ONLINE MARKETING IN CONSUMER-GENERATED TERRITORY

       Akey digimarketing theme is consumer participation.Consumers are no longer passive targets. They are active, engaged participants: enabled by digital media.All forms of consumer participation via digital media are on the rise. Nowhere is this consumer creativity more evident than on social networks: those sites such as Hi5, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.
       Consumers' time:The latest Universal McCann global internet survey, estimates that almost two-thirds of "active internet users"(people using the internet at least every other day) spend time managing their social profiles. What's more, almost three-quarters of them report visiting friend's profiles. Social networks are consuming an increasing part of consumers' digital time: time that consumers are choosing not to spend on brand- or marketing-oriented websites.
       Tread carefully:Good marketers understand that keeping in touch with consumers means going where consumers are. As consumers use social networks, that's where marketers must go. But be cautious: social networks are consumer territory. They are built by consumers.
       Unlike TV soap operas - which were developed to sell soap and consumer goods - social networks were not created to sell. They have been designed to help consumers with similar interests to help each other. When marketers venture into social networks they must do so with humility, candour and a genuine desire to help - three traits that are unfortunately absent in many traditional marketers.
       Everyone is feeling their way in marketing effectively on social network sites. The more enlightened companies are finding a useful first step is to get management and staff involved in the networks, both as private individuals and as brand representatives.
       Other companies, with a more Luddite perspective, ban staff from accessing social networks at all. The internet security company ScanSafe reports that 76% of companies may be blocking access to social networks. Although you need to manage what your employees are doing on company time, effective social network marketing demands your people understand and experience those networks. That's the only way to acquire the authenticity that social network marketing demands.
       Monitor the flow:Take some time to look at just what is being said about your company, your product and your brands, and how it is being said. Different social networks have different tones of voice and different norms of behaviour.Marketers need to fit in.
       There are many tools - which are mostly free - that send you an e-mail when key words or phrases are used.The easiest is Google Alerts. Everyone should be running Google Alerts for personal names (put your name in quotes to get exact first and last name), and relevant company and brand names.For well-known companies and brands,it's advisable to add some context words to avoid being overwhelmed with results,or use paid services that provide filtering for you.
       Intervene gently and politely:Many marketers wonder what they should do when they find their brand being discussed. Listen and then think. Are these inaccurate comments, based on product misuse, or misunderstanding?Inaccuracies can be politely and authoritatively corrected using sound evidence - in the same tone you might use to a family member. Offer something positive in return. If the customer is using the product for a purpose other than that intended, and therefore finds it performs poorly, can we recommend the right product for them, even if it's made by a competitor? Can we offer a partial refund?
       Are the comments negative but correct? If so, it's better to confess and apologise. Remember the traditional customer service findings: empathy and apology, with the promise of systemic change to ensure the error is not repeated work wonders, converting complainants into brand advocates. We have already seen that the new digital media model pushes power to the consumer. A happy brand advocate can be an extremely powerful ally.
       Of course, sometimes, comments are positive and marketers can bask in reflected glory and offer thanks and hints of improvements to come.
       Abuse:Abusive, unfounded, and unsupported comments are often the hardest to deal with.
       Some marketers ignore them and hope that other consumers will read them for what they are: an abusive tone that is not persuasive. Ideally, other consumers will reply. If they don't, my feeling is that marketers should intervene to politely reject the abuse and show it's undeserved. Remember, an internet search will turn up everything. When search turns up abuse, it would be good to also see its refutation.
       Dr Ian Fenwick is an adviser and Senior Head of Administrative Programmes, at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration.He recently co-authored (with Kent Wertime)DigiMarketing: The Essential Guide to New Marketing & Digital Media, Wiley,2008.This is now available in Thai and Mandarin also. You can reach Ian at Ian@DigiMarketingNow.com; website www.DigiMarketingNow.com; and follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/DrIanFenwick