Does it Solve a Problem?
posted by Lynn HanessianMonday, March 9th, 2009
Everyone was all a twitter about social media at last week’s PR Week Awards. For those just putting a toe into social media, my mother has provided a simple framework for considering how to approach digital communications: Does a social media program solve a business problem?
My mom, Ruth, is the proprietor of the Animal Exchange in Rockville, MD. She is a noted animal care expert with a degree from Cornell U in ornithology. On a daily basis, pet owners and aspiring pet owners stop by for guidance. As a result, Ruth faces a number of routine animal husbandry questions as well as questioners coming in with misinformation – often garnered from the internet.
To solve Ruth’s problem of providing the deep information her customers need, she is developing a series of informational videos. From baby hamsters to lizards to birds, Ruth is now able to refer her customers to her growing online video library. (Her debut video, Bearded Dragon Care, has been viewed more than 11,000 times.) Ruth and I are now talking about bringing Animal Exchange to Facebook so that her customers and many followers receive regular updates on new animals and products arriving in the store weekly.
In addition to solving a problem, though, everyone should be ensuring that social media does not cause a problem. Monitoring online discussions is essential for all brands and companies to ensure that lively digital conversations and content do not crossover into the land of misinformation and brand and reputation destruction. A customer scorned can create a digital black eye in no time when you are not looking.
