A colleague and I were discussing social networks and how businesses should work and/engage with them and I realized I’ve never actually written my thoughts on the topic down. Hence, this post.
Years ago, I did ethnographic research for AT&T around their stores in order to explore what features should be put in a new point of sale (POS) system. As part of that research I sat in the back of multiple stores in multiple states for weeks, monitoring and documenting every customer interaction. After analyzing the reams of data captured, we found that the stores were not stores at all – they were customer support locations for customers who come in needing hep with their handset or their bill. We recommended that they shift their focus on a new POS system to install a better knowledge base and account access tool because of these findings.
Business should look at social as the same thing – it’s a customer support channel.
Social is about communicating and (when it comes to businesses) is a place where customers complain about bad service or products. If a company wants to succeed in social it has to be an active partner with their customers and respond and engage with them in the social space. You can’t just post a profile and let it lie fallow.
You also can’t put all your eggs in one basket. As you said, Facebook is the third largest “country” in the world, but Myspace used to be big too. Just like you have to focus your strategy on one mobile channel (of platforms and customers) you have to do the same thing with social. Engage with all the major ones, but make one or two your key focus. I think Facebook and Twitter are the two main ones to target.
And how you approach the social network space also depends on the type of business. Take for an example, the domain I am currently design: banking. Banking isn’t social – banking is private and personal. Some people flaunt their wealth and status in the social space but not directly – they do it by posting photos of vacations, new possessions, or posting about their experiences. Other industries are better aligned/more “public” and align better with the social media space.
You have to pay attention to what people are saying about your brand in the social space – and how you react to it. You have to be diligent, helpful, and be respectful no matter how the customer “talks” to you. Also, keep in mind the reactionary nature of mobile and the social space – used to be if customers had a problem with a company they would call customer service, or even write a letter. Now members of the social network respond publicly, and instantly, on their mobile device, often in haste and in anger. You can’t respond in kind – you have to maintain your cool and be polite. Because your social response is like e-mail – once it’s out there it’s OUT there, and can be cross-linked, retweeeted, copied… you name it. You have to stay on message, on brand but still have a quick measured response. Don’t bicker – it demeans your company and your company’s brand.