Social media yahta-yahta-yahta. I think the last time that the business world was overtaken so completely by one innovation was when computers started appearing on desktops a couple of decades ago. Social media is just as revolutionary and takes just as much planning to make it work for you. But it’s critical because it’s where brand communities are built. And it’s overwhelming.

Most of us don’t have the resources to pull off intricately orchestrated marketing campaigns like Coca-Cola’s Expedition 206 or for a full-time engager like Lee Aase, Mayo Clinic Social Media Manager .

I say, so what! You can do some Internet research on your own to see what’s going on in your market space and what (if anything) is being said about you. You can start a Facebook page and build it up over time. You can join the throngs on Twitter and tweet when there’s something relevant to say. Start with a goal, create a plan and then stick to it. Be realistic about how much resource you can devote—even if it’s only 2 hours a week.

Why now? Because the world isn’t going to come rushing to your door the minute you get engaged. Just like any new friendship, it’s built in phases. First you meet, then you go out for coffee. If there’s chemistry and they find you interesting enough, your new friend might invite you to meet some of their friends…and so it goes. Brand community-building is the same. One-by-one steps that deepen the relationship.

If you don’t get out there now, your competitors will be out there tempting your customers to have coffee with THEM. You’ll have to dive in at some point—so why wait?

Your friend, Beth Woolley

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The brand that’s made me the happiest this year is Wolfgang’s Vault. I go there on a regular basis, often on Friday afternoons when I’m finishing up administrative tasks and need some ear candy. The more I listen, the more often I return. I’ve heard concerts by artists I wish I’d gone to and concerts from the same tours I saw “back in the day” by artists that hadn’t made it big yet. I started going to the site a couple of years ago to relive some great musical moments in my life—but now I’m getting much more.

I love that the Vault has branched out to newer artists and more recent concerts. Their A to Z list of performers is huge and inclusive, so I can experiment. There are artist interviews as well as concerts. There are lots of free downloads as well as ones you have to pay for. Plus concert listings in my area.

The website has improved steadily. It’s become increasingly easy to use and what Wolfgang’s Vault is adding, I’m enjoying. I must be in their target demographic—they’re hitting me in my soft spot and I love it!

What’s the brand lesson? Do one thing really well and build from there. Innovate around what you know and give your customers and fans an easy path to follow as you lead the way. If the substance is there and you demonstrate that you’re listening, you’ll keep your die-hards and win new ones.

Have a great 2010!

Beth Woolley

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If you weren’t too worried about your website and how it reflected your brand, there is an even bigger reason for you to start worrying, at least a little bit: Google Sidewiki. This new application from Google allows users to comment on your site and share their thoughts on their favorite social media sites. Don’t fear, however, as there are some great business use cases that demonstrate use of it to start conversations and allow your users to co-create content for your site.

What would you like people to say about your website (now that they can more publicly)?

–Jen Travis

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A colleague of mine has a great printing company—having worked with many printers, they are the best of them all at customer service and helping people figure out the best way forward with their printing needs. So imagine a scenario when they made a mistake, and thought they had resolved the issue to the clients’ satisfaction, only to find out that the disgruntled client used every social media venue, from reviews on Dex and Google Maps to Yelp, to flame and rant.

This is the dark side of social media: the ability to really hurt a good company. So what are the best practices when your reputation is under attack?

First, listen. My friend, Kevin Sullivan of CCS Printing, said:

“I had no idea these reviews were on Google (maps) and being seen by hundreds of customers a month until I did a search yesterday and saw the low star rating. So we’ve probably been losing some opportunities for 90 days due to our lack of inspection on reviews online. So, multiple morals to the story; First, take care of problems promptly (very promptly), second, inspect your brand online everywhere all the time, and third, have a plan in place to drive positive reviews from your willing and happy customers. The vocal minority often seem to outshout the happy majority. Happy customers don’t feel a need to take the time to say good things. But they might if they were asked nicely. One unhappy customer can assume multiple online personalities and trash your brand if they are vindictive enough.”

Kevin went on these sites and explained the situation in a reasonable and transparent way, a good response to a negative event.

So, if you’ve used CCS and had a great experience, take a couple of minutes online to say so. And keep listening to what the market is saying—and respond when you need to.

-Lynn Parker

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Last week we posted a quiz about how to develop online brands. So far, the thing you’d like most to do to improve your company’s online presence is:

• Keep your website content current and reflecting your brand
• Actively engage customers in ways that are meaningful to them
• Or, both

Which leads to this question posed by one of you:

• How can we get our customers and prospects more engaged on our blog and other social networks?

There’s no such thing as “build it and they will come.” Yes, first you build a website that gives visitors a true experience of your brand (through navigation, functionality, content and a visual look and feel that’s designed to meet your visitors’ reasons for coming to you in the first place). But the content is also important. It has to be meaningful, interactive, engaging and relevant (and somewhat fresh, so that they have a reason to visit more often than once). Content gives visitors a reason to believe that you are thinking through what’s most important to them.

Once you have your hub (your website) built and aligned with your brand, get out there and find, listen and engage in social networking. Just like you do for real-person encounters, research where your customers and influencers hang out online and start there. Join their community. Build trust. Say something interesting and drive them to your website or blog. If it is current, authentic and engaging that will inspire visitors to either join your blog conversation or mention you somewhere in their network. That’s how it works. It takes time, patience and a penchant for listening, but it pays off when you realize you are not just part of the conversation, but are the subject of conversation.

What are your thoughts? Do I make it sound too easy? What are the barriers you face in building your online presence?

If you haven’t taken the quiz yet, help keep the conversation going and give yourself a chance to win a Flip video camera all at the same time (just scroll down the page)…

Beth Woolley

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