My wife and I have a young child and we are always on the prowl for advice. I recently was reading online about a popular source of advice (Dr. Sears) and ended up at his Facebook page. That’s where I found this thread:
http://www.facebook.com/askdrsears/posts/366941752240
I’m hoping it stays up and isn’t deleted by the forum manager, as it is a must read for anyone engaging in social media of any type. Just in case it disappears, the link has a seemingly innocuous announcement about some changes coming to the Facebook page for Dr. Sears. In response, about 30 people echoed a complaint that one person wrote: “It seems like this page has become more about the products/selling stuff than answering the mamas”
This is a classic piece of trying to blend old methods (aggressive selling and promotion) with new methods (social media) and failing miserably. The old way involved blasting a bunch of marketing materials out to potential customers, in the way that Bed Bath & Beyond does with its coupons. The new way involves having a conversation with your customers. Trying aggressive marketing and having a conversation at the same time and you will get complaints. With social media, the complaints are shared with others instantly. That is much worse than not engaging in social media at all, because the complaints can travel faster than you can!
What’s the lesson? Make sure that if you engage in social media, you are reading and not just writing. Make sure to listen to what your customers are saying. It will make them better customers and your product or service better as well.
