Blogging Assignment II

Frank raised several points about marketers and consumers of social media. The most relateable was dealt with content creation, and social media users.

When I was working with the Air Force last summer, most of the recruiters were having problems getting outside activity on their Facebook pages. The problem was that the recruiter's attitude was "If I put some generic content onto my page, and people will follow me." As Frank Eliason said, people won't follow you because you push some content into their faces. Only two of the recruiters in the squadron were producing interesting content, and actively engaging with their audiences. Because these two recruiters actually participated with their users, each one had over 100 people following their pages. This is an excellent example of Frank's central idea; people relations are more important than content generation.

Another example of such is from my days on the paintball forum TechPB.com. On TechPB's forums, one particular brand of compressed air cylinders was recommended over all other brands. This was an odd occurrence because this company was relatively new, it didn't spend a lot on advertising, and it's products were actually was more expensive. This company was recommended so frequently because it was accessible. Anytime someone had a question about compressed air tanks, their company rep was there with an answer. He answered every private message, tweet, and Facebook message that was sent to him. Instead of spending its money on advertising and content creation, Ninja Paintball built value for their brand through customer relations. By serving the community, the community marketed Ninja's products for them.

The Ninja Paintball example shows how selling has changed. Consumers won't be sold by a sales pitch, and the marketing funnel is now obsolete. Companies now have to work with their customers, or else be vilified throughout the internet. Websites www.UnitedBreaksGuitars.com and www.gripevine.com are prime examples of customer review websites. When consumers consider purchasing a product, most people conduct research into that product. If they see that a company has several scathing reviews, they may reconsider that purchase. The digital presence of a company cannot "only" be an online sales pitch. It must also have a place for customers to resolve their problems, and form a productive relationship with the company.

Times are changing for companies. Social media has made it easier for customers to reach companies, and now companies must reach back to their customers. This interaction has become more important than content creation because it humanizes both the users and the employees, makes the company more accessible for their customers, and gives both parties a platform to resolve their issues. If a company works with their community, their community will reward them. If a company is obstinate towards their customers, their community will make their lives very difficult.