Public relations and success in Social Media

I am not the best person to make a guide for updating the old code of ethics of the Internet; Netiquette at the age of social networks. In fact I am sure that many people linked to the Web 2.0 that could do much better than me, but if it is true that I have months observing the phenomenon in silence and drawing many conclusions.

I would at least be able to identify patterns that I think are important to attack literally no contact and damage the image of your company or your service in particular. Public relations and marketing in social media love more or less, but a clear trend in 2009 and many companies rush to enter with the left foot and the user there are some things we do not forgive.

The great revolution of social media is to put in the same plane to the message sender and receiver. Equally roles. That's why companies that want to work the concept of social media correctly need to develop a good use of public relations and customer service, so neglected during these 15 years of internet in Spain. It is a most uncomfortable position for the issuer of the message, not accustomed to having to listen, but also fair and that will portray the quality of customer care products and services.

What is important because the PR?
Firstly the need for real two-way communication. Has ended "this is so, take it or leave it" unilaterally change the terms of service (which is to say that brown Facebook has eaten) you not only demands a good or service that is interesting, is also taking part of it and made it as part of the generation of content. The user is not be a passive, now creates not only view and thus ownership and demands.

These are some of my conclusions:

- The medium is not the end, is only part of the road INITIAL:
You've created your account on Twitter, your Facebook or MySpace channel. That's why you have not adapted to the times or you understand nothing. This is the zero-day, even you have not tied with anyone. There are many companies that believe the end is to be there, That is just the beginning!

Do not fall into the trap of these channels of communication with your potential users to communicate simply offline that simply by doing your company has adapted to changing times. Within a few years, these channels are created by default, the difference will be who correctly use and that is what complicated. Open accounts and groups to abandon them or use them with little success, to have a negative perception on the part of users.

- Add something
You can do so on Twitter, Facebook, anywhere ... but adds something. Do not come only to "sell your book" if the community sees that you are an actor, a participant in the conversation, collaborative and not a body created to promote a product, possibly perform some action when the capillarity of marketing and perception will be much better. The idea is not a promotional robot, but a user to investigate, participate, collaborate and contribute, you have to have their own opinions waist, and its role of corporate image and brand presence of prostitution is not personal and real.

For example, this original and very interesting application for Facebook from Burger King, where we will give you a Whopper in exchange for a Little? slaughter on Facebook, a fun initiative. In other initiatives, CAN (Caja Ahorros de Navarra) creates community of Banca Cívica with blogs on Research, Environment, Culture, Development ...

- Do not by ass (sorry) per bag:
What we can not pretend to give it coñazo all day with your product, however good it is. This image is a perfect example of what is taken for forgiveness ass, per sack. Your political party seems different, my attention what you do and I want to know something more. " I join your group and do not stop the spammer info, up to 4 messages in 3 days. Obviously, I am tired, I swear you remove and Aramaic. Why not be ready, dosing information, and plantearte if for example I am in Madrid, do not send me a message every day Galician elections or questions, maybe I'm not interested and I was literally cargante .... maybe this has been an opportunity to meet has ended in disagreement.

- Ten waist:
Although extremely delicate you'll notice people who do not like that companies use for marketing promotion and social networks; respétalo. If you are going to shock and provoke clashes, especially if you act with arrogance (see case KETEK on Twitter) community gives you back.

- Organize, create, provides:
Offers users participate. Accept criticism and be smart. Perhaps your product is not the best in the world, if you have to talk and congratulate your competition, do it, you will appreciate sincerity and yearning for improvement. Never mind that they will not do the same with you, so if the user perceives. Show that you really, close, available and accessible.

- If you get leg, Apologize, laugh and be original:
Do not think you know all about social networking and social media, this is very new to almost everyone, from the base to get the leg: asúmelo and acknowledge when necessary. It is a new field and cumbersome. Interact, learn and if you have to do it, Apologize. Nothing more unpleasant than a company that pulls ahead with rolling once puts his foot to avoid an apology. Many times it is necessary and the community accepts and appreciates.

) y luego lo referencie en el Twitter de Keteke como si fuera un post de un tercero . Especially not pick shortcuts, do not try to do stupid things like creating a cumbersome-read blog for anyone to give birth to those who criticize you and do not think you can post a reference for anyone, is worthless if you do not have years behind as blogger and people you follow, the clearest example of the responsible marketing of Ketek, Angel Rivera, who since his own blog set to give birth to Twitter users who have given back (whois) and then referenced in the Twitter KETEK like a post from a third party.

Worse still, if someone sells internally the idea of putting our people to leave comments like crazy "for our company / product / service. Trolls are not liked by anyone in the blogosphere but if you do it over using the IPs of your company .... too obvious. Doing a disservice to your company (and possibly ridiculous), if you're judge and jury, he believed, like everyone else, but do not camouflage a normal user and explain your role on a personal level.

Memorable however if Electronic Arts after an error in his game Tiger Woods PGA 2008, which had a bug that Tiger could walk on water that was caricatured in a video on YouTube, not just fix the wrong, but responded with a glorious video with Tiger Woods in the flesh in the 2009 version of the user who reported Levinator25 and created a video about the ruling. Now, in 2009 Tiger walks on water is not a bug, got barefoot and it does because it is so good!. Message: You have heard, we fix the bug, we have grace and you do a nod to the one we used at the Tiger Woods: viral 100%, 100% effective, it is an error in processing a success.

- If something goes wrong, do not hide:
Do not minimize the errors, if there are problems do not disappear and come back when they are resolved, or you merely say "you notify the responsible" if something goes wrong is the face, acknowledge, explain or even Take a certain philosophy and sympathy for the user. Like KETEK received many criticisms, some of mine, but here were very good, detect and warn a bug, take it with philosophy:

- Learn, improve your service:
But learning that you must make your own. Follows. Do not think you can open question "as the best that" unless there is confidence for this. If you are Telefónica and questions as best that you possibly say with reason and many of us miss a few laughs, "I do not do free consulting services to Telefonica, pagadla."

The objective must be to communicate, meet, learn from the user. Every time I see more of a presence in social networks quantified, such as "Facebook friends in 5000," That can not be measured, the user is much more than a number!, We seek a good perception of the users that you add is you get the chance to do your job, not the objective to reach the goal is to be welcomed to participate, serve, entertain and communicate. Best 500 ever users pleased that 5000 had enough of you.

- Maximize your offline hits:

A product such as natural gas is not exactly viral or 2.0, but on the contrary a total brick ... unless your case study of offline advertising on television (the announcement of the dead man's cold out singing that aims to Natural Gas ), is used in social networks like Facebook. The result ¡¡165000! Fans' man of Gas Natural, ready to receive communications and new advertisements and promotions.

Another success story is the dog Pancho Lotteries and Betting the State with which it is offered for a couple of seasons Lottery Primitiva. Pancho has its channel on Facebook, profile Tuenti, fotolog own YouTube channel.

- LISTEN and once you've done this: Use it to give support and help
For me one of the differences with the promotion in social media in the USA and Europe. U.S. support "seeks" the user wherever they are. Listening is key. Often a user does not like or does not cover a service, and always appreciate the interest that has not rebutted, but in listening to you, tell you that your complaint or request falls on deaf ears and / or further information if necessary. It has been one of my concerns Yes.fm, listening is very different from just listening, not just what you say, but especially the buzz on blogs or comments heard twitter. Often misunderstood, or we found we could explain our position on certain topics with a happy ending.

The director of a company, however big it is, not only did not lose the time listening to a user, but also receive a rewarding and valuable feedback that will not find in any focus group, in fact, loyalty, lets you see which is the flesh and makes prescriber service on many occasions.

In some cases we had Yes.fm well, one in which I was involved with the user SpaceBom, which I still long for the network because I think it is a good SEO. Interestingly I saw a comment on Twitter giving him a "bon voyage" to Yes.fm:

I noted the comment and moved on internal contacted Kiko Fuentes, Director of Content Yes. And drawing days later that SpaceBom casually commented in my blog:

I took the time to let you know that he had read his twitter:

It came to me a valuable feedback to meet and discuss:

And can I ask Kiko Fuentes participate and we clarify:

We followed a user on Twitter and blogs, we talked with him, and we have not sold any encyclopedia, and I think we could see that their opinion matters to us and we want to improve our product, and you see our point of view, that on the other side there is someone who listens, accepts the criticism and tries to improve service and your feedback (yes, even us a good trip, it is useful and appreciated).

The attention is always appreciated, and is part of the image of our company and if we get a loyal user, or at least catch their interest, the better:

To end a final comment. I very much doubt whether these channels (Twitter, Facebook) should be maintained by an agency or someone from the service. For my agency can take a perfectly provided that 1) it is well known to the service and 2) have immediate access to the company and has a representative who can if necessary provide personal attention, including in decision-making.

(thanks to Christian Red by some of the cases as an example. I wrote this post thinking I give a class for students this afternoon in the Online Marketing of FDI, if you're one of them I have "destripaó)

Tags: agency late, Web 2.0, EA, EA SPORTS, KETEK, Marketing, social media, Yes.fm