December 2009 | Volume 12 / Number 12
Viewpoint: Voice of the Customer
The Evolution of Social Networking: Are You Ready?Everyone knows of some “stars” in social networking and building communities, like Dell (News - Alert)’s Ideastorm, or Frank Eliason, Comcast’s tweeting customer service manager. But the reality is that most companies are approaching social networking with extreme caution, if at all. Not surprisingly, while many companies have no presence on Facebook (News - Alert) or Twitter, they have hate groups on the sites. The rise of social networks creates an arena where consumers talk to each other before they talk to us. It’s word of mouth that will lead them to our products or services. As a result, the validity of our brand is in the hands of the community. Only when consumers trust what they hear in the community will they extend that trust to us. Companies must anticipate the evolution of social networks as they transform from a place to connect with old friends to communities of interest that influence lifestyle and product choices, to an inevitable progression to public marketplaces. Where do you start?
Involvement with social networking takes planning and resource commitment. Most organizations may not see immediate benefits, but I believe there are long-term returns in the form of both customer loyalty and sales for visionaries who are able to adapt to this future marketplace. IT Elaine Cascio is a vice president at Vanguard Communications Corp. (www.vanguard.net) , a consulting firm specializing in customer experience, contact center processes, operations and technology. Today @ TMC
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