Let’s face it, we’re not all as socially inclined as Mark Zuckerburg and conversational marketing is more often than not scattered, inefficient and painful than not. It requires more time in front of the computer screen, transparency risks, and self-exposure. Ooo, can I please be involved?
I consult for a very hip, web strategy and application development firm that is quickly becoming an industry leader in enterprise solutions on Drupal’s open source platform. Priding themselves on cutting-edge development technologies and tactics, you’d think they’d be all about web 2.0 conversational marketing, but it’s messy and involved and they’re not. After all, they are developers at heart. In the office, they sit in the dark room off the backside of the kitchen drinking Zazz. Why ever should they waste their precious made-for-coding brain energy on engaging clients in conversation online banter?
I think for small companies conversational marketing and web 2.0 technologies can be a cost effective way to expand their playing fields. If teams like this one can let go instead of trying to control the message so much and have a little fun with the network, it is likely that results and maybe even a little action will follow. A few of my own personal tips:
1. Put in the time. Yes, this means a lot of late nights typing by just the light of your translucent keys, but it’s worth it.
2. Let it be. So what if someone doesn’t like your idea or latest module, stand your ground and keep your posting.
3. Forget privacy. At least the privacy that we once knew. If you’re engaging web 2.0 marketing, get comfortable with being out there.
So with all of this exposure on the table and limitless transparency with increased internet accessibility, how ever will small cutting-edge companies stay cutting edge?
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Perhaps the answer is not privacy per se, but corporate stage personas, facades that the public accepts and knows is an act.
ReplyDeleteI believe a company could in theory create a blog personality to speak through. A generic Dave the programmer profile - fabricated of course and known to the public - would provide a company a "personal" channel to interact with people. The questions is whether people would willing interact with a fake person that is representing a company in Web 2.0 space.
I would argue it is possible - the idea of corporate mascots are already accepted.
Now with respect to remaining cutting edge, it comes down to what value is the company delivering that is new. Is simply interacting through new mediums cutting edge or keeping pace? It is simply competition and the dominant strategy depends on the field.
I think if you are a biotech firm, veiled secrecy is the way to go. But if you have a patented product like Mighty Putty, exposure is a must. Small businesses must have a vision and a plan for what type of business they want to be and act appropriately.