Page 231 - Social Media Marketing

At this point the pilot came on, explained that we were in fact being delayed, 209
and asked passengers what they wanted to do: The choices offered were either circling
for another hour—the estimated time of delay—or diverting to Milwaukee and spend- ■ ╇ E ngagement as a C ustomer Activity
ing the night there. In a unanimous cry, the plane’s passengers opted to circle for an
hour or more. However, the pilot then continued explaining the choices more com-
pletely: if we diverted, rooms would be provided, etc. and that, oh by the way, we had
less than 45 minutes of fuel remaining. Everyone yelled “Let’s go to Milwaukee!” and
off we went.

What’s important in this somewhat humorous example is that regardless of how
the decision was actually made, the passengers were given the opportunity to partici-
pate, to be included in the process, early on. Imagine how different this would have
been if the pilot had said, “We are on our way to Milwaukee, unless you all want to
risk running out of fuel.” When given all of the information needed to make a decision,
customers are generally a pretty reasonable group. When kept in the dark, when looked
at as a mob to be controlled, predictable challenges arise. No one likes to be told what
to do, and even less so in a dictatorial manner. Yet, that is exactly how too many cus-
tomers are treated. Engagement in a social technology context depends on active par-
ticipation and collaboration, not control.

The point is this: When implementing an engagement strategy on the Social
Web, you will ultimately present yourself (or your brand) as a participant and as such
you will have to participate alongside your customers or constituents. How you par-
ticipate is up to you: It’s not an all-or-nothing thing. Just because a customer demands
it does not in itself mean it has to be delivered. What it does mean is that a response is
needed, and that this response needs to affirm in the minds of your customers or stake-
holders that they have been heard and that their point of view has been considered. If
the request made in a support forum is in-line with the existing community policies—if
the suggestion for a process change made via an ideation or support platform is not
inflammatory or otherwise at odds with the stated Terms of Use that govern everyone’s
conduct within the application—then a response that indicates review, consideration,
and thought is expected in return. This includes the possibility of politely, accurately,
and clearly explaining why a particular request can’t be honored, or at least not in its
present form.

Customers to the Rescue

But wait…it actually gets even better. Other customers are also involved, so if the idea
is crazy on its face, very often the other participants involved will handle the situa-
tion themselves. In the cases of Dell, Starbucks, or India’s Hindustan Times (shown in
Figure€8.2), all of whom use public ideation platforms for assistance and fresh insight
supporting their innovation programs, or Coke’s Department of Fannovation program,
participants vote up and down on various ideas. Product and marketing managers can