This is our last Book Chat. Please submit your answers by Thursday, December 6th.
As our book draws to a close, I think that Mr. Sernovitz gets down to some very simple and practical ideas. Not that the rest of the book was complex and difficult, but he drives at some core principles that will make all the other ideas doable.
1. Participate in the Conversation--I have always that customer service is as much or more important than everything else we do in a business. I can wholeheartedly endorse, then, the idea that "Word of mouth is as much about customer service as it is about marketing." What businesses can you identify that lives out this theme? There actions are driven by a customer orientation and the other factors fall into place?
2. We've spent A LOT of time this semester discussing how important the write voice, tone, professionalism, know-how, etc. are all important to the organization's social media premise. What do you think of the idea that the people with the most enthusiasm for the brand, whatever their role in the company, should be the ones in charge of WOM?
3. How do you think most marketing/PR/legal/executive management types would feel about social media being handled by the most enthusiastic people?
2. I think that the person in charge of social media for a brand or company needs to be consistent and creative, as well as having a certain degree of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm will help get people to start talking about your brand, which is the whole purpose of social media. However, I don't think that enthusiasm is the only element that needs to be looked at when finding the appropriate individual to do the social media for your brand/business.
ReplyDelete3. I feel like it would depend on the type of company they are the CEO of. For example, for Target they might be a little bit more accepting of someone who is enthusiastic to handle their social media, because Target is a fun store and is very involved with social media. Whereas, I don't think the Navy would want someone overly enthusiastic running their social media. The Navy's social media seems to be more professional and informational, whereas Target's social media is more fun and upbeat.
1. I believe that good customer service is more important then nearly all other aspects of the business. Good customer service gets people talking about your brand, and people talking about your brand is word of mouth marketing- another extremely important aspect of business. I think a company that has great customer service is Nordstroms. I know I have used them in countless examples throughout the semester but I really think they get it. I am always happy when I shop from them and any time I have ever had any issues they are dealt with in an extremely timely manner. I usually order online from Nordstroms 3 or so times a month so I am a pretty frequent shopper with them. The other day I ordered a pair of shoes and they hadnt even shipped when the expected delivery date rolled around so I went to their website and chatted a customer service agent. He was very nice and helpful and within minutes after exiting the chat I had received an email saying my item had shipped and would be delivered by the end of the next day. That impressed me, it made me talk!
ReplyDelete3. I think its hard for any tradtional businessperson to buy in to new ideas especially those ideas of someone lower on the totem pole. But I also think most traditional business people dont know a lot about social media so in turn they aren't all that enthusiastic about it. Enthusiasm is important when promoting a brand, its a lot easier to buy into what someone is telling you when their excited about it then when they dont seem that into it themselves. I think executives need to trust their employees and let them take the reins- in the end it will probably help out their company tremendously!
3. As a PR major, I am not totally sure about the idea. But as a Social Media Marketing Minor, I love the idea! I do feel that the “straight” PR, Marketing types are not totally fond of the idea because what if the most enthusiastic person is someone that has no marketing experience or knowledge. It is not rocket science by any means but by PR side I would feel more comfortable with someone who went to school for marketing having control of WOM. Overall, after everything I have read in this is book, I think it could really be beneficial if the most enthusiastic person were to run WOM. They don’t have to do it alone, the PR and marketing “professional” could help in a conjoined effort.
ReplyDelete2. I currently work at a place where a lot of (I use this term loosely) “older” folks are in charge. They are very stuck in their ways and it takes a lot of convincing to get them to try something new. Now that I am an intern and making suggestions and bringing social media to the table, it’s slowly becoming more accepted and looked at in a serious light. I think it depends on the leaders you have in place, their thoughts and feelings about social media and what type of company you are running in order for the WOM to be handled just by the most enthusiastic person. I would say the majority would feel uneasy about doing that.
1. One "company" that comes to mind when I think of this idea is actually Bradley University Dining Services. During the course of this semester, they have responded really well to customer feedback, especially through social media. I was really happy to hear back from them on various issues and to see things changed when asked. I also think they did a better job of providing information than in the past.
ReplyDelete2. I think there needs to be a balance between enthusiasm and knowledge. It is very important to make sure social media usage is sincere and captivating, yet it is also important that the right message is ultimately being conveyed. Even if they were able to gather an audience, I wouldn't let someone run a social media campaign if I didn't think they understood the goals/objectives of our organization.
1. The first company that comes to mind is actually the one that I currently work out. At Pier One Imports, we are taught to give the customer an adventure for their experience as they walk through out their store. We are to treat them with the highest respect and in return they keep on coming back because of it. Sure we have commercials that are on the air and have online websites, but the word of mouth about Pier One has spread initially because of the service we give them in the retail stores.
ReplyDelete2. We have been talking about social media through out this class acknowledging that its a phenomena that is trying to be figured out and tested so it can be used the best way possible. Initially it starts with how people view social media, and what can do for their company. I would say that someone with enthusiasm can be a great fit for social media, keeping it creative and lively, but at the same time that person must understand His/Her boundaries within the field and make sure it is professional at the same time. Sure you want someone to be excited to talk to people about your product, but like others have already said in this chat, the social media has to fit in with the company's goals and objectives. So all in all, I think those who are enthusiastic about the company can help a great deal in the social media realm, but make sure they have the proper training and understand that they are being the spokesperson for the company in a matter of speaking every post they make to a customer.