SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




 
tmc logo
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?

  1. If you haven’t already, register on social networking site(s) in order to build your identity and reinforce your brand.
  2. Next, move to creating value through useful information, links to resources of interest, sharing research, consumer tips and other data that will enhance your brand and the feeling of community among your friends and followers.
  3. Now it’s time to open up – “co-create” with your customers. It’s one of the best ways to get customers engaged and supportive of new initiatives or services or to reinvigorate a product.
  4. That leads right into the power to influence decisions, now that you’ve got the brand strength and the credibility of customer collaboration behind you.




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.

» Internet Telephony Magazine Table of Contents



Today @ TMC
Upcoming Events
ITEXPO West 2012
October 2- 5, 2012
The Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas
MSPWorld
The World's Premier Managed Services and Cloud Computing Event
Click for Dates and Locations
Mobility Tech Conference & Expo
October 3- 5, 2012
The Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas
Cloud Communications Summit
October 3- 5, 2012
The Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas