Get Social | Friday Flickr Fix | 03.04.08

One of the things I (sometimes) miss from my agency days is writing case histories. It was getting tough to spin the problem/solution/results formula after several years, but it gave me first-hand access to my clients’ customers. That access always made it easier to find an interesting angle to the story.

In a recent post at the other blog, I noted that the toys are fun, but social media is more about conversations than technology.

We have to move from being broadcasters, pushing out carefully scripted messages, to being brokers. This means participating more directly than we’re used to, in plain view of our clients’ customers and giving up control of the messages.

Not everyone, or every client, can handle that.

Shake hands, Mo'Fo'! uploaded by nietsdoener/

Comments

[JGrefe]

I think that this photograph, by showing the smile meeting the handshake, really displays the human-ness, the texture, of social interaction and perhaps as you mentioned, a moving away from simply being broadcasters and into the labyrinth of the social media void. Very interesting.

[Nick Wright]

Kevin,

I can really relate to this part of your post: "...and giving up control of the messages."

When I started in sales in my current position... I would call my clients, and during conversations I'd pretty much recite the marketing messages and pitches I'd memorized for each product.

Now I ask my clients questions, and let them tell me how the products can help them. Basically, I just shut my mouth and the clients end up selling themselves on our solution... regardless of whether or not they're using the same verbiage I would have used in the past during a "pitch".

Nice post.

Nick

[Thomas]

Der lang anhaltende Machtkampf um das Gebiet Tibet, wobei es meiner Ansicht nach um die einseitige Macht Chinas geht und auf der anderen Seite ein repressionsfreies und anerkanntes Nebenherleben (lt. dem Dalai Lama), spitzt sich angesichts der bevorstehenden Olympischen Spiele weiter zu.

[Mariana Sarceda]

I really liked your post. Adding the human element to our every day conversations enriches our interactions.

[Pedro]

Der lang anhaltende Machtkampf um das Gebiet Tibet, wobei es meiner Ansicht nach um die einseitige Macht Chinas geht

und auf der anderen Seite ein repressionsfreies und anerkanntes Nebenherleben (lt. dem Dalai Lama), spitzt sich

angesichts der bevorstehenden Olympischen Spiele weiter zu.

[Lisa]

Absolutely!
It is very important to be actively engaged in customer relations.