Social Media requires speedy, flexible teams...
A quick informal Veynerchuk video on how the speed of business, especially social media, requires business to develop similarly paced teams.
Here's the trick: social media is tantalising and terrifying, all at the same time. It presents huge risk, having that "guest book" revealed to the world. And as we're seeing in South Africa, the primary engagement that customers are having with brands is around service failure. So don't get involved if you can't fix the service.
Then ask yourself... Do you want to REALLY have a conversation with your customers? Or are you just creating a service channel. Service channel is fine, but that suggests a different strategy. Conversation is also fine. It's more expensive, it's more risky but the long term benefits are self evident.
Just don't go into a conversation methodology with a service approach. You'll spend money and waste time.
I do ask myself: what was the last CONVERSATION I had with a brand. Can't really remember. Can you?
I've had plenty of conversations with personalities who represent brands, or represent an interest in a brand. But not directly.
Thoughts?
Here's the trick: social media is tantalising and terrifying, all at the same time. It presents huge risk, having that "guest book" revealed to the world. And as we're seeing in South Africa, the primary engagement that customers are having with brands is around service failure. So don't get involved if you can't fix the service.
Then ask yourself... Do you want to REALLY have a conversation with your customers? Or are you just creating a service channel. Service channel is fine, but that suggests a different strategy. Conversation is also fine. It's more expensive, it's more risky but the long term benefits are self evident.
Just don't go into a conversation methodology with a service approach. You'll spend money and waste time.
I do ask myself: what was the last CONVERSATION I had with a brand. Can't really remember. Can you?
I've had plenty of conversations with personalities who represent brands, or represent an interest in a brand. But not directly.
Thoughts?
Nice post and a good question. I think for many brands an online presence is more of an insurance policy than a choice to engage in dialogue with consumers.
ReplyDeleteShew. It's a dangerous insurance policy don't you think? I've got no problem with companies trying, I encourage it.
ReplyDeleteI'm just trying to wrap my head around the service vs engagement proposition at the moment...
Your "don't get involved if you can't fix the service" is spot on!
ReplyDeleteA while ago we had a bad experience after sending our car in to have the locking mechanism fixed and it came back worse with the message we may have to pay R6,000 to fix what they messed up now. I've since had a couple of "courtesy calls" from them where I explained the dilemma and all they can say is "thanks for the feedback". Not the slightest desire to make right in any way.
So I'd add to your statement -
- don't get involved if you don't want to fix the service; and
- don't bother asking if you don't really want to know.