Reading Reactions #1

Some thoughts and observations on reading assignments until now (ref: Groundswell: by Charlene Li, Josh Bernoff - Harvard Business Press (2008)

The book's first story about Digg and the HD-DVD code holds many lessons for us regarding the Internet and who holds the power regarding so many facets of life in today's inter-connected world:

Lesson 1: The best way to ensure that a secret code is made public to all is to fight to keep it secret.
Lesson 2: There’s not much companies and industry can do to squelch the mobs of messages out on the internet (which is food for thought regarding conspiracy theories and supposed government cover-ups)
Lesson 3: Harnessing the power of the internet would be like lassoing a tornado - pretty well impossible. The only harnessing you can do is to try to ride the wave and use its force to serve your purposes.
Lesson 4: Put in the words on page 13, if you can’t beat ‘em...

The internet is a vast sharing phenomenon. Sharing ideas, pictures, private details and yes - information that some people would rather not have revealed. The mentality is one of open sharing and making useful contributions. Open source software, for example, allows people to use software for free and contribute to make it better, if they can. Contributing to the internet reflects a mentality of generosity, of exchanges. Everything that you put on it should be done in that vein of benevolence. At least, ideally.

The book mentions the martial art Jujitsu, which trains you to use your opponent’s power to your advantage. Hmmmm. Is this trickery or something new??

The Social Technographics profile is represented by a ladder which shows a natural progression of internet participation. OK, so now I’m confused. I seem to have jumped from a joiner, since I use FB, LinkedIn, Viadeo for example, to a Creator, since I have a few blogs, plus manage a FB group. Actually, I guess I’m now a critic, too, since I comment on classmates’ blogs, so just missing the collector step. But wait, I have tagged FB pictures, so maybe that counts. Had no idea I was wearing so many hats and am such a proficient member of the www.

And I love my new identity as an Alpha Mom - gotta get a t-shirt made for that! Maybe I’ll design one and sell it on the internet. Sounds very cool - superhero style. But we AlphaMoms knew that already…

We can work with the web’s power by first determining various profiles and meeting people where they live. It’s not about creating your own SN arena independent from all others, but to have a presence wherever the opportunities lie. Piggyback onto select existing entities, like Eons and Gather for marketing to older folks.

Exploit the differences between groups of people, if it serves your cause. And if you’re a huge company like Wal-Mart, you can’t water down the message to serve all of your customers, but rather you gotta be everywhere - bold, wise and tough, as the song goes. As opposed to traditional print and broadcast advertising, which can allow for regional differences within the US, the internet needs to offer a broader perspective geographically, but a narrower one demographically. And a very useful comment from the book on p. 62: « find the levers that you can pull to get your customers and employees to participate with you [to accomplish a business goal] ».

Part Two: Ze nitty gritty
As with everything in communication, it’s the objective and the audience that are your two primary focus points. Don’t jump on the internet bandwagon because it’s the next new thing; do it because you are convinced it will bring something to your company in a very specific way. Then find the way that will lead you to the result you are seeking.

To help you determine that objective, start with People. What are they talking about? What do they want? What are they ready for?

How do we get to that point? Listen to them and respond to them. Start small, open communication between you and your customers and get them to communicate the message to others, thanks to their enthusiasm for your product and the connection they feel to your company. Customer loyalty, I believe it’s called.

Some ways to avoid failure: try to anticipate backfire effects - you don’t want the SM platform to become a vehicle for customers to badmouth your company. And don’t get in over your head, which is why you need to start small, evaluate every six months, change strategy if necessary and then forge ahead.

Case in Point: Chapter 5 related a cancer patient’s reactions to his treatment, which were very moving to me. I would like to draw a parallel with the internet and how personal stories are what we all seek, rather than statistics and theory. And I love the passage on p. 80 « these [customer] surveys will never tell you what you didn’t think to ask » Listening to bloggers, etc. speaking about your company will teach you much more than you could imagine and much more than you could pay for. Monitoring the web is a priceless resource.

Along the same lines is the entry from Tracey D who regards her own doctor’s advice/opinion as gospel, compared to all the faceless, impersonal information she might find on the internet. Completely understandable when you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. This leads to realizing that doctors are a cancer treatment center’s best friend. The same goes for kidney dialysis centers, and other logical connectors beyond the medical field.

When you monitor the groundswell, you can often find that as online promoter activity goes up, so do sales. So get out there, find who’s talking about you, cultivate them, energize them and hang on for the ride! If you’re lucky, they just may put you in the driver’s seat.

Wanna see an iPhone in a blender? Check it out. Then read the book or comment here to discuss why this is such a brilliant way to sell blenders.

Every form of communication you post should encourage your followers/targets to comment on it and create a positive relationship - with you or with other followers/targets. Don’t be afraid of joining « renegade » groups. You can befriend them as well.

And when renegade groups say negative things about you - or if your competitors do - do not remain silent! You must address the comments, stand up to them. Silence does not translate as dignity but rather leaves doubt in the minds of internauts. Open up, explain things as you would to a friend or family member. Be honest - even when bad things happen. Don’t cover up.

The Proctor and Gamble SM www.beingagirl.com is another great example. Use a broader net (here the subject of growing up) to capture girls and then bring them in more closely to discuss more intimate subjects. The free samples for followers is also a great approach. Again, we are ensuring customer loyalty by allowing girls to belong to a group and give them special privileges as a part of that group.