Brands Have Feelings too

I've been doing a lot of thinking about social media and brands lately. This post will be a little bit of a stream of consciousness but I promise that within my clouded mind is a point:

First of all, social media (ie Twitter, Facebook, etc) is a NEW medium. It cannot be optional as it is the reason paper sources are becoming obsolete (that and our obsession with going green - when will those Metro paper guys get the message and realize that we are not taking their dirty papers because we enjoy checking our news online as we come to life with our Venti coffees in the AM??)

So, having accepted that this is NOT A TREND, I repeat social media is NOT a trend, we must examine its worth.

It is not just a way us wipper snappers chit chat with our peers and post pictures of epic weekends. Nor is it just a way for our parents to reconnect with the kids from fifth grade they didn't even talk to in the first place. It is a space to interact with information.

There are LOADS of informational sites about how to use social media to your advantage. Today, I clicked to this that and another thing and came across this list of 25 social media tips. Intrigued, I began to read to see if I knew what was up.

Number one on the list is what I've been screaming from my soap box, score one for me.

• Never forget that the groundswell is about person-to-person activity. You are not speaking as “the company”, but as a person. Most companies don’t know how to do this, and it takes a lot of practice to find that voice and feel comfortable with it.

The verdict is still out on whether or not social media belongs to PR or Advertising. But, while both arms of the industry are currently accepting ginormous checks from their clients to act on their behalf, they both need to know the lay of the land.

Social media allows people to CHOOSE to interact with brands, they click, follow, friend and become a fan all on their own. It's word of mouth, without oral words. So, if they are interacting with brands on a medium intended to connect people, then the brands must act as a person... much like the Progresso commercial where the woman thinks she is calling her PERSONAL grandmother.

Social media informs a consumer. It doesn't provide a coupon, sell something or shove information down an unassuming citizen's throat. They decided to be a part of the brand and now you are communicating with them on a personal level. Is it your 10th birthday? Celebrate. Don't offer a discount, just say it's your birthday and you've made a brand connection. You brand name has shown up on your consumers homepage or live feed (on thier computer, mobile phone, etc). You have not only appeared to them but to whoever is looking at their information. Simple, free, personal - the way brands began.

Now that you're speaking as a PERSON (not a corporation - You are not General Mills, you are the voice behind Tony the Tiger), remember you are just a person... you speak with one voice to one person at a time. Not everyone can be MLK Jr. Whoa there turbo. Make a personal connection - like in real life (that thing that happens when you're not starring at something that requires a power source). Be sincere, realistic, humble yet goal-oriented.

Now that you're human, remember, not only can you listen to criticism and praise (and adjust from there - yes the modern focus group is oh so free - *factor in the fact that people have a different voice when they type than they do when they talk to their mother or best friend*), you can now respond to critism.

Here is where the caution lies; you must remember that while you quack like a duck and look like a duck, you are not a duck (metaphor for human, duh). Instead, you are a brand and there is a LOT of money behind your mighty name. Do not respond in a pettty manner, sticks and stones blah blah blah. Get it together buddy. You have feelings and so does your brand. Protect your brand by responding as if you just did consumer research and respond by changing something within your brand, not wtih a response online.

There, no crisis communications specialist necessary... just don't mess up.

Social media is a TOOL just like everyother medium we've used in human history. PR pros will use it to tell a story (tell it like a story, not a pamphlet that noone wants to hear). Ad pros will use it for buzz to suppliment their campaign. Strategy is involved. It is a low-involvement commitment to whoever you choose to interact with
BUT
it is not low-involvement in term of perception and risk.

Strategy is necessary. Presenting your brand in a personable way is strategic, not lazy. Be smart. Don't hurt your brand's feelings.