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Growing up, my mother seemed to know everything. Whether she was explaining the origins of Paul Simon’s “Mrs. Robinson” or discussing the economic theories of Thorstein Veblen, my brother and I would shake our heads and ask how she knew so much. “Because I’m an educated woman,” she’d reply.
OK, that’s a line you have to use judiciously, but her point is valid. Being both knowledgeable and intellectually curious matters—especially when it comes to running a business. Would you hire the plumber who gives you a blank look when asked how to repair a broken pipe or a cardiologist who says he doesn’t have time to read the latest information on the link between Fosamax and atrial fibrillation? Of course not. So why do so many communication consultants look like deer caught in the headlights when asked about social media?
“Social media is based on very fundamental ideas about customer service and communicating with your clients and other stakeholders,” says Amber Naslund, founder of Chicago-based Altitude and author of the popular blog The Brand Box. “While not every business is suited to social media, you have to understand how your stakeholders interact online.”
At the most basic level, how many times has a potential client said they’ve been to your web site and liked your credentials, were impressed by your client list, or thought that marketing campaign case study was right on point? In other words, your clients are already online looking for you.
A recently released social media study (from Cone Business in Social Media) underscores the urgency to understand how to leverage social media:
- 51 percent of respondents said “companies should have a presence in social media.”
- 56 percent said “I feel a stronger connection with a brand if I can interact with it in a social media environment.”
- 57 percent said “I feel better served by companies when I can have a conversation with them in a social media environment.”
The Cone study also identified three key roles for companies using social media: customer service, feedback and interaction. Other studies have drilled down and found that while a lot of people may say they’re “not using social media,” they are using specific online channels to interact with companies, colleagues, their communities and even political campaigns.
“Your market is composed of normal, breathing people who like to commune over ideas and be listened to,” says Jill Foster, a social media teacher and practitioner in Washington, D.C., with Twitter and Utterli microblog accounts and a blog in her name. “Social media offers an opportunity to participate and listen with others before you even think about pushing your product.”
Naslund agrees, adding that, “it’s important to understand the fundamental why of social media, which is the conversation.”
Joining the conversation
So how can you join the conversation without getting overwhelmed? Here are three tools to help you get started:
- Google Alerts. You can set up an account in about 15 minutes with your company’s name and a couple of key terms that matter to you and your clients. When something comes up online, Google will generate an e-mail notification. Even if your brand isn’t getting a lot of traction, you are likely to learn what people are saying about your competitors and your clients.
- RSS Feeds. You can set up a subscription feed for many sites with one click of your mouse. As new content is posted to a site, it will be sent directly to your inbox or RSS reader. Instead of getting a lot of e-mails from different blogs, I use Google Reader to aggregate the feeds from many sites into a single location. And RSS isn’t just for blogs—you can also set up a feed for your favorite op-ed writer, to keep up with breaking news, or to get sports scores. Naslund recommends starting with e-mail feeds for about a half-dozen industry-related blogs as a way to begin to get comfortable with this communication channel.
- Twitter Search. From Twitter’s search feature, you can type in one or two key words and find a lot of information about who’s microblogging about you and/or your clients.
Plus check out Twittervision, a mashup of Twitter and Google maps that lets you read random tweets, in real time, from across the globe. No, it’s not a business tool—but it is a graphic representation of how interconnected we have become.
Social media is here to stay, so it’s time to listen, learn and leverage it. At the most fundamental level, social media tools can provide you with a glimpse into the global conversation about your brand and reputation, your clients’ brands and reputations, and your industry. Just as you should review a company’s web site and public information before meeting with prospective clients, you should also listen to what its stakeholders are saying about the company. You just might find something they didn’t know. Talk about leveraging social media for business value.
Social media is also a great way to learn about best practices from smart, motivated people who are sharing their experiences about what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what new ideas are on the horizon. It’s important to know what the thought leaders in your profession are thinking, saying and doing. Once upon a time, that meant reading a few magazines each week or month; now it could mean sifting through dozens or even hundreds of blogs and blog posts. I regularly read over 30 blogs that focus on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, social media, marketing, branding, public relations, and other business and communication topics. And my blog list is continually growing.
In addition, lots of people blog from conferences, so you can keep up-to-date on the latest developments without leaving the comfort of your office. This is a great asset for independents, who often have little or no budget for conference registration fees and travel expenses. Many bloggers also post interviews with conference speakers and copies of their own presentations. I’ve bookmarked Steve Rubel’s Micro Persuasion post on the “All Social Media Is Local” webinar so I can go back and watch it later.
Finally, it’s important to remember that social media is a catchphrase for what Wikipedia terms “Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.” While there’s a big discussion going on in the blogosphere about what social media does and does not entail, the details are less important than the act of participating. As Nike says, Just Do It. Before you know it, your brand visibility will increase and you’ll be a part of the conversation rather than just sitting on the sidelines and watching as your competitors gain the upper hand.
Daria Steigman runs Steigman Communications LLC, and advises clients on business and communication strategy and public affairs. She also blogs about business and entrepreneurship on her Independent Thinking Blog. She can be reached at +1 202.244.7651 or
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