Comments on: Social media lets you listen to your customers http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/ 21st Century communications Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:11:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: ruthseeley http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-99 ruthseeley Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:50:04 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-99 Hey Jonathon. I think we can arrange the top hat, the cigar and the monocle. I could even throw in a white silk scarf if you can afford to rent the tux. Not sure about the $4.61 billion though. Yes, how to get folks to talk about you in a good way - that's the challenge. They don't call it outreach for nothing, though. Social media embodies for me so many of the things I love about community and stakeholder communications - talking to a whole bunch of different people, being out there on the ground meeting and greeting and listening to what people have to say, dining on little nibbly sandwiches and veggies and dip put together by the women's auxiliary, making sure people get the information they need - I like it. Hey Jonathon. I think we can arrange the top hat, the cigar and the monocle. I could even throw in a white silk scarf if you can afford to rent the tux. Not sure about the $4.61 billion though.

Yes, how to get folks to talk about you in a good way – that’s the challenge. They don’t call it outreach for nothing, though. Social media embodies for me so many of the things I love about community and stakeholder communications – talking to a whole bunch of different people, being out there on the ground meeting and greeting and listening to what people have to say, dining on little nibbly sandwiches and veggies and dip put together by the women’s auxiliary, making sure people get the information they need – I like it.

]]> By: Jonathon Narvey http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-98 Jonathon Narvey Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:23:14 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-98 "Imagine having revenues of $4.61 billion, let alone that kind of money to spend on advertising..." I'm imagining it right now. Kind of feel like I should be lighting up a cigar while wearing a tophat and monocle. I like your reminder towards the end about the power of word of mouth in addition to social media. I've found that old-fashioned word of mouth still works wonders for marketing. “Imagine having revenues of $4.61 billion, let alone that kind of money to spend on advertising…”

I’m imagining it right now. Kind of feel like I should be lighting up a cigar while wearing a tophat and monocle.

I like your reminder towards the end about the power of word of mouth in addition to social media. I’ve found that old-fashioned word of mouth still works wonders for marketing.

]]> By: ruthseeley http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-96 ruthseeley Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:25:14 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-96 Now the approach you outline makes sense. Thanks for stopping by. Now the approach you outline makes sense. Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Jenni Beattie http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-95 Jenni Beattie Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:23:08 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-95 Ruth Great post. Agree that marketing is changing and becoming even more consumer centric. Listening as you mentioned is the first step to getting a connection with your customers. However, I dont believe it is an either/or approach - market research still has validity to getting closer to your customers. I believe the ideal scenario is to: 1. Listen to consumers in blogosphere/web 2. Develop hypothesis around the 'unsolicited' findings 3. Test hypothesis ( and key themes) with appropriate, relevant demographic through market research means (albiet more web 2.0 aligned) Both unsolicited and solicited consumer information serve different purposes and together can be very powerful. Cheers. Ruth

Great post. Agree that marketing is changing and becoming even more consumer centric. Listening as you mentioned is the first step to getting a connection with your customers.
However, I dont believe it is an either/or approach – market research still has validity to getting closer to your customers.

I believe the ideal scenario is to:

1. Listen to consumers in blogosphere/web
2. Develop hypothesis around the ‘unsolicited’ findings
3. Test hypothesis ( and key themes) with appropriate, relevant demographic through market research means (albiet more web 2.0 aligned)

Both unsolicited and solicited consumer information serve different purposes and together can be very powerful.

Cheers.

]]> By: ruthseeley http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-94 ruthseeley Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:40:50 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-94 Thanks, James - as you can see, I managed to edit your comment at your request so it was addressed to me, not Nick. Thinks she might be dangerous now that she knows comments can be edited. Slaps self and says, ethics! Thanks, James – as you can see, I managed to edit your comment at your request so it was addressed to me, not Nick. Thinks she might be dangerous now that she knows comments can be edited. Slaps self and says, ethics!

]]> By: James Dickey http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-93 James Dickey Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:15:33 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-93 Ruth - Nice extrapolation from the presentation and article. It's the same point that Andy Sernovitz makes in Word of Mouth Marketing: People have discussed products and services for years. Smart marketers enable that conversation. The ones willing and able to do that are those with a great product. The powerful takeaway (and the effective social media sales approach) is that those executives unwilling to support this type of marketing must not actually have confidence in their product or service. "Of course that can't be the case for *you*," the PR person says, pausing... Again, thanks for taking the conversation to the next step. Ruth -
Nice extrapolation from the presentation and article.

It’s the same point that Andy Sernovitz makes in Word of Mouth Marketing:

People have discussed products and services for years.
Smart marketers enable that conversation. The ones willing and able to do that are those with a great product.

The powerful takeaway (and the effective social media sales approach) is that those executives unwilling to support this type of marketing must not actually have confidence in their product or service. “Of course that can’t be the case for *you*,” the PR person says, pausing…

Again, thanks for taking the conversation to the next step.

]]> By: ruthseeley http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-90 ruthseeley Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:57:45 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-90 Hello, Nickster! The world of 'moving units' is a bit foreign to me, I'll confess, since what I do is infinitely customizable and it's not about volume. But the large corporations that are soon going to cease to exist because they're convinced they can create markets for totally useless items like cheese in a can that dispenses like shaving foam had better smarten up. Change is inevitable - the sooner you accept that, the happier (and the saner) you'll be. ;) Hello, Nickster! The world of ‘moving units’ is a bit foreign to me, I’ll confess, since what I do is infinitely customizable and it’s not about volume. But the large corporations that are soon going to cease to exist because they’re convinced they can create markets for totally useless items like cheese in a can that dispenses like shaving foam had better smarten up. Change is inevitable – the sooner you accept that, the happier (and the saner) you’ll be. ;)

]]> By: Nick McGivney http://nospinpr.com/2009/01/30/social-media-lets-you-listen-to-your-customers/#comment-89 Nick McGivney Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:44:54 +0000 http://nospinpr.com/?p=271#comment-89 Yes, yes and yes. But engagement at this level is truly terrifying for most clients. The prospect of stuff coming back directly - oftentimes unsolicited stuff for heaven's sake - well, it's just not Sears and Roebuck, is it? The choice is limited however, and the limits impand (my new invention: opposite of expand, see?) with each passing month. But listening and understanding will have to be nurtured, and the ones who do it best will pull ahead, I think. Yes, yes and yes. But engagement at this level is truly terrifying for most clients. The prospect of stuff coming back directly – oftentimes unsolicited stuff for heaven’s sake – well, it’s just not Sears and Roebuck, is it? The choice is limited however, and the limits impand (my new invention: opposite of expand, see?) with each passing month. But listening and understanding will have to be nurtured, and the ones who do it best will pull ahead, I think.

]]>