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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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I’m middle-aged and I’m very attached to my privacy. I started on Facebook when two things happened simultaneously: a client “friended” me and an old friend made it clear that FB was the best way to keep up with her. Within a few months, I’d connected with a high school friend (among others) and was posting pictures of my “girls’ weekend.” I’m still restrictive with my privacy settings but I’m a fan of people, organizations and causes, I occasionally tweet and I’m connected to all kinds of online communities, running the gamut from information providers to purveyors of fun.

Have I purchased anything I wouldn’t have because of social media? Not yet. But my purchase decisions have been influenced by it. I’ve hired services recommended through Angie’s List and I just signed up—via a social media site—to receive notices on discounts for local services, including restaurants. And that’s hitting me where I live—if I’m going to make an impulse purchase, it’ll be for a cocktail and a snack (but I digress).

I’m interacting with complete strangers about things I care about. I’m donating more. I’ve become more attached to brands that make the effort to connect with me and that’s changing what and where I purchase.

Even though I don’t spend more than an hour or two with social media each week, if you don’t provide a place for me to connect with you, I’ll find someone else who does (or they’ll find me). I know I’m not everybody’s demographic—but I’m somebody’s.

Is anyone else surprised by their own relationship with social media?

Beth Woolley wants to know…

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Levi’s is teaming up with Pandora.com  to sponsor an annual interactive poster contest  to support youth music education for a cash prize.

They’ve got: co-branding, social media, and a philanthropic cause… the perfect recipe for community engagement.

http://pandora.votigo.com/poster/

-Bianca Abate

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Companies have internal cultures that either have the capacity to support their use of social media or they don’t. What they need to realize is that to build brand communities that support their business goals, they must look at how they develop the strategic direction for the organization and the cultural fluency with their people to support a multi-directional dialog among customers, employees, and other stakeholders. David Armano points out that it is a people issue not just a technology issue.

We couldn’t agree more. Becoming, what we call, a social brand is the lifeboat for this sea change in communication that the web enabled. We will be talking more about social branding in subsequent posts, but briefly, it means building a shared promise among all your constituents (bringing together how your employees, customers, partners and stakeholders value the brand) so they can influence and shape the brand community in a way that provides value to all. People are key to this, and the way your culture is shaped is key to success in this new paradigm.

–Jen Travis

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