Brand Management in the Age of Social Media
That a company might not have direct control over its own brand is rather startling to most, and with good reason. Advertisements in the form of print ads, radio spots or television commercials were for years the way of communicating a company’s message to the public, and it was all one-way. “This is what our company is about this year, because we say so.”
If the viewing audience had a problem with that, they might tell one another around the water cooler at work, but they weren’t likely to start up a printing press or buy their own television air time to share their personal nay-saying.
And then, there was Social Media
Social media is the greatest revolution in communications for one reason: It has given everyone in the world the ability to communicate with everyone else in the world. No longer constrained by cost or practical access to mass media, now anyone with an e-mail address and an opinion can go on Twitter or Yelp or Facebook and give that water cooler conversation immense power.
Unlike traditional media, however, the statement does not even need to be correct. NPR did a story on the restaurant and shop review site Yelp.com this week, citing one review for a restaurant that was scathingly negative. The main complaint being that the restaurant in question did not accept their coupon. When the restaurant owner was contacted for the story, she said, “but… we don’t have any coupons.”
Taking back your brand
To just say, “you do not own your brand” is a bit pessimistic. It sounds vaguely like pirates pulled up alongside and boarded your marketing department. While it is true that you no longer have absolute control of how your image is displayed in the public square, this doesn’t mean you are powerless either.
The process of brand management through social media involves three steps: Listening, Reacting, and Engaging.
Listen - We listen to all conversations relating to your industry generally, and your company specifically. This is important because even if people are not necessarily talking about you, their opinions of your industry may be the real problem, or perhaps there’s some news story creating a misconception about what it is that you do. It could be as simple as a customer thinking you didn’t accept their coupon when you don’t have any. It could be incorrect rumors that your company is failing. You can only know if you listen for what is being said.
React – Once you know what is being said about you, you can form a response. For the positive comments, this is fairly simple: “Thanks for the good word!” “Nice to know you’re enjoying it!” etc. The negative or untrue comments get a bit trickier, of course. These need to be addressed quickly, lest they grow out of control. Since stories can circulate so quickly on line, this doesn’t take much time.
Engage – Finally, knowing the lay of the land, you can start to engage the public yourself. Unlike just reacting, where what you say is dictated by the comment that came before you and made you say something, engaging is starting the conversation off yourself. You could be promoting some new service, or asking people what they think of a product you’re creating.
Social media has given your customers the power to speak out against you if they so choose – and with a voice that booms. However, it is also a great leveler. In the example above of the restaurant on Yelp, their one explanation would be enough for any rational person to see the reviewer’s complaint had little merit. It’s all a matter of knowing how to communicate with the people using social networks, and understanding how they read what they read.
About the Author: Eric Reid
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