“Your brand is whatever your customers say it is. And in the groundswell where they communicate with each other, they decide.”
With little choice and less forewarning, I've been put in charge of social media for my company. Being that said company is based in the UK, and therefore terrified of marketing and frightened of public relations, I figure I'll be OK taking a slow and easy approach to social media, lest they react like so many Lilliputians and tie me up like Gulliver in a Swiftian world. Sometimes their approach makes me think of Phil Hartman playing Cirroc in the classic SNL skit, "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer." "Your world frightens and confuses me!"
But I digress. Having some experience working in the interactive world, I'm up to speed on a number of online marketing techniques, but gaining some more knowledge on social media was a must. I was recommended to "Groundswell: "Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies," one of the definitive books on the subject. Written by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li, the book uses case studies, well-thought-out lists and practical recommendations to help you navigate the harrowing and ever-changing social media path.
Despite the fact that the authors are considered two of the top researchers at Forrester Research, the book was surprisingly readable. They manage to make the transition from the expected tech speak defined by references to metrics, analytics and measurements of all kinds to a conversational, informative, more casual read.
Of course, if you're like me, the first question is, "What is the groundswell?" According to Bernoff and Li, "Simply put, the groundswell is a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other instead of other companies." Part of the book's purpose is to potentially frighten marketers and executives, with troubling language like, " … traditional PR tools [are] as useless as a broadsword against a rain of poison darts.” The authors appeal to every business person out there by noting (correctly, by the way, considering some of the reputation monitoring work I've done), "“No matter what your company does, whom it sells to, or what parts of the world you do business in, people are blogging about your product.”
I had a friend who told me once that the proliferation of blogs was troubling because of the sense of entitlement it provoked, the literary license it provided, the voice it gave to those with little to no education or experience in how to use it. "Not everyone needs a %^#@ing blog," he said. "Some people just don't have anything )^$!ing worthwhile to say." I don't disagree; he made a tremendous point. Unfortunately, such an attitude is akin to pissing in the wind. Our society's sense of entitlement is so ingrained that everyone feels like they are owed something, that they are special, and that people should be listening to them because they can find letters on a keyboard. It is this trait that is part of the root of social media, a fact mildly touched upon by the authors with this gentle thought: “Validation is a powerful driver for social networks, and it’s a huge force driving bloggers. People put themselves out there, and the community reassures them about their place in the world.”
Bernoff and Li discuss "crowdsourcing" ("asking the groundswell to provide you with ideas") and a host of other valid and intriguing techniques, backed by real-world examples. They note the keys to successful groundswell adaptation as listening, having patience, and being flexible, collaborative, humble and opportunistic. Then, and only then, goes their thought process, will the interaction and engagement that drives social media fully click into place.
“ … Remember that conversations require not just listening but responding. It’s not about the big bang; it’s about constant responsiveness, whether in a blog, a community, or a social network … Campaigns begin and end, but conversations go on forever.”
Some (OK, many) aspects of social media are annoying, and others are downright disturbing and still others are just mind-numbing. But they ain't going anywhere, to some folks' chagrin. So what to do except jump into the groundswell and try to make it work for you? No matter how big the pond I have to cross or how wary and unaccepting the limeys are on the other side, that's my task.
So what if I have to step on a few Lilliputians along the way? It's a small (pun intended) price to pay to get where I need to be. I'll Tweetcha when I get there …
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