It is impossible to be on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere these days and not hear about social media and what you “should” be doing, and how you “should” be setting it up. Major companies have even gone away from pushing customers to their website (side note: dangerous!) but sending them instead to Facebook or Yelp!.
It always strikes me though, so many people are still missing the point. Social media is a tool. It is a tool that helps you listen. The best companies – the ones doing it right, the ones being successful - it isn’t because they have the right strategy, or they hired the right consultant. The companies who are doing it well are the ones who are using social media to listen – And that is one of the oldest marketing tools in the book. *earth shattering right?*
Right on. Deflecting people from your website to a facebook page, etc sound like a suicide move.
On the listening side, I don’t think many businesses / orgs see it that way. Every apartment complex and dry cleaner in Tulsa has a sign out begging for us to follow their fan page. I think they are banking on pushing coupons, offers and incentives our way once we like them. I think that you’re right that they (we) ought to use those tools as a listening device.
Thanks for the comment. I struggled with this at a previous spot. There is a prevailing mind set that “we” (whoever setting up the plan) KNOW what “they” (the people who really want to be spammed by the drycleaner) want to see. I have seen a lot of plans, and very few start with “what would our customers want?”.