Larry Weintraub CEO, Fanscape

Q: You blogged recently about the importance of answering the “Why do I care?” question when developing social media campaigns. What are some examples of brands doing a good job of providing their customers with something of value?

A: There is a mad rush right now to get more people to “Like” you on Facebook. Success is being measured as how many fans you have and not necessarily on how much those fans are actually engaging with your brand. There are plenty of ways to get people to “Like” you. You can give them free stuff like Starbucks did originally with their ice cream and like Einstein’s Bagels did with a morning bagel and cream cheese. You can use other platforms to drive “Likes” like Bing did by giving people Farmville cash when they “Liked” Microsoft’s Bing Facebook page. And then there are a host of underground spam merchants that will guarantee you “Likes” for pennies a piece. But getting fans is only part of the strategy, keeping them there is much more important. And challenging!

So what should you do? Simply put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. What would you want to see? What would make you come back again after you got your free stuff or were drawn there by a promotion or piece of exclusive content?

There is a lot of noise out there. The typical person only “Likes” a handful of brands. They have so much going on in their lives and they are engaging with their friends multiple times of day on Facebook, so if you are a brand, you really need to stand out. Some of the brands that are doing a great job with this:

Skittles – For Skittles, it’s all about weird content. Turns out there are about 18 Million who like to watch and interact with like-minded weirdos.

Starbucks – Yes, they are the leaders in social media, but why is that? Because they listen to their customers. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said that last year’s growth was largely due to the fact that they actually listened to their customers and that social media was a huge part of that.

GameStop – A year ago they didn’t have a Facebook page. Now they have 2.5 Million fans and one of the most active Facebook pages of any retailer. Why? Because they have video game fanatics running their social media properties. If you want to see game trailers first, reminisce about games of yore, or get to meet the people that make the biggest games, then you visit every day.

Mountain Dew – Dew drinkers love to live on the edge. They are young passionate action sports fans. Once a year Mountain Dew introduces a new flavor and when they do, they turn to their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube fans to help them create every element from choosing the flavor to actually making the television commercials. There are few brands that give this kind of power to their fans.

Now step back. What are your favorite products? Why would you follow them on Facebook or Twitter? What could that bar of soap, that denim jean manufacturer, that potato chip maker do for you that would make you come back over and over?

That’s where you start.

There was a moment during the meeting when Obama addressed the AIG bonus debacle and said the words, “Listen, I’ll take responsibility; I’m the president” to which the room erupted into… applause?

That’s right. Applause. Why? It’s not that people are excited about the fact that a bunch of fat cats are getting huge bonuses – that is for certain. No one is sitting there going, “Great job, Obama. You did amazing work on this one. We love how much of our money your administration squanders on rich people that screwed us in the first place.” No. People are PISSED. And they should be. So what to do?

Deny deny deny? Have your press secretary give non-answers at an impersonal podium? No. The only possible salve for this kind of unrestrained outrage is to go directly to the people, speak directly to the people, and take responsibility. This country is so weary of years of excuses, double speak and hypocrisy. We want honesty, authenticity and above all for someone to step up and say, “Hey, this isn’t right. I might have screwed up here. I take responsibility, and I’m taking steps to make it better.” And that is exactly what Obama did.

If you can do that and you can mean it and you can work toward solutions, you can win back the hearts and minds of a whole lot of people. Perfection is not expected. Accountability and frank communication, however, seem non-negotiable. He could have stayed quiet. He could have stayed in DC and dealt with pushing his policies forward, working within the bubble where the work gets done and decisions get made.

But he didn’t. He chose to go to the people. Because it is important to speak to your people.

This doesn’t just go for our president. This extends to every business, every brand, every website, every entity that is providing a service or value to consumers. More than fifty-five percent of consumers have stated that they want brands to interact with them. Your consumers would like a quick chat, won’t you sit down?

I stumbled upon this blog post about many companies being deathly afraid of negative blog coverage. As I spend the majority of time speaking to clients, I can vouch that this fear is very real. Negativity freaks people out. Look, no one likes to be publicly lambasted, particularly not profit-seeking entities that have a lot to lose.

I get it. No one wants their ugly warts out there for everyone to see. But unless you are an absolutely flawless business that never ever makes any mistakes, someone is going to call you out. Actually, even if you are flawless, someone will call you out anyway – they will make it up if they have to.

The truth of the matter is, trying to squash negative feedback, or pretending it doesn’t exist or (god forbid) litigating (!!) is not only not the answer, it is the waste of a fantastic opportunity to engage with your consumers. Social Media is giving us a gift – the gift of answering consumers directly and publicly. Without having to call town meetings.

Those that speak negatively about you are simply inviting you to get in the sandbox and play.

So play. Learn the rules of the game please… but play.

This is the opportunity to gain a new customer, win an old one back, or at the very least show the rest of the people watching that your brand hears, takes responsibility and cares. It can’t be overstated how important that is to the health of the brand-consumer relationship and how far that goes in generating positive word-of-mouth.

Jump in. It’s not that scary. It’s not like it’s $165 million of taxpayers’ hard earned dollars going to the undeserving. If he can do it, so can you.

More and more brands are flocking to Twitter in an attempt to reach and communicate with their consumers. Though there is a clear debate on whether or not brands and major corporations belong on Twitter and in other social networks, I think everyone can agree that there is no chance these companies are packing it in any time soon. What’s actually refreshing about brands trying their hand at social media – Twitter in particular, is their new found willingness to follow the community rules and guidelines (or perhaps their new found fear of being chastised by its members), and learn from the mistakes of others. At Fanscape, we assist many brands, corporations, advertisers, and personalities in developing their Twitter strategies – and one of the questions we repeatedly get from clients is – “How many times should I Twitter per day?”

Seems like a simple enough question – only the answer is a bit more complicated. I will of course explain to our clients that it’s about finding the right mix between quality and quantity. It’s about providing value to those who follow you. It’s about engaging with the community and responding to their questions, commenting on their tweets, re-tweeting what you find of interest, and relaying compelling messages. Some brands can do this effectively in 2-3 tweets a day, some in 10 or more.

The real answer is – there is no magic number. But for those of us working at marketing agencies, we know that this answer simply isn’t good enough for a client new to this world.

So lately when I’ve been asked this question – I will go through the motions, explain the Twitter etiquette, the engagement value, the importance of communication – and then I will just say 5. Five is the magic number. Brands will learn best practices and how to properly interact with their customers through a process of trial and error. Sure we can guide them down the right path – but they need to jump in head first. The best thing I can provide is a solid, manageable goal – one that will get them started and keep them focused. It may seem overly simple – but the “5 tweet rule” makes it all seem possible.

Copy has evolved from a static tagline to a conversation, plain and simple, and it’s incredibly important to note that evolution. We all read that monologue is now dialogue, or that it should be. We read how it is no longer enough to talk, but equally as important to listen and respond. And so the copywriter’s job has changed. Or at least there’s now room for a different kind of copywriter in your company. And this new hire requires a few new and key qualifications.

You’re looking for a conversationalist — someone who can draft responses and reinvent messages on the fly, who can communicate with your customers whenever they have questions and needs. And I’m not just talking someone who’s good at schmoozing but someone who can genuinely communicate with your customers about your brand and all of its layers of value in real time.

You’re looking for someone who’s passionate about your brand, who knows it inside and out. And this becomes your job as the brand, as much as anyone’s to educate — always. In this era of dialogue, you should want everyone to be as knowledgeable about your company as they can be, knowledgeable about everything from your client list, to your executive roster, to your corporate history, to your mission, to your little league sponsorships. This empowers your employees and even your customers to speak to what you do as a brand and enables your new-age copywriter to navigate the world of consumer feedback with an arsenal of value points that will only bolster your brand identity online and off.

You’re looking for someone who’s patient. Continually learning about your company and listening to consumers takes time. It’s no longer about canvassing streets or sites with cookie cutter messaging but about joining the conversations and threads that are most relevant and appropriate. You want someone on your team who knows when to engage and when to respond, and more importantly when not to. And this requires that you, the brand, are patient too, that you take time to educate and allow time to find more of the right conversations, even if that means speaking less.