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Reach Out and Engage Someone

So far we have talked about listening and hearing, beginning to join the conversation and the need to mix old school and new communication tools in a communication plan. Today, the focus is on engaging customers, potential customers through social media. In today’s web world, customer service occurs in real time. And, you can’t afford to be slow with it.

There are so many ways you can generate interest and excitement about your product or service by involving customers and stakeholders in the conversations, it’s hard to know where to start.

• Ask for input on Twitter or Facebook by creating a something easy like a simple poll or even a full-on survey. Ask customers to vote on a new flavor or name for a new product.
• Food and recipe sites have it made when they ask for favorite ways to use their product.

Be sure to respond to all the questions you receive in social media. Customers are watching for responses when they see questions. Slow or no response can quickly turn an innocent question into a crisis.

Speaking of crisis, they can take on a very quick life of their own in social media as messages spread at the speed of light. My advice to clients when it comes to social media crises is three pronged:

• Reflect — try to hear what the person is saying with an open mind and from his/her side. What changes might you be able to address in a response.
• Respond — always respond. It shows your community that you are listening and hearing what customers are saying. Then, try to take the conversation away from social media channels for final resolution.
• Recover — see if you can bring the communication back into a social media channel. Customers who are care for quickly and listened to often become new allies. They might even post a public thank you.

Customers and supporters like to feel they are part of decisions online. They like to know you care about them and that their opinions matter. And, they want you to be able to help and answer them almost any time of the day…or night. Staffing to provide that kind of responsiveness is another social media challenge for organizations.

What are your favorite ways to engage customers and supporters? Are their tools you use to make sure you’re being responsive?

Rest of the series:

Part 1: Listening (And Hearing) Crucial In Communication Plans

Part 2: Now That You Know What’s Being Said, Join the Conversation

Part 3: Successful PR Plans are a balance new and old tools and tactics

Now That You Know What’s Being Said, Join the Conversation

I hope you read part one of my series on setting up listening posts. Now that your feet are wet and you’re listening to what people are saying, it’s time to join the conversation.

Start with a blog or online community tied to something personal like an activity or hobby you enjoy.  Choose something that’s not terribly controversial but gives you a feel for, and thatincreases your comfort level with, commenting in public.

Instead, seek out another person, organization or company writing about what they know…like this blog. You can leave me a comment or a question and we’ll start a conversation. Bloggers write about topics they care about for audiences who enjoy their content. You can search for blogs on topics you care about through any search engine.

As a point of clarification, when I talk about a blog, it’s not a news outlet’s website. Comments on news stories are just that…comments on news stories. Today, many journalists also have blogs based on their personal interests (Rebecca Palsha’s alaskabites.com) or a group of reporters around the beats they cover (NY Times’ political blog).

While you’re still finding your way, create a personal twitter account. Tweet about a local restaurant you enjoy, a play you saw and enjoyed, a book you’re reading, or a place you like to shop. Something that’s not controversial but invites comments. Find followers tweeting things you find interesting and “retweet” it. It’s a safe way to get started and learn what people are tweeting. More Twitter tips.

Also, try commenting on a friend’s Facebook page, or ask your friends for input on an issue you care about. Just choose which tool is more comfortable for you, and then gradually expand.

Once you get the hang of engaging people on a personal level, you just need to translate to your business. Apply the same rules and you’re off to the races.

Next week I’ll address meshing today’s social tools with traditional communications tactics. In today’s world, we definitely need both. I’ll also discuss what’s often the most critical component in communications plans today…engagement.

And, don’t forget to keep listening, even while you’re joining the conversation.

Part 1:   Listening (And Hearing) Crucial In Communication Plans

Part 3: Successful PR Plans are a balance new and old tools and tactics

Part 4:  Reach Out and Engage Someone 

Why We Should Care About the Decline in Traditional Journalism

Friday the Anchorage Daily News announced they would be laying off more staff, something we seem to read about daily from newspapers around the country. At the same time, radio and television news crews are also crunched for staff. A recent Harris Poll reported just “two in five Americans read a newspaper almost every day.” Many of you may be saying, yeah, yeah, why would I?

A confession: I still take the daily paper. My husband and I (he more than me) want to touch the paper. We like drinking our coffee and turning the pages. It’s what we’ve done for many years and our parents did as well.  Okay, we’re also baby boomers.

Today many of us get our news from 140 characters and not even the1-2 minute sound bites of television news. But what we’re not getting there is the real story, the in depth analysis that causes us to think, question and wonder. In today’s news environment, Woodward and Bernstein would never have been able to report on Watergate; Julia O’Malley (Anchorage Daily News columnist who’s terrific) would not have been able to share with so many the heart-wrenching story of a soldier injured in the Middle East and many in-depth examinations of what’s happening in our world.

Blogs and other online communiqué are replacing traditional journalists one by one. As one of those bloggers, realizing I am new one, I believe we have an obligation to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (yes…so help me God). We need to take a few minutes to make sure what we’re saying is accurate and forthright.

In the traditional media world, there are checks and balances that (most of the time) make sure that happens. As a blogger though, I’m pretty sure most of us don’t have editors looking over our shoulders to question what we’re writing and make sure it’s true, accurate and complete.

How do you balance the need to be first against the need to be correct? Have you missed being first but then found your story, just a day later, is more accurate and thorough? How have you handled the situation if you see something you think it inaccurate?