Social media is changing the way people do business. The ethos of the movement is now, more than ever, about communication. A business realizes that when it engages with an individual there is a lot at stake. Prior business principle operated on 1-11-5, which meant, if a customer had a bad experience with a product they may tell 11 people who each would tell 5. This amounts to 67 people who share a poor impression of the company. Now, according to a quote from Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, “If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends” (Levinson and Gibson 42).
The Guerrilla Social Media Marketing book gives advice on how to be competitive in a changing economy giving instruction on raising your business to the face the demands and rewards of Social Media.
As Jeff Bezos understands, quality is of key importance. If a product is not good, everyone will know. The authors Jay Conrad Levinson and Shane Gibson understand that it only takes a twitter, You Tube video or blog post and the image of a company can be ruined. The solution, stay a part of the conversation in the marketplace. The Social Media devices can work with you if you listen and participate in them.
Social Media has shifted the ideas of status measurement. It is no longer a fancy office or address that measures success. The idea is to give people access to “your message and business from anywhere” (43). This allows people to do business from a beach condo or coffee shop anywhere in the world. Lifestyle is a big concern for people who do not want the 9-5 workday. Social Media distribution technologies allow this freedom of lifestyle by being able to work from anywhere; publishing content when it is current and fresh.
Social Media had changed the homogenization of options from a one-size-fits-all mentality to options tailored according to individual taste and desire. Involving the customer is one way this is done. Customers design logos, vote on changes in the product and participate in the marketing by sharing with friends and family. The customer has more responsibility in sharing in the company.
Brand bashing has been around since marketing began. Remember the Velveeta commercial, “Velveeta melts smooth, but cheddar clumps” just as one example. The claim is that one brand will perform better than the other. There is a lot of negativity on the Internet where one brand criticizes another. Guerrilla Social Media says let the product speak for itself. It is not necessary to brand bash and will dilute a good message and product.
Finally, a key to operating successfully in Social Media is to realize that “a reputation cannot be bought. It must be earned” (58). A reputation is built upon “consistently producing great content, having meaningful conversations, and making great contributions to your network” (58).
Social Media, as shown throughout the blog posts can have tremendous benefits for a business when done well. I think the most important message is to be a good communicator. Communication is listening and responding appropriately. There is a growing demand for dialogue between ideas. This engagement shows that a person or company cares about more than just one thing. In order to stay on top and be successful effective communication is key.
