href="http://twitter.com/Twelpforce"><b>Twelpforce</b></a> - a legion of their "blue shirts" available to help people who submit questions for Best Buy via Twitter. </li><li>And <a href="http://www.zappos.com/">Zappos</a> bills themselves as "a customer service company" as they train every single employee on customer service and even have Twitter <a href="http://twitter.zappos.com/"><b>baked into their corporate site</b></a>.</li><li><a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/"><b>Get Satisfaction</b></a> has become a place where consumers and industry alike monitor and comment on, in an effort for more transparent dialog. </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Customers now expect an immediate answer online - something I see every day through the <a href="http://twitter.com/Ford">@Ford</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/FordCustService">@FordCustService</a> accounts on Twitter.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Speed isn't everything</b></div><div>But a recent survey written up by Dave Dougherty and Ajay Murthy in the<i> Harvard Business Review</i> called <a href="http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2009/09/what-service-customers-really-want/ar/1">What Service Customers Really Want</a> demonstrates that speed isn't necessarily the answer. According to the survey,</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><i>Evidence shows that customers will no longer tolerate the rushed and inconvenient service that has become all too common. Instead, they are looking for a satisfying experience. Companies that provide it will win their loyalty.</i></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>The question is no longer how quickly can you provide customer service, but how <b><i>effectively</i></b>?</div><div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.scottmonty.com/uploaded_images/OneAndDone-785621.gif" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 390px; height: 323px;" /></div><div>When people are crunched for time (as nearly all of us are these days), the experience you give them on their first effort to reach you had better be the way you want them to remember you. Because, like the old cliche "you never get a second chance to make a first impression," their primary expectations are <b>(1) that your front line representatives to have answers</b>, and <b>(2) that their needs are addressed on the first call</b>. And as the article indicates, those two categories aren't even on the measurement dashboard for most customer service entities - they're still measuring time on hold and minutes per call.</div><div><br /></div><div>If anything, your customer service operation needs to be aligned not only with your marketing and communications organizations, but more importantly, with your customers. For customer service areas that simply field complaints and don't impact customer loyalty really aren't doing your organization any favors.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Photo credit: </i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43017881@N00/483501996/"><i>libraryman</i></a><i> on Flickr</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>

Are You Really Satisfying Your Customers?

We all know that social media plays a part in customer service. As business becomes more fierce, margins shrink and barriers to entry are al...

Read more »

Social Media Books & Experts

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/3738107746_f944ec80b1_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/3738107746_f944ec80b1_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 160px;" /></a>One thing that has always puzzled me is the sheer number of books about social media. When your industry changes almost daily - not to mention that it's one rooted in the digital space - is it helpful to read (or write) books about it?<br /><br />At the same time we've seen the rise of the <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/07/guy-walks-into-bar.html">social media "expert,"</a> we've seen a proliferation of books on the topic. From a business perspective, it's not surprising: it's a hot topic; everyone is trying to make sense of it; and people will cash in while they have the chance. But someone new to this space needs to be aware of who's the true leader and who is the charlatan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-size:large;">Calling oneself an expert does not an expert make;</span></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-size:large;">that label is usually granted by peers who recognize talent.</span></div></b><br />A good place to start as you try to figure this stuff out is to see who's following whom. While the social media space tends to be filled with a lot of people who are reciprocal in their follows, you can easily see who some of the stand-outs are. Check the blogrolls (links to other blogs) that are recommended by your favorite bloggers. See who pops as a thought leader. See who resonates with you.<br /><br />Another way is to see how many of them have written a book. There's a great list of the <a href="http://blog.mellowbillow.com/2009/08/17/top-100-best-social-media-books-ever/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Top 100 Best Social Media Books Ever</span></a> (well at least as of the writing of that particular blog post) that I can recommend. But again, that's quite a list. And some of the newer books don't appear on it.<br /><br />Here are six of the latest titles by people whom I respect, with links to their blogs:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470743085?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470743085"><b><i>Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0470743085" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. Chris is a prolific writer, cranking out multiple posts a day, all while running New Media Labs and tweeting until his fingers are raw. There's a lot of common sense in his work. And his book is all about trust. I trust Chris and can recommend his work highly.<br /><br /><a href="http://redcouch.typepad.com/">Shel Israel</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842794?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591842794"><b><i>Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591842794" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. Shel has been in the communications field for a long time. But his insights are as fresh as ever. He co-authored <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/047174719X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=047174719X"><i>Naked Conversations</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=047174719X" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /> with <a href="http://www.scobleizer.com/">Robert Scoble</a> and his latest book is all about Twitter. Fair warning: it's longer than 140 characters.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.twistimage.com/blog/">Mitch Joel</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446548235?ie=UTF8&tag=socialmediama-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446548235"><b><i>Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone</i></b></a><b><i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446548235" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b>. Mitch is a super smart guy who has been chronicling the development of the online vs. offline world for quite some time. His blog and podcast are always thoughtful and inspirational. And he's one of the four bald guys who seem to haunt the new marketing world, yet whom we never see all in one place at one time. Weird, I know.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.webinknow.com/">David Meerman Scott</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470395001?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470395001"><b><i>World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0470395001" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. David is probably one of the best public speakers I know. But his talents don't stop at the spoken word. He clearly demonstrates his ideas with case studies - and ones that aren't expected. After reading his stuff, you'll rave too.<br /><br /><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/">Seth Godin, </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591842336"><b><i>Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591842336" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. If you don't know Seth Godin, you should. Or perhaps I should say, you will. He has rocketed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fentity%2FSeth-Godin%2FB000AP9EH0%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref%255F%3Dntt%255Fathr%255Fdp%255Fpel%255F1&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">every one of his books</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /> to the top of the charts in creative and innovative ways. His blog is filled with observations about Marketing and marketing - by that I mean the craft as well as daily thoughts about how companies and individuals can differentiate themselves. And yes, he's one of those bald guys.<br /><br /><a href="http://garyvaynerchuk.com/">Gary Vaynerchuk</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061914177?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061914177"><b><i>Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061914177" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />. Say it with me: VAY-ner-chuk! Gary is a force of nature. Host of the amazing <a href="http://tv.winelibrary.com/">Wine Library TV</a>, Gary has amassed a mini empire on his way to eventually owning the New York Jets. His keynotes and speeches are filled with the fire that comes straight from his belly, and his book will no doubt inspire the same level of commitment that his appearances do.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If anything, the takeaway from these authors is: if you want</span></span></div><span style="font-weight:bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">a successful book, make sure you've got a colon in the title. ;-)</span></span></div></span><br />Feel free to click around and check out their writing in whichever format appeals to you. And pass along those that resonate with you. Share them with you coworkers, your boss, your friends. Have you got other reading recommendations? I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below.<br /><br /><center><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thebakerstree-20/8001/42e9210d-655b-4d50-8489-49c8305d9b32"> </script> <noscript><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthebakerstree-20%2F8001%2F42e9210d-655b-4d50-8489-49c8305d9b32&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></noscript></center><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26231875@N00/3738107746/">Patrick Gage</a> (Flickr)</span>

Social Media Books & Experts

One thing that has always puzzled me is the sheer number of books about social media. When your industry changes almost daily - not to menti...

Read more »