There is no question in any marketer's mind that social media has changed--probably forever--the way brands reach and engage with consumers. 

Stating an obvious fact, I know, but for all the opportunity and consternation it is causing, it is true that the notion of earned engagement--the active interaction between a consumer and a brand--throws into disarray all we have been taught about impression numbers and CPM, leaving the world of marketing scrambling to answer the questions on nearly every brand managers lips:

          What does all this social media stuff mean to me?

          What is the value?

          Are my results good? 

          How does it compare to other marketing?

These are great questions, even more so because as budgets continue to move to earned online engagement, the need to answer these questions will become even more urgent.  What this means is that we will all have to learn a new way of thinking.  Social media cannot be measured in terms of impressions, click-throughs, eye balls or any other "traditional" or transactional method.  This would discount the social nature of social media, and short-change the downstream impact earned engagement has on others within a fairly tight network.  A blogger doesn't just reach his or her audience, just as a Twitterer doesn't just reach his or her followers. It's also their followers followers that are impacted when they Re-Tweet or @sign the original author.  There is multiplicity in how people link to blog posts, re-tweet, and generally share information they find of interest, which, of course, is where the value lies. 

But how do you measure this value?

There are a number of great tools to measure the level of online conversation.   And there are a lot of companies that have a perspective of how to best measure the impact social media has on a brand's performance.  However, there has not been a comprehensive way to evaluate the impact a brand is having in earned social media channels.  In other words, how are people talking about a brand?  Where is it occurring?  What are they saying?  And, is the brand--and its competitors--impacting the conversation in a positive way? (and I use "conversation" very loosely in this context). 

In the coming weeks, Zócalo Group will be introducing a way of evaluating earned online conversations that goes a long way to answering those important--but difficult--questions we seem to hear in every conversation surrounding this space.  As with all things social media, it will evolve and change, but it helps marketers understand the value of their social media marketing programs.  And better yet, it provides insight into how to better calibrate efforts to increase effectiveness in near real time.

It's powerful stuff, so stay tuned...

 

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The notion that social media is a new channel for customer service is not new, and has been bandied about for a few years now.  But that doesn't mean that companies are actively embracing the channel as a way to engage customers.  In fact, only a scarce few companies are proactively folding social media tools into their customer service efforts.  Those that do, however, are reaping the rewards by way of greater word of mouth, increased sales, better customer satisfaction, higher retention, and a very real likelihood of lower costs over time.  

The reality is that tools like Twitter are causing organizations to rethink the boundaries between different departments specifically because the customer has a voice that can be amplified in a way that impacts marketing, public relations, customer service, sales, operations, product development, HR - all of which impacts the larger corporate reputation.

So, the question is not whether social media is becoming a channel for customer service.  That question has been answered.  The question now is:  how can companies best use social media as to facilitate the customer conversation in a way that ultimately yields tangible business results?

Below are a few ideas to start the discussion, but I would love your thoughts:

1. Be clear why social media should be part of an overall strategy, and identify the right avenue for reaching a specific audience.
2. Assign a real person to talk to, respond to and engage with the community: trust is the key to success
3. Ask specifically for product feedback: open up the focus group
4. Give customers a way to speak directly to you: invite them to DM the rep if they have a problem or complaint
5. Realize that it won't all be roses, but do not overreact to criticism
6. Provide useful insight and content: make it easy for people to find information

How else can a company use social media to engage customers?

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It is truly amazing the speed of change we are witnessing in how we communicate with each other, and how companies communicate with their customers.  Barely four months ago, Twitter was the domain of a small cadre of uber-early social media adopters.  Now, it has grown into a 1.6 million member (and growing daily) force to be reckoned with, and is changing the word of mouth landscape in very fundamental ways.  Naturally, marketers will follow, and the following post from Silicon Valley Insider caught my attention:
  

By now, we know that Twitter isn't just for navel-gazers talking about their lunch. Hundreds (thousands?) of companies are also using Twitter to talk to customers and to talk about their businesses. Some are doing a much better job at it than others.

So, my question is: will corporate attention dull the shine on the newest social media darling, or will it help drive adoption?  Is there anything marketers can do to receive a polite welcome without being flayed on sight, even if they "do it right"?  

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