*Click here to view larger image
As if you really need another lecture on the power of social media. There are a ton of social media blunder recaps, round-ups, and “bewares” around the web, but every once and a while it doesn’t hurt to have a timely reminder.
Last week, a long-time AT&T customer took to the company’s Facebook page to share her thoughts on a recent “upgrade” available on the iPhone 5 – the ability to use FaceTime (AT&T’s video call feature) without being connected to wifi. The catch? Well, there’s no point in me explaining it. Just check out the screen grab above, or click here to view a larger image.
What should have been a great new, straight-forward feature for the company to add to their roster of services has metastasized into the latest large-scale social media PR burn. Putting aside the merits of AT&T requiring a limited data plan to use a data-heavy feature, the post overwhelmingly shows the power social media puts back in the hands of everyday consumers, customers, and even businesses.
Wynter Farmer, the unassuming young lady whose company critique went viral, appears to be just an average user. If you look at her profile (which I’m not linking to here out of courtesy), you’ll see she has a couple of hundred friends and posts largely about things happening in her life – far from a social media power user reaching thousands everyday.
Yet, here we are, and there her comment is with hundreds of thousands of likes and comments …
Ironically, just the other day, the Center for Sustainable Journalism plumbed the depths of the Twitterverse looking for a simple answer, and the first response pretty much sums up the point here:
.@csjournalism #socialmedia is useful for giving a voice to the individual in the face of big business, big government, big media.
— AIM (@arlington_media) October 18, 2012
Yes, social media puts power back in the hands of consumers, but also opens new doors for businesses both big and small. Wouldn’t you want to know if someone has an issue with your company? Wouldn’t you like to reward (or at least say thanks) to those saying good things?
The conversation is happening, with or without you.
Being proactive on the social front puts power back in your hands, regardless of what side of business you’re on. It’s powerful.
In the past, you may have relied on word-of-mouth (*cough* gossip), letters to the editor, focus groups, or some other ineffective mean for gauging customer reaction or, as a customer, expressing your own. Today, if you use social media effectively, you’re tapping into an ever expanding realm of real-time feedback with the propensity to be heard.
AT&T actually handles this type of thing pretty well. Instead of deleting critical comments and trying to “silence the masses” – a tactic that has proven to do more harm than good – the company uses the platform to facilitate a conversation and, often, address concerns.
And Farmer isn’t alone. Hundreds take to AT&T’s Facebook page everyday to vent their frustrations. If you look at the list of recent posts on the company’s wall, you’ll also notice numerous responses from AT&T trying to help out and address concerns. (I’m not sure how or if AT&T responded to Farmer. I tried, but working through thousands of comments – 50 at a time – just didn’t fit my schedule.)
This year at SoCon13, you have the chance to come learn from a variety of experts across industries, all with a proven track records in social and digital know-how. Regardless of your skill level – whether you’re a noob looking to take the plunge or the Head of Digital working to push your social engagement to the next level – there are sessions, lectures, and connections to meet your needs.
Plus, it’s a lot of fun and you get to meet new people. We’ll leave it at that.
Register before Dec. 15, 2012 for special early-bird rates.