An article by Rory Capern in the Globe and Mail on February 22 this year gave food for thought on how business leaders are dealing with the rapid changes in how to communicate with their customers. “Canadian Executives need to get aboard the Digital Train”. https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-globe-and-mail-bc-edition/20170222/283111363755947
Capern is the Managing Director of Twitter Canada, so the article is clearly Twitter focused. But the overall premise is very relevant.
From my interaction with Canadian business leaders, I would agree there is lingering hesitation to invest in a solid integrated Digital Social Media strategy. Don’t get me wrong, there is a high level of awareness of the importance of social media. However, the fear of the unknown and the implicit exposure seems to outweigh the benefits of this important communication channel. This results in keeping business leaders from charging forward with a fully integrated social media plan. Admittedly, social media is in the control of the consumers, a hard pill to swallow, and requires business leaders to take on a new, more responsive position in communicating with consumers.
As Capern points out, the media cycle is now super accelerated and in real time. Consumers of a company’s products/services have raised the bar on how they expect a company to respond to social media posts. The consumer’s voice has never been stronger or louder – making it much harder to generate and sustain brand loyalty.
It is imperative for business leaders to be mindfully aware of this change in communicating and adapt messages to be more responsive in their positioning with consumers. How you choose to respond on the digital side will help differentiate and strengthen your brand’s products/service offerings with consumers.
Capern gives four tips to optimize your customers’ twitter experience; humanize content, use less corporate speak, share important content daily, connect with peers and employees.
I believe it all rests on one key point – TRUST – building your customers’ trust in your business product/service brand offering.
Social media can be the golden ticket to trust.
To optimize and cultivate trust you need what I like to call authentic speak. To me authentic speak is the humanization of your digital presence. The voice of your brand. It is the tone, words, and images you use to respond to a post, comment, or tweet. It is showing the ability to listen and hear what the customer is saying. It’s establishing the leadership positing to “own it” – the good and the bad. To admit when there has been a mistake. Being the solution provider.
Social media allows business leaders to gain much learning and understanding of how customers’ perceive and interact with your brand. Social media provides an opportunity to connect with them through emotion. Being transparent and supportive. Responsive vs reactionary.
Consumers tend to get “flamey” on social media when business leaders don’t hear or belittle their concerns. (Especially when the response is canned.)
I believe that business leaders are very open to this new way of communicating and engaging with customers, but they too need to have trust in their social media digital strategy, have the right people in place and trust they are engaging in a respectful and impactful way!
By Karen Anderson
Digital Marketing
Visit osborne-group.com for other ideas and opinions from our Principals on a range of topics. Their views are their own and do not necessarily represent The Osborne Group’s perspective. The Osborne Group provides interim executive management, consulting and project support across all sectors and over a broad scope of service areas.
