Every now and then we all get a lesson in business. It's usually through failure of some sort. These lessons may hurt a little more, but they're usually that much more clear. I recently had one of these lessons. And I was appropriately humbled.
It actually wasn't a big mistake at all. In fact, many might not even recognize it.
But I pride myself on focusing on the needs of others and ensuring that they succeed with social media marketing. And in this instance, in my opinion, I failed.
Fortunately, for both me and the person involved, someone else was there to do what I did not.
As you very likely know by now, I've had some very opinionated comments about Facebook lately. I was mad. I had my "I hate Facebook" blinders on. In worrying about how these changes would affect both me and those I work with, I let my emotions control some of my responses.
Instead of providing objective, helpful advice, I responded like this:
Conversely, when Amanda saw the conversation, she took a helpful, resourceful approach to actually helping Cristin:
As you can see, Amanda quickly offered solutions that immediately improved and impacted this business page owner.
THIS is social listening! This is offering to help someone when they need it. This is what I should have done!
Cristin wasn't specifically asking for help in this conversation. But I should have recognized that there was an opportunity to provide help.
As a side note, Amanda is a great person to follow on social media - you can see her Facebook page address in the Twitter convo above and I recommend you check her out!
I have talked to Amanda and thanked her for reminding me of how we should conduct ourselves in business. I know that her intention was only to help someone in need. And that's what I respect so much about her.
I have this blog and have held numerous conversations with business owners for the sole purpose of educating them and helping them see success with social media marketing. Yet, in this situation, I failed to do what I promise to do.
I'm not being hard on myself nor feeling bad for myself. Instead, I view this as a learning opportunity! It was a reminder that we cannot let emotions and personal choices direct our business advice to clients. Of course, I have this blog and plenty of social media accounts to share my "opinion" but when it comes to helping someone else, it's imperative that I step back and respond with an unbiased, professional recommendation.
If you work in any sort of a business and ever come across these situations on social media, where you can provide advice or assistance, I invite you to respond as Amanda did.
She didn't "sell" herself or push a product. Instead, she reached out and helped someone.
I've often heard of examples of people complaining on Twitter about the hotel their staying in. In these instances, good, socially attuned competitors look for these comments and respond with assistance. They don't say "That sucks. Leave that hotel and check in with us!" Instead, they usually offer condolences and suggest a great place to go for dinner or a massage to unwind after their ordeal.
Social listening isn't to self-promote or push an agenda. It's customer service.
Best of all, social listening can be used in any and all industries!
Do you own a landscape business? Maybe someone is complaining that crab grass is taking over their lawn. Offer them simple tips to treat the issue.
Do you own a parenting blog? Maybe someone is complaining about potty training. Offer a trick that might help them.
The key is not to blast people with your product or website. That's pushy and people don't respond well to that. Instead, it's an opportunity to provide a little extra insight and assistance. Now, if they engage back and ask for your website or Facebook page (like Cristin did above), by all means, share this with them!
If you want to start using social listening effectively, I recommend setting up google alerts for relevant keywords and industry terms. You can also track hashtags with Hootsuite or Tagboard. You can also conduct searches on various social media sites for relevant keywords.
Good social listening can result in new customers or sales but that's part of the "social" relationship associated with social media.
Has social media worked for you? Or have you benefitted from a company that listened to you? I'd love to hear your experience in the comments!
Wow, Jenn. Not only admitting, but SHOWING what happened, shows how big you are. And mature. And professional. I could go on and on … but the bottom line is: many marketers would have bad mouthed Amanda instead of taking the high road and admitting where they failed. Kudos to you for giving a stellar example of how real professionals handle themselves in the social sphere!
Thanks for your kind words Brooke! I’m glad you see it that way 🙂
Jenn,
This a great example of learning from your mistakes and highlighting other professionals. Bravo for using it as a stepping stone.
I found that people take to SM to complain because they want to be heard. Somewhere, somehow, there was a break down in listening and people turn to social media to vent their frustration. What they are looking for is acknowledgement.
“Do you hear me?” ” Do you REALLY hear me?” “Do I matter to you?” Those are the question people are asking. If the answer is “yes”, the next step is to PROVE it. Once you acknowledge the person, then they’ll be more open to accepting your advice.
Prove you are listening. Hear what isn’t being said because that is usually the source of most angst. Address that unspoken problem. It isn’t as esoteric as it sounds. A lot of business page owners are upset about the Facebook changes. So this is an opportunity for SM experts to address three audiences: the ones who want to jump ship; the ones who want to stay; and the ones who are confused as heck about which way to go.
“Social listening” is really about connecting with the person on the other end of the key board. It is a reflection of our listening skills inter-personally offline.
Great lesson!
Well said, Julia! People just want to be heard. And when businesses can be there to actually listen and help, we all win!
Jenn,
First of all thank you so much for your compliments about how I handled this situation and for recognizing my true nature to bring value/help someone.
Secondly, it took me a little wile before I responded, because like you I was in a haze of frustration about Facebook’s recent announcement.
I am honored to be connected to you. I love your work and truly appreciate all that you do for so many!
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Amanda
My pleasure, Amanda! You deserve credit for what you did 🙂
Merry Christmas to you too!
Agreed, but there’s a whole lot you can gather from being able to monitor and listen for on social media. Having the right processes in place i.e. communication plan, etc. it’s an extremely effective way to manage customer service because everything is heading the direction of social. It also gives you the opportunity to adjust your marketing to be more effective, prospect for sales opportunities, get inexpensive market research conducted, etc. Bottom line it’s too valuable for an organization to not listen to!
You are absolutely correct, Dennis. Social listening and strategic communication plans are great for customer service. It is definitely a valuable tactic for all businesses!