Social Media... This Time It's Personal

When thinking about what Social Media means, it's difficult to put a definition on it that truly fits every facet. For the average person it's a step above forums or chat rooms. Real time ability to connect with the people around them: friends, family, coworkers. But, also it's a voice for those same people to shape the way a company works, the way a product is marketed, and also who is elected to public office.

For businesses and enterprise think just briefly on how this new media has changed the game for them. Anyone in their ladder of command slips and it can be Tweeted, Posted, or Blogged about from anywhere in real time. I don't know about you, but I post directly from my phone every day, and I also am in charge of most things within my home. So, what happens when someone has lousy customer service, can I go anywhere and say Hey Thanks for being rude (insert name of major corporation here). Yep. But, also isn't this feedback they should not only expect, but need?

I once had a business owner tell me the following quote: "I love when I get complaints. A complaining customer is still a customer, and they are giving you a fantastic opportunity. They are alerting you to problem areas in your company. But, most people don't complain, they just leave." Think about the last time you filled out a comment card, or took a survey, or called to let someone know "How's My Driving?" Now in 140 Characters or less more than 400 MILLION can let you know how you are doing. It's a frighteningly real proposition that takes out the middle man and engages the business directly with the customer, the consumer with the heads of major corporations.

Most companies are pretty scared of this idea. Because like any large corporation who can be in charge of every cog in every wheel 24 hours a day, I mean we are all HUMAN, are we not? There are bound to be mistakes. And as Lincoln said, "You can please some of the people most of the time, most of the people some of the time. But you can't please all the people all of the time." It's an impossible situation for us humans for which our errors and mistakes define us, do they not.

This is where we realize it's not about being the perfect company, it's about being a human company. A company with warmth and the ability to talk and more importantly listen. A conversation is NEVER one sided, it's a two way or more street. With ideas and comments interchanged between people. So too is Social Media. This is a chance for us as a species to truly learn once and for all how to communicate together. Person to Person. And once we realize that a business isn't some stoic concrete and brick building, but is built of people. We the consumers realize what our expectations should be and also why we should invest our time and funds there.

Social Media is about people, and the connections we make every day. So this is where I invite you whether you are a dabbling consumer or a company weighing the pros and cons of jumping in to simply join the conversation. Create a page, start blogging about what's important to you, create a Twitter Feed. But, the token rule is, be human, be approachable, be true to yourself.