The Blurred Line in Social Media

Social Media Comic

When asked about specific types of interactions, Americans who use social media believe:

Companies should use social networks to solve my problems (43%)
Companies should solicit feedback on their products and services (41%)
Companies should develop new ways for consumers to interact with their brand (37%)
Companies should market to consumers (25%)

As a business, how do you decide the best way to interact with your customers through social media – strictly business, the personal touch or a combination of both? Are you willing to blur the lines?

Ten years ago, no one could have predicted what a true online revolution social media would become. Words like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-In have taken on a whole new meaning.

What is the impetus for this social revolution?

Social media gives people a community.

A way to connect with like-minded people. Social networking. Blogs. Forums. Social media has forever changed the face of communications. In fact, research suggests 60% of Americans use social media sites, and three quarters of those visit a site at least once a week, according to ZDnet.
People aren’t just using social media in their personal lives. It’s clear that business-to-business pros are harnessing the power of social media with the goal of meeting marketing objectives. How they choose to use it varies as much as the businesses themselves. Some provide helpful information, others self-promote and some blur the lines between business and personal life.

Some examples:

Visa has the Visa Business Network on Facebook, inviting users to “grow, make connections and manage your business better.”
Some executives include Linked-In in their email auto signature.
And then there are Twittering CEOs, like Tony Hsieh, of Zappos.com. Your first thought might be: the CEO of a billion dollar company is the ideal twitter-er. Many business users would want to read his business strategies and advice. That’s true. However, Tony often tweets about his life – doctor appointments, hotel room service and his gardener. Some in the industry say he’s a social media genius, comfortably interacting with a new technology while creating a level of deep intimacy and behind-the-scenes information. Others wonder how long people will continue to care when a CEO has a cup of coffee.

How to best use social media may be a gray area; however, the interaction has quickly become an expectation. 93% of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media, while an overwhelming 85% believe a company should not only be present but also interact with its consumers via social media.

Originally posted on blog.mediabrains.com