The blog of Steve Joseph a.k.a Future Tomorrow
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Negative comments keep your brand honest and believable
While recently freelancing at an agency in downtown Chicago, I learned that a brand I was doing some visual design for had locked down their Facebook Fan page and was not allowing users to post comments due to “cheating the system” and the apparent abuse of a promotional program. I’m not at liberty to say which agency or brand/client this was but I strongly believe this was NOT the best way to handle the issue.
This got me thinking as I had recently read about the much publicized Versace debacle in which 500,000+ users were not allowed to comment on the brands fanpage and seems to add to the growing list of brands that simply fail to understand their social communication channels and it’s consumers.
There’s several problems with circumventing your consumers voice and it leaves one with a negative impression about the brand and it’s willingness to take direct feedback. If the issue has an element of cultural or moral misconduct or encroaches on basic human rights and the treatment of fellow human beings, the brand in question should prepare itself for a PR nightmare and not the type of publicity you need in this economic climate. 2. Many companies pay millions each year to run field trials, case studies and focus groups. You pay next to nothing, an employees salary or sometimes nothing at all to gain data, in real time that is just as valuable. Don’t give consumers a reason to not leave feedback and view the brand as a monologue, not dialogue in which their feedback is viewed as unimportant.
3. Social networking is about being social, which by definition happens through communication and sharing with your consumers. It’s not a monologue or dictatorship and I think history has shown us how the latter usually ends. When the consumers voice is diminished or blocked, it can later work against the brand as consumers feel they have no say in defining brand culture, services or products.
3. Creating a social profile, regardless of platform should not solely be about brand presence or saying”hey we get it and we’re cool”, it should be about engaging the user in true dialogue from which brand success can be the companies reward.
4. This attitude is the equivalent of inviting hundreds if not thousands of guests to a town hall or open floor debate only to duct tape everyone’s mouth shut once inside the venue. Not very much of a debate is it?
Here’s how your audience may view the problem and a little insight -
1. A brands fan page or other social networking avenues is for better or worse a true dialogue that gives real time insight into how your brands consumers are responding to new products, services, company news, promotions and more. This can translate into marketing and trending data that when paired with analytics can give invaluable insight into your brands culture and it’s audience and how to effectively position yourself for success.
These mistakes and poor practices can be easily avoided and there are several tools offered by many social platforms to police or monitor a brand from afar and not encroach on the users voice. Let the conversation and relationship happen organically and it will lessen the PR nightmares and debacles.
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