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Went Hot: May 22, 2008 - 3:00 pm
Posted By: billslawski 47 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://searchengineland.com)
Category: Social Media
Small business can benefit from engaging in conversations within their markets. But, what responsibilities do merchants have when they venture into social networking and blogging, in entering into the conversations that people are having about those markets?
6 Comments
Comments
One of your best posts, Bill, which is saying a lot. Your final sentence should be up on every business owner's wall:
Put a human face on that delivery, and build positive relationships with those people with whom you interact.
Thank you, Barry.
As one of the folks within this industry whom I hold a great amount of respect for, your words are very much appreciated.
Sphunn just on principle for including both a Victorian writer and The Cluetrain Manifesto in the same post. [:-)] Oh...and very valuable advice, to boot!
Great article Bill:
And very worthwhile discussion. I've been involved in that for my business for a while (pre web) and have recent web experience for my business and saw an example for a business/website I was assisting.
First the example of the other business: These guys planted someone to promote their product in a forum for specialists who are the specific target audience for the product/company.
It was an obvious plant. The person kept referencing the product at the dumbest most inappropriate times and virtually all the time and at every opportunity within this forum. It was obvious.
Following a bunch of forum posts, others called out this "plant" and attacked him for his obvious effort at guerilla/underground marketing.
It was way too obvious, too overwhelming, too blatent.
The business lost any chance at penetrating the forum and a source of opportunity in that network. C'est la vie.
Our example:
Years ago we decided to always address word of mouth and always set up to emphasize customer service to build for testimonial sales. It has worked its part of our culture. On the other hand we decided to very quickly address any major complaints with immediately trying to correct the problem.....and make it go away. The worst thing in our eyes is negative word of mouth.
In this environment that is far more important. Word of mouth is spread virally through the web at rates dramatically faster and more far reaching than any source in the past.
We presented our business in a web forum that is relevant to one of our new sites. Prior to doing so we sweet talked a forum manager and commentator.
We have a lot of experience. We presented something within a community wherein we know that there would be eiher skepticism or negativity.
Our approach is not to turn attacks into battles but to emphasize that we are people and we do our best.....and in doing so.....there are benefits. We kept acknowledging the negatives and bringing up the alternative positives. The conversation in the forum got tons of commentary, an enormous number of eyeballs, and ultimately a fair presentation. We found commentary opportunities within the forum to create agreement between our business and the 2 people who were the biggest critics.
Our staff picked up a lot of pointers on how to overcome objections and we got tons of eyeballs from relevant people and possible customers.
But you can't act like a jerk or know it all in this environment of the web where anyone can take shots at you.
Its simply a wise article, Bill, and the citations.....oh the citations. How classic!!!!!!!
Some excellent examples, Dave. Your experience presenting a new business site to a forum that might provide criticism you could learn from sounds like it was a great opportunity, for you and for the community that you approached.
The cluetrain manifesto and Ruskin's Roots of Honor are a couple of my favorites. If anyone has suggestions on others in a similar vein, I'd appreciate hearing about them.
Thanks, Dave and Winooski
Marketers have to remember the goal. The goal of all marketers is to create better relationships. That takes respect, it takes dialog and it takes time.
Seth Godin articulated this perfectly in Permission Marketing back in 1999 with the Wedding Analogy. "most marketers hit prospects like a guy going to a bar to get married"
The great thing about Business Blogging is that it doesn't have to be this way. There is nothing wrong with a Company or better yet, an Employee blogger talking about how their company helps people like me, or specifics about their solution. There was agreat quote from Richard Edelman in the Dallas Morning News recently talking about the 2008 Edelman Trust Barometer:
You can find the whole interview here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/columnists/chall/stories/DN-Hall_16bus.ART.State.Edition1.463ac30.html
Chris Baggott
CEO/Co-founder
Compendium Blogware
www.compendiumblogware.com