Yesterday, I noted a factoid that I hope makes the rounds on the convention floor this week at C.E.S. in Las Vegas: Without the internet, people who were happy about a product told five people. Today, with the internet, they tell 20. Without the internet, people who were unhappy about a product told ten people. Now, thanks to the Net, they tell 60. So, what does this mean for your brand(s)?
Plenty. Beyond the obvious, such as bad news travels fast and even faster online, it means that whether you like it or not, people are always talking about you and the products and services you're trying to sell them. The bigger you are, the wider the chit-chat. So, better to be part of that interchange than not to be, right? You'd think so, but it's astonishing how many otherwise smart people look for ways to opt out of engaging online with their market. There are ways to do this, with web-based applications. Yes, my shop sells one, but that's beside the point. The point is, if you're really serious about "talking to customers", as so many marketing and sales types say they are, be equally serious about the way those customers want to talk to you. Today, this means "online" every bit, if not more, than it means good old face-to-face. Yes, there's no substitute for personal contact, but neither is there any excuse anymore for radio silence.
More to come on this topic, later...
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