We make the internet and websites work for you.

The crowd is wild and unpredictable. It always has been. People have always been unpredictable. Some will love you and become customers. Some will despise you.

But you can’t control them.

And now thanks to social media they have a voice, a voice you can’t control like an ad, direct mail or PR.

And as is argued here in the Harvard Business Review your brand isn’t yours anymore. It’s the customers and you may not like what they do with it.

“Every large organization I’m aware of is highly sensitive about its brand, and few are happy about losing or even sharing control over it. They react to the reality of Web 2.0 era in many ways, but most of them amount to some form of trying to exert or reestablish control. Some move their mass media campaigns online to counteract the outside conversation,” says Andrew McCaffe.

I maintain that large companies, especially here in Australia, aren’t ready yet to let go of control as they should. But for smaller and medium companies, where there are a small number of key players who have a voice, there is an unprecedented opportunity to engage with the crowd.

Already I’m seeing this with chefs, winemaker, brewers and small producers.

There is a few years of opportunity to dive in a surf it, engage in conversations and win new customers and fans.

All you need to know are a few simple rules, the same rules that you may apply if you were socializing at a cocktail party.

1. Don’t hard sell

2. Don’t create social spam

3. Be polite

4. Bite your lip rather than become angry about criticisms

5. Reply to people who engage you in conversation

6. Don’t be static. For instance, on Twitter follow as well as be followed.

7. Link to people

8. Comment on their blogs

9. Don’t do anything anonymous

These rules evolve the whole time and there is no one answer. But these nine points are a start.

{ 0 comments }