"Your brand is only as strong as your last contact"

One of the most common hesitations that I see with clients looking to engage in social media is the realisation that conversations are happening all around and that they have no control. 

This isn't a choice ("We should really let go of control") it's a fact and it's been the case for a long time. But, until now they have been largely undocumented, un-indexed by search engines and not in any way facilitated by the company itself. The conversationalists were only as influential as their personal network allowed.

Now Micro influencers have the power to reach millions of people around the world. Blogs and other social media outlets are indexed in search results right alongside company websites and portals. The truth hurts, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. 

Where social media shines brighter than any other marketing vehicle is leveraging the truth to create stronger customer relationships and convert bad experiences into great ones. Companies who don't listen to people in the first place have no place in social media. 

There are only handful of businesses that see the value in customer input and take steps to make things better for them. They listen, when you call their 1800 number you talk to a person and, even if they don't solve your problem, you walk away with a positive feeling. 

Supporting customer service is a perfect fit for social media, but it takes planning and strategy to make it pay off. Here are steps that I see from listening through becoming a social customer service expert.

1. Listen - Go to Google and set up alert emails with your company keyword, your name and your URL.  Learn who is talking about you, what they're saying and create an action plan based on what you're reading.
   
2. Understand the different social media sites and tools - Every one is different, Blogging is not Twitter is not Flickr is not Facebook. The rules change from one to the other and you have to know what they are before engaging.
   
3. Start slow - Do NOT go out and sign up for a Facebook page, Twitter account, blog, flickr profile and MySpace page all in one day. Pick the most strategic medium to belong to and start slow. As you become more comfortable you can ramp up and add networks into the fold.
   
4. Be transparent - You cannot be too transparent here. More is better.
   
5. Don't stop - This is the killer. It's worse than not having started at all.

Have you heard the saying "your brand is only as strong as your last contact". By understanding these steps you will ensure that your online community will have a great experience all the time.