They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, but the emergence of social media, and brands and consumers engaging in online dialogue is challenging this turn of phrase for a number of simple reasons.
1. People want to engage with brands online
In a recent story by eMarketer, over half of social networking users have become a fan or follower of a brand online. In addition, it seems that on average, users are more to show the love towards brands rather than unleash streams of negativity. “52% of social network users had become a fan or follower of a company or brand, while 46% had said something good about a brand or company on a social networking Website—double the percentage who had said something negative (23%).” Users are looking for and connecting with their favourite brands, and will interact with them through the same sites as the ones they use to chat with friends and family members. I follow my brother on Twitter, but I also follow LoveFilm; the relationship is very different, but the medium and the way the conversation takes place is the same. Extending this comparison, we’re far more likely to give a second chance to a brand that’s engaging with social media than a silent faceless corporation
2. Social media is always evolving
Every week, a new online community or platform is launched which may provide a channel for brands and consumers to interact. While the universal principles of new marketing (transparency, dialogue) will always apply, some of the more nuanced rules and practices come over a period of time as users get to grips with what’s the right and wrong way to use a given site or community. Even taking one particular medium – like message boards or forums – you’ll find a whole subset of practices for any given group of users. This disparity of rules has prompted some to go even further and assert that “there are no rules”
3. The Internet is the natural habitat for second chances
What do the following have in common: Dell, Wispa, MC Hammer, Woolworths? They’ve all made a comeback using the web. Most notably Dell’s transformation from the brand that could do no right, into one of the most switched on and consumer friendly companies is constantly held up as an example for social media marketers worldwide. Initiatives like Ideastorm say to the user “We’re not perfect, we make mistakes, but we’re listening to you”. The same could be said for Starbucks and its recent My Starbucks Idea community, “We know you’ve got ideas” says the site, so let us know what you think.
With this in mind, today, we’re excited to be working with Habitat to relaunch the @HabitatUK twitter feed. The team there are keen to listen and learn more from the engaging with the community in the future, so we’re sharing our experience of what works well on Twitter, as well as responding to the thoughts and questions of followers. We believe it’s better to go for a second chance than to simply avoid social media altogether, so it would be great to hear your comments.
