Excerpt from Businesses to learn about social media
Burlington Free Press; May 25, 2009
As social media forums evolve, they are quickly becoming an essential tool for business. But, social media gurus say, businesses need to learn to give up control over their message and participate in a dialogue with the public and online “influencers.”
“Twitter is great, but if you’re not ready to talk to people, than Twitter is horrible,” [Gannett] said.
Many companies, Chapman said, are “scared of letting their brand go: ‘What do you mean they can talk to me anyway [sic] they want?’ … They are just stuck in the old way of thinking: print, radio and television,” he said.
Companies jumping into the social media world need to embrace their lack of control, Defren said, explaining, “You give up the premise of control. You just try to create a good product and a good service and engage in a good dialogue.”
“It’s important to be engaged where your customers and prospects are,” Defren said. “Don’t try to force them to come to you. You go to them. It’s about the relationship, not the tool.”
How have businesses in your city been embracing (or avoiding) social media and other new innovations? What’s the most revolutionary or intriguing use you’ve seen?
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