Recently, I talked with two companies that had decided not to do social media marketing at all because one specific aspect of social media was making them uncomfortable. So, as a social media marketing firm, do you think that I tried to talk them out of their concerns and get them to get into social media?
The simple answer? No. I listened to what is making them uncomfortable and helped them look at strategy, technology and policy that would avoid their concerns in the first place.
The first company is in a very competitive field in which a client list is kept confidential. Knowing that social media would allow their clients to follow them - while allowing competitors to see and communicate with their clients - they opted not to participate. Through our discussions, we developed strategies that would still allow them to take advantage of social media by better supporting their clients who use social media, rather than using it for themselves directly.
The second organization is a non-profit that does a lot of work with children. Their main concern was that they did not feel comfortable uploading pictures of the kids or allowing followers to upload pictures of the kids. As as result, we discussed how internal policy, privacy setting, and alternate imagery that showcased their attributes but didn't include the children's images could enable them to participate in social media.
What is most important to me in each case was that the clients did NOT leave their comfort zones just to use social media in their marketing plans.
For example, several articles I researched in the case of the confidential client list advised that competitors seeing your clients is just a side effect of doing social media. In our current eceonomy, where even one client lost can have a huge impact, that is not an acceptable answer. Same for the client who didn't want to put their kids' pictures online. It simply wasn't a way that they wanted to conduct business.
If it doesn't feel right to you, don't do it.
That doesn't mean that you have to eliminate social media from your marketing toolbox, it simply means you have to make it work for you within your comfort zone.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Technology. Knowing what is and is not possible can be the first step in knowing how you will use social media rather than if you will use social media.
Policy. Before setting up even one social media project, determine in writing what your company's policy on social media is. Cover items like what types of media you will post, how you will document photo releases, if you will cover any sensitive topics such as religion or politics, how you will handle inappropriate comments, what permissions you will allow posters, etc.
Privacy. Determine the level of interaction you will allow participants and the extent to which you will share your organization. Document it, communicate it, share it, and stick to it internally. The whole point of social media is to allow communication between you and your customers, but you can achieve that within your comfort zone.
If you personally are uncomfortable with certain aspects of social media marketing - listen to that instinct and explore exactly what is making you pause. Write it down by bullet pointing areas of concern. By defining those issues you can then develop strategic social media marketing that keeps you within your comfort zone, while online and in the game.
4.27.2010
4.19.2010
you are relationship marketing
Have you heard of a recently new trend in marketing called "relationship marketing"? If you haven't, the simple definition is this: creating lasting, sustainable, and meaningful relationships with customers.
That sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? As a small business owner, it's probably the main source of marketing that you have always done.
Here is another great example of where you have an advantage over large corporations, in that big companies are only recently realizing the value in creating relationships with customers and are figuring out how to do it.
Since big companies don't have the opportunity to meet their customers in person as you do, they are now realizing they can use social media to help create those relationships for them.
But let's take it back to you. As a small business owner, you or your sales staff already have the benefit of knowing customers by face or name, the types of services and products they prefer, and about how often they come in to your place of business. A lot of you have also taken it to the next level, getting to know your customers' better through small talk and to learn about their interests, why they use your business over others, tidbits about their families, and so on.
The benefit to the customer is that they feel comfortable coming to your business - you know their preferences and they feel welcomed there. The benefit to you is that these customers will come back regularly and recommend you to family and friends.
So how can you make those relationships even stronger? By incorporating them into your own social media marketing strategy. Explore ways to communicate online with your customers, meet their needs more quickly and efficiently, and most importantly, provide them with the mechanism to communicate directly back with you.
I'll close the post with a great client example of honest, real life relationship marketing. A customer who had purchased her wedding cake at my client's bakery remained a customer ever since and recently celebrated her daughter's quinceanera with a cake from the bakery. That's over 15 years of customer loyalty. Is that something large companies can achieve with their relationship marketing? Is it something that you can?
That sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? As a small business owner, it's probably the main source of marketing that you have always done.
Here is another great example of where you have an advantage over large corporations, in that big companies are only recently realizing the value in creating relationships with customers and are figuring out how to do it.
Since big companies don't have the opportunity to meet their customers in person as you do, they are now realizing they can use social media to help create those relationships for them.
But let's take it back to you. As a small business owner, you or your sales staff already have the benefit of knowing customers by face or name, the types of services and products they prefer, and about how often they come in to your place of business. A lot of you have also taken it to the next level, getting to know your customers' better through small talk and to learn about their interests, why they use your business over others, tidbits about their families, and so on.
The benefit to the customer is that they feel comfortable coming to your business - you know their preferences and they feel welcomed there. The benefit to you is that these customers will come back regularly and recommend you to family and friends.
So how can you make those relationships even stronger? By incorporating them into your own social media marketing strategy. Explore ways to communicate online with your customers, meet their needs more quickly and efficiently, and most importantly, provide them with the mechanism to communicate directly back with you.
I'll close the post with a great client example of honest, real life relationship marketing. A customer who had purchased her wedding cake at my client's bakery remained a customer ever since and recently celebrated her daughter's quinceanera with a cake from the bakery. That's over 15 years of customer loyalty. Is that something large companies can achieve with their relationship marketing? Is it something that you can?
4.13.2010
nestle wasn't the very best
In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that you, as a small business owner, have an advantage over big companies when it comes to social media marketing.
Why? Simply put, it is mainly because with huge companies, there is little or no actual interaction between the person doing the social marketing and the customers. Now, add to this fact those two horrible words, "corporate culture," and what should be a multi-way conversation with people often becomes just another platform from which the company talks about itself.
As a result, the way the company talks to people in its social media can come across as insincere, fake, and even rude. Consumer packaged goods giant Nestle provided an excellent example of this just a few weeks ago.
It all started when environmental activists on the Nestle Facebook page altered a Nestle product logo in an unflattering way and the Nestle Facebook writer posted a stern, threatening response. From there, it was a heated exchange between the Nestle writer, Nestle fans, and detractors. When the dust settled, the only sure thing was that the writer had lost their temper, been nasty to fans and detractors alike, and Nestle was branded as the first worst case scenario in corporate social media.
Now, think about your own business. We've all had hard to please, unpleasant customers. It's just human nature. But think about the ways that you communicate with them about their complaints when they are right in front of you. Chances are you treat them with respect and try to diffuse the situation, even when they are wrong.
How you handle a disgruntled customer or potential customer in the real world is exactly how you should handle them online. Respect and kindness, even when the unhappy customer is wrong, is often the most effective way to diffuse a situation because it has positive end results: the customer can leave satisfied and tell others about a negative that turned out well, or even say nothing at all, rather than telling others that your company stinks.
Maybe this is even more important online, because just as social media can get your marketing messages disseminated exponentially, it can also do the same for negative feedback.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering the "dark side" of social media:
Be prepared. There are always going to be negative people with negative things to say. Decide beforehand how you will handle negative comments, reviews and criticisms. Create a strategy and remain consistent. Don't respond when you are mad, take time to cool down and review your strategy.
Be upfront. Is there a controversial side to your business? It might benefit you to turn that negative into a positive by posting about how you're dealing with a negative issue. By bringing it up before others do helps communicate that you are honest and aware. Asking people for their ideas and feedback can create the conversation social media strives for.
Be respectful. As the Nestle writer found, it was hard to remain nice when posters were really slamming the company. As the writer probably also found, it's even harder to now have the distinction of being the worst case scenario example of social marketing. Being disrespectful of negative posters will only feed the fire and make you look bad. It's an old rule of the Internet: no one wins a flame war.
Now, nobody wants to be a doormat, and at some point in some cases, you have to tell the customer "no." But the way in which you do that, especially online, makes all the difference.
Why? Simply put, it is mainly because with huge companies, there is little or no actual interaction between the person doing the social marketing and the customers. Now, add to this fact those two horrible words, "corporate culture," and what should be a multi-way conversation with people often becomes just another platform from which the company talks about itself.
As a result, the way the company talks to people in its social media can come across as insincere, fake, and even rude. Consumer packaged goods giant Nestle provided an excellent example of this just a few weeks ago.
It all started when environmental activists on the Nestle Facebook page altered a Nestle product logo in an unflattering way and the Nestle Facebook writer posted a stern, threatening response. From there, it was a heated exchange between the Nestle writer, Nestle fans, and detractors. When the dust settled, the only sure thing was that the writer had lost their temper, been nasty to fans and detractors alike, and Nestle was branded as the first worst case scenario in corporate social media.
Now, think about your own business. We've all had hard to please, unpleasant customers. It's just human nature. But think about the ways that you communicate with them about their complaints when they are right in front of you. Chances are you treat them with respect and try to diffuse the situation, even when they are wrong.
How you handle a disgruntled customer or potential customer in the real world is exactly how you should handle them online. Respect and kindness, even when the unhappy customer is wrong, is often the most effective way to diffuse a situation because it has positive end results: the customer can leave satisfied and tell others about a negative that turned out well, or even say nothing at all, rather than telling others that your company stinks.
Maybe this is even more important online, because just as social media can get your marketing messages disseminated exponentially, it can also do the same for negative feedback.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering the "dark side" of social media:
Be prepared. There are always going to be negative people with negative things to say. Decide beforehand how you will handle negative comments, reviews and criticisms. Create a strategy and remain consistent. Don't respond when you are mad, take time to cool down and review your strategy.
Be upfront. Is there a controversial side to your business? It might benefit you to turn that negative into a positive by posting about how you're dealing with a negative issue. By bringing it up before others do helps communicate that you are honest and aware. Asking people for their ideas and feedback can create the conversation social media strives for.
Be respectful. As the Nestle writer found, it was hard to remain nice when posters were really slamming the company. As the writer probably also found, it's even harder to now have the distinction of being the worst case scenario example of social marketing. Being disrespectful of negative posters will only feed the fire and make you look bad. It's an old rule of the Internet: no one wins a flame war.
Now, nobody wants to be a doormat, and at some point in some cases, you have to tell the customer "no." But the way in which you do that, especially online, makes all the difference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
