Encourage Negativity in Your Digital Marketing
It is All about digital marketing,
I hear far too often from medium to the larger corporations that the biggest fear they have with any digital marketing strategy, predominantly utilising Facebook, or any social media platform for that matter; the possibility of receiving negative comments on their Facebook business pages etc.
Well that is an interesting idea; aren’t they saying categorically that they expect negative comments because they either don’t believe in their product or they have concern about their ability to provide an accepted level of service to their customer? They consider a digital marketing strategy with Social Media dangerous to their brand, this is so typical with corporate Fat Cats operating in a safety net, while collecting their large salaries, but achieving nothing…
So from the onset they do not have faith in their product? Then why on earth are they in business or why on earth do they work for an organisation that they fear! Why don’t they just improve their game and get back to basics? OK, Im side tracking again.
Or even easier than that, encourage the negativity, don’t fear it. After all, it is that negativity that can help them strive towards the perfect product or greater service; the negative comments are from their customers or potential customers, shouldn’t they be listening (or engaging) with them? Of course they should! That is what digital marketing is all about.
Marketing has moved into a completely new paradigm of customer engagement, (due to many digital marketing techniques) listening and evolution. Old school marketing techniques are not only coming back, they are back, and to top it off relationships are being forged like never before.
Facebook, as one example, has given an opportunity for the first time in history to create a one to many and many to one communication platform for business. A business can market itself to many people at once (like the TV, radio or even print media) BUT Facebook allows for the many to chat back, and not only to you but to each other.
To not embrace this paradigm shift is not only foolish, but naive. Embrace digital media.
Now let me assume that many of you are aware how important your use of digital media, and more so Facebook, for your business is; you have setup a Facebook page and started to post content. Great, BUT, you have to do it right! Facebook is about engagement and relationship building, some of you will recognise that concept to brand marketing. Well that’s exactly what it is. It is a platform for you to market your brand, not relentless selling as many do. This is a key part of digital marketing with Social Media.
Let me get back to what prompted me to write this post. I had noticed a rather large business, in the Health niche, post a comment on Facebook about health insurance (obviously, that’s what they sell after all) They apparently got inundated with some negative comments. This is fine, but it’s what they did next that was a disaster! And it’s not the first time I have seen this done, and certainly wont be the last. Instead of addressing (engaging) with their potential customers they made a comment on the post stating that they have removed some comments due to the nature of them. EPIC FAIL! especially for a digital marketing business. The only comment they made was to highlight that they censure their content. Does that not make you question their integrity as a business? So the opportunity to engage and potentially gain respect, and more customers, was blow out the door; not only did they not engage (which incidentally this page rarely does) but they had such disrespect for the potential customer that they deleted their comments.
I am not having a go at this particular business, I have a close friend whose business does some great stuff on Facebook, but they don’t engage! They miss the number one reason they are digital marketing on Facebook; engagement and building a fan base (customers and potential customers). They regularly post some great images, and I always make a comment, but not once has there been a response to my comment! Again, fail! A business should make it policy to have the last word on ALL comments on Facebook. The concerning point here is this particular business outsource there Social Media to a supposed expert.
Getting back to the moral of the story, use digital marketing strategies, especially Facebook for your Business, promote your business on Facebook not by advertising but providing interesting content; and most importantly ENGAGE with your fans! That is what marketing is all about after all!
