Marshall Kirkpatrick explores some of the creepier side of corporate involvement in social media on this post. Admittedly there is a slightly odd feeling when you imagine marketers and other company resources scanning blogs and Twitter streams looking for mentions of their company and reaching out. I still recall the odd feeling when I saw my surprisingly accurate 'social profile' in one of these tools the first time.
Having worked at Dell as we adopted such a program, and now implementing one for Windows Azure I am convinced this involvement is a very good thing. Not only for the companies who learn from these interactions with their customers, but for the customers as well. In both programs I have been able to reach out to people having issues or with questions about the product and I cannot recall a single instance where someone asked never to help them again.
The keys to removing the potentially creepy factor:
- Be open about representing a company or product. In some countries there are regulations on this area. My user name on Twitter includes @ MSFT and at times I respond from @WindowsAzure to remove any question. My former colleagues at Dell do something similar.
- Offer to take the conversation offline where it's reasonable. Some topics are more appropriate handled via email or (shudder) a phone call. Make it easy for people to get in touch with the same human who reached out online.
- Add value by offering information or help. Simply letting a customer know you saw them talking about your product can make people feel a little uncomfortable. If you have nothing to add, don't feel obligated to reach out.
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