Mitchell Savage

If someone says something stupid during a phone call with you, do you write a published article about “the dangers of telephones?”  Personally, I do not.

So why are there so many articles about the “dangers” of social channels just because people say stupid things there?  Some moron posts on Facebook that he would like to do something destructive, and inventory-starved journalists rush to blame the channel, rather than the person who posted the message.

Red herring?  Or just dumb?

It’s hard to overlook that these “news” stories, articles and features are predictably published on traditional media channels, primarily print and television.  Notably, these media formats have the most to lose with the rise of social media, so it’s reasonable to wonder if the obfuscating stories are calculated.

Let’s all acknowledge something.  The presence of social outlets does not change the genius-to-idiot ratio of the general public, it merely reveals exactly what that ratio is.  Dislike (or in some cases, disgust) for what you see mentioned online simply means that you dislike the thought processes of the general population, which is your right.  But don’t blame the microphone.

Slamming the social web for the contents posted there is like asserting that Guttenberg is liable for incendiary propaganda printed on the printing press.  It’s like saying that radio is invalid because an announcer mistakenly uttered an obscenity on-air.

The social web is not responsible for what people say online.  People are.  The social web simply gives a wider reach, a louder speaker, and a bigger audience.  Like all forms of media, it can be used for either good or bad.  But the responsibility for the message still remains with us, the people who use the channel.

Traditional media friends: tone it down.  And for Pete’s sake, get on point.  Use social referrals to gain your share of the voice online, instead of throwing rocks from the sidelines.  Social is not going away.  And clouding the message to blame the channel isn’t going to play well in the long run.

Recently, a CMO told me that she wasn’t sure she wanted her company’s name on the social web because people say bad things there.  I suggested that if she were on trial for murder, it would be very likely that people would be saying bad things about her at the trial.  And yet, it would be a very bad move to stay away in hopes that the discussion simply disappeared.  Better to attend the proceedings and get your side of the story in there also.

The reality is that people are talking about you, your organization, your products and services, and the complete experience of your company.  They’re doing it right now while you’re reading this.  So the question is not whether or not the conversation will take place.  The question is whether or not the conversation will have the benefit of including you.

To liken it to traditional media, would you ignore a splash of bad press or would you respond with your own press statements?  The social web should have a similar level of commitment, especially now that the social web drives more traffic than Google.

People are now navigating the web according to their friends’ links and statements.  So in some ways, social is already more powerful than traditional media.  It’s the difference between an independent third party statement and a statement by a known and trusted ally.  Not something to be ignored.

So what can a CMO do about all these people who are talking about her company?

LISTEN.  Let’s see…  Real time customer feedback for next-to free?  That sounds like an asset to me.  Start by observing the conversations that take place about your company.  Statistically speaking, about two thirds of consumer social statements about brands are positive statements.  Check to see where you stand compared with that average.  And who knows?  They might be offering you your next great idea.

SPEAK.  Let consumers know that you hear them.  For many, being heard is all they want.  For the rest, let them know you care about the experience they’re having and offer solutions just as you would on your customer service line.  And be sure to echo the positive statements, and even reward them where appropriate.

GIVE VALUE.  The social web is a great place to distribute value from coupons, to special access, to early information, …  In this simple way, you’re giving consumers something interesting and beneficial to say about you online.  Watch the ratio of positive-to-negative change as you begin providing part of the content in a valuable and positive way.

BUILD COMMUNITY.  Whatever your customers want, try sometimes delivering it through social channels first.  Then encourage customers to share the content with friends, and reward them for doing so.  Provide reliable tools for cross-channel communications by creating a schedule or rhythm to your conversations, and be consistent with it.  This will build a community of eager on-lookers, many of whom will speak your name more often in more positive contexts.

When you go to the market, you hope that people notice.  You want consumers to talk about you.  So why fight it?

The social web did not create the sentiments people are sharing about you – you created those sentiments.  The social web merely gives your customers a microphone that broadcasts to everyone everywhere.  But don’t blame the media; instead, fix the customer experience and use the same media to create positive discussions to ameliorate the negative feedback.

They’re going to talk about you anyway.  It would be a good idea to listen and give them something interesting to say.

My grandmother believed that talking on the phone was a fad.  Once history disproved her, she still maintained that if kids and teens were allowed to talk on the phone, they would either end up on drugs or pregnant, whichever applied most fearfully at the time.

My grandmother was wrong on both accounts.  And in this limiting way, my grandmother averted the task of learning or of even thinking open-mindedly.

More recently, tenured business people have opined that social media is a fad, a silly pastime, or a “cute” game.  As proof, they consistently offer an anecdote in which someone posted something random on “MyFace” or “Spacebook.”  With the transgression, the entire form of media is dismissed, thus similarly relieving anyone from the responsibility to either learn or think innovatively.

I enjoy asking these people if a prank phone call would cause them to have their phones removed from home and office.  So far, no takers.  Similarly, it makes no sense to ignore the most powerful form of media because someone said something uninteresting.

And the trump card has been “Neat, but is there any ROI?”  Well, how about this?  Facebook now drives more internet traffic than Google.  What?!  Yep.

Facebook now drives more internet traffic than Google.  Anyone still questioning the ROI on social must have their head in the sand.  Facebook topping Google as the #1 driver of traffic online proves that social is neither a fad, nor a pastime, nor a game.  Social is an ROI-driving business force online.

For a website of any kind, traffic is the lifeblood of all online commerce, interaction, and entertainment.  It’s one of the primary ways we measure success online, drive purchases, and connect with audiences.

New research shows that instead of search engines, people now prefer using their friends’ links, recommendations, photos, and comments to lead them around the web.  So for brands and organizations who still want traffic on their websites, the way forward is to foster accurate communications when people talk about you.  Give them interesting things to say and ensure that you’re in the game to get your share of traffic.

And it makes perfect sense.  Who wouldn’t believe a friend’s recommendation over a stranger’s assertion or a paid announcement?  It’s ironic to me that the most stalwart hold-outs on social are also some of the most connected people in business.  They know the immense power of personal connection and recommendation.  And yet a few are still somehow missing the boat by ignoring that the rest of the world operates on the exact same principles.

Whatever caused my grandmother to prefer to avoid new developments, I will never know.  But avoidance of the new ensures one thing: being stuck.

Social is now “what came after search” online.  Come on in.  The water is fine.

How long does a “new” year last before it is simply “this year?”

A month?  A few weeks?

Or is it measured by the duration of our adherence to our resolutions?

Whichever…  2010 is a compelling and fascinating year for me because of the immense milestones in my business, family, and personal life.  To be blunt, part of 2009 was the pits.  And in just the passage of this many days, every aspect of my world has landed on a set of happy outcomes I could never have predicted.

This realization made me wonder what I might even resolve to do or change this year.  I’m far from perfect, but I have so much to say ‘Grace’ over.  With so much going right, it seems more fitting for me to reflect on how fortunate I am, rather than to presume even more.

As a small thanks to all of my family, friends, and colleagues who contributed to my evolution this year, I’m sharing a custom from ‘back home’ in Oklahoma.  On new year’s day, it is absolutely requisite that you eat black eyed peas for good luck in the coming year.  No thoughtful person of middle-American origin would conceive of missing this superstitious act.

So here’s to hoping that 2010 is your best yet, and a recipe for luck that cannot be beat.

SPICEY BLACK-EYED PEAS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 stick of celery, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large cans cooked black-eyed peas

1 can diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Cayenne pepper, black pepper, and Liquid Smoke to taste

In a soup pot, sautee onion, celery, and pepper in olive oil until barely softened.  Add garlic and cook uncovered for two minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients except Liquid Smoke and cook for 30 minutes.  Add Liquid Smoke, mix and cook another five minutes.  Serve with cooked rice.

Happy New Year!  Wishing you the best in 2010.

Dear Marketing VPs,

Would you hire an inexperienced person, pay them entry-level wages, stick them in a cubicle without supervision, and give them autonomous control over a tens-of-millions-of-dollars international radio, TV, and print media strategy for your company?  No?

Then why are you doing it with social media?

As thoughtless as the assertion is, I have come to enjoy enjoy the amusement when a seasoned executive tells me that “young people innately know how to do social media.”  This mistaken assumption is the newest form of punting in the dark.

Reality check.  Because of the network effect, social media has the capacity to reach more of your customers than radio, TV, or print.  And being 20-some years old does not make someone “innately know how to do social media” or anything else for that matter.

Don’t feel attacked, though.  You’ve done the right thing by acknowledging that these channels cannot be ignored.  I’m just saying it’s going to require more thought than this.  Call it PR, customer relations, or whatever you want.  But shouldn’t a consumer-facing communication strategy be planned and executed based on the weight of the outcomes at stake?

Social media is very different from traditional media, it’s true.  Many an old-school marketing veep has screwed up a social media launch by not understanding its differences.

Yet many a hip young college grad has under-estimated the importance of corporate voice, and racked up costs in goodwill and brand equity.

Here’s four take-aways for building brand and customer engagement through social media.  (And they’re likely to require cooperation between your younger staffers and your veterans.)

LISTEN.  Remember that the most core difference from traditional media is that social media is not simply a new place to talk about yourself.  It’s a place for others to talk about you.  And they’re doing it.  So you better listen at least as much as you talk.  And use that same social network to notify them that you listened by announcing changes you’ve made based on their feedback.

GIVE VALUE.  A stack of research now shows that users of the social web want brands in their network.  Remember that they want you there for the same reason they want you in the mailbox or their neighborhood – because of the value they gain from working with you.  So extend that value distribution network into the social web.  Publish information and touch points reserved just for your friends on the social web; it makes them want to come back.

KEEP THE MISSION.  Smart people don’t plan their day from their email inbox.  So avoid the temptation to jump into the popcorn popper and begin reacting to passing rants and raves.  Communicate just as deliberately on the web as you would in radio, TV, or print.  Know your mission-critical messages and craft your social discussions from that base.

REPEAT, REPEAT.  Consistency and reinforcement remain crucial.  If you think there’s clutter in TV, just log onto Twitter and click your browser refresh button for 10 minutes.  You’re still going to need to reinforce your message and get others to do the same.  Do this by becoming participants in the broader conversations and including your message in that already-active stream.

Customer relationships have not decreased in value just because you’re working with 140 characters.  And sales, business development, and PR are still sciences, even though you now have a Facebook page.  Make sure that your veterans are learning new tricks, but that your interns are gaining knowledge of the basics while forging a new frontier.

Everyone will be happier.