Eternal Sunshine of the Social Brand
We have a saying in Greek: Nothing is hidden under the sun. Inspired by yesterday’s class with Mike Berry on Squared Online, I would say that for the brands of today, the “sun” is the Social Media.
The relationship between brands and their audience has turned into an eternal conversation. It is no longer a monologue- it’s an exchange. An exchange of information, feelings, experiences, thoughts and opinions. Brands are now more than ever vulnerable to the sunshine of the social web: they can no longer get away with pretending, lying, not caring about customer satisfaction, not being authentic, responsive and truly engaging with their audience.
From yesterday’s poll it turned out that most of us interact with brand content when it involves images, videos and infographics, not necessarily to promote specific products our to “shout” for exclusive offers and discounts. Original content that is also useful, inspiring & relevant to the viewer is where the value is. On the other hand, we tend to unfollow a brand when it starts “flooding” our timelines with posts that we feel are of no value and serve mostly to promote the brand without triggering conversations or activating the audience.
Finally, brands need to realize that bad news now travel at the speed of light. Any wrong move, any bad decision, any dissatisfied customer will “rise & shine” and reach thousands (if not millions) of impressions. Being there, admitting you were wrong and speaking the truth is the only way out.
In a world where reviews of people in our social networks substantially influence us towards choosing a brand or product, marketers need to truly care and promptly solve customers’ problems, create comfort, appreciate and award loyalty and engage with what is being discussed: about them, about their industry, their competitors, the interests and needs of their audience.
The Social web can be “cruel” but certainly knows how to forgive. You just need to listen, respond and take responsibility.
Let the sunshine in.
El.