Thanks for letting us know that attorneys are active in this sphere. Any examples you’d like to share with us? Or links to some of their web sites or separate blogs we might check out? Please feel free to add more information, SM.

Thank you for the kind words. I always appreciate reading your insights. Good question: why indeed wouldn’t a professional service firm employ some of these same techniques? It makes perfect sense. Do you know of any that do use social media well, by any chance?

As to whether SM is best implemented from the inside or with the help of an outside consultancy, I think businesses have many factors to consider. One size never fits all when it comes to marketing tactics or their implementation. Agreed: kudos to Rubbermaid. They get it!

Thanks for sharing a link to another article demonstrating, once again, how SM might be used for online businesses. I would expect entrepreneurs like Ms. Koger to come up with many inventive ways to engage their customers, solicit feedback and make the whole process an enjoyable one. After all: that’s the goal for all good marketing initiatives, isn’t it?

Whenever companies can afford to have someone on the inside develop a SM strategy and then execute the plan, then that would be first choice. But, for those that can’t, external assistance is good, too.

Kudos to Rubbermaid.

I was just reading an article in Inc. magazine about a Pittsburgh-based e-tailer called ModCloth that lets the customers choose the fashions they offer. “Be the Buyer” encourages consumers to voice their opinions in a straightforward, no-holds-barred manner. This program really gives ModCloth owner Susan Gregg Koger important insights. In the article, she states our motto is: “ModCloth is a company you’re friends with.” The company then targets its best customers with marketing campaigns via Twitter and direct email. Interesting stuff. . . just another concrete idea on how SM might be utilized. . .

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/using-crowdsourcing-to-control-inventory.html

Thanks for the kind words, and for your thoughtful input. I appreciate it because it adds much more dimension to my post. Simply put: I personally think if SM is used correctly, it seeks customer input and then ACTS on it. Negatives ought to be as welcome as positive comments, because it really gives any company a great opportunity to reach out to customers who are less than thrilled with the quality of products or services to make things better. However, I don’t think you have to have a large company, a high recognition brand or a huge customer base to effectively use this approach, Winston. The Internet enables companies of any size to engage with consumers now. Having said that, resources of time and money have to be committed to it. Also: “inhouse” might seem to save money, but unless there’s a savvy, marketing and people-oriented person in the business, it might be a good idea to engage an outside resource. At the very least, for consultation and assistance in setting up a SM program. What do you think?

In return I’ll answer your questions but first a few observations. You know as we continue to say things like “companies need to think of their customers as partners, and less like data to manage” it seems we are talking about major brands or at least companies who have scads of customers. As I look at the landscape of companies who may enlist my services, they may be wanting me to help get them customers period. The problem being they don’t have enough of them, let alone have the problem of managing a bunch of data from customers. So I’m real interested to learn the basics of helping small companies. So to your questions:

» Do you think most consumer product companies would benefit by adopting Rubbermaid’s social media approach?

Yes, if they’re large enough to be able to reach thousands of customers through these social media channels such as Twitter and FB.

» If so, do you think companies should ask their marketing departments to add this kind of social media to their duties and responsibilities? Or should it be outsourced?

As an agency (small shop) who wants to specialize in these kinds of campaigns, I hope many of the large companies and even their agencies will outsource this kind of specialty. But if it was me, I’d try to go inhouse. That is the idea after all, to save money.

» Do you think that even with social media in place, there is a danger in companies’ not sharing the information in a timely, meaningful fashion? Or that this information might be disseminated to brand managers along with other marketing data and lost in the shuffle?

Always that risk. As in all things, the quality of the management will be the pudding to sample.

» Given limited resources of time and personnel, do you think companies should take the extra step of reaching out to consumers who have posted negative reviews, ratings and comments? Or should they email a “thank you for participating in our ratings and reviews” instead?

No question. You can send out a thoughtful reply (if you learn to manage tools well, as quickly as sending out a generic thank you for participating. The latter is almost insulting, given the new terrain we’re dealing in.

Thanks again Ted. Keep up the great work!