Don't Become a "Walking Dead" Brand: Listen, Acknowledge, Demonstrate

The more I look at corporate social media (or conversational marketing) efforts (to use an umbrella term(s)), the more I think three things must happen: listen, acknowledge, demonstrate.

First: A company must listen to what its customers are saying.  Whether that is within a branded social network constructed by the company itself or among the forest of social media tools that currently exists, it is a foundational skill.

Second: The listeners at the company should acknowledge what they hear.  They can do this through engaging with the conversations via their own tools (blog, website, etc.) or by participating in the blogs, communities etc. where the conversations are taking place.  It may be as simple as a "thank you for your advice".

Third:  Companies must demonstrate that they have heard what their customers are saying.  This means making changes to their practices, products and/or services if they need to.  If you have introduced a new product based on customer advice, let them know!  If you have changed the way your call center works, communicate this.  And so on.

Many companies are already doing the first, and a growing number the second.  I think a bare handful are doing the third.  We have to beware here of a crisis of expectations.  Once companies acknowledge they are listening, I think the clock has started ticking on a deadline: the proof that they did indeed, listen, is expected.  If you don't demonstrate, you will destroy the goodwill you have so painstakingly created.

I twittered this quote from Heraclitus today, and am repeating here for your reading pleasure: "Those unmindful when they hear, for all they make of their intelligence, may be regarded as the walking dead."

Update 2/21: Here is a good example of what I am talking about from the point of view of a community manager. Hat tip: Jeremiah Owyang.

Comments

[Ben Matthews]

Hi Elizabeth,

Facebook must be the prime example of implementing the third point - whenever privacy issues are raised or, as recently, it proved difficult to delete your account, they listen to their users, communciate with them, and then implement what they say they would.

I think this also expands to companies lsitening to their customers on Facebook - HSBC was forced to change their student banking policies in the UK after pressure from Facebook users, for example.

And thanks for the Heraclitus quote - I'll remember it as I go through my day!

[Amy Chandler]

This is great advice for organizations participating in social media. So many want to focus solely on the messages that they're sending out or stay behind the scenes as invisible bystanders, and they forget the important role of social media as two-way communication.

[Mike Bawden]

Elizabeth,

Thanks for this. I've seen so much recently on social media and it all starts to sound the same. I'm glad someone was able to write down some simple steps for clients to follow when it comes to getting into this area.

Do you think there's possibly a fourth step, though? It's one thing to listen, acknowledge and then act - but shouldn't a company close the feedback loop by telling people how they've acted and why? Reinforcement by inference is always risky. If a company wants to be seen as responsive, even if it chooses NOT to change, it should communicate its decision, shouldn't it?

I'd be interested in your thoughts on this.

Thanks again,

Mike Bawden
Brand Central Station

[Elizabeth Albrycht]

Mike - Demonstrate is exactly what your proposed fourth step is. It combines action and reporting on it. Perhaps it would be better to separate them out, but the thought was there!

Elizabeth