It’s a common in social media to hear: “People are talking! About you! Better listen!”, but I’m wondering if that’s always the case.
The entire “People Are Talking” idea certainly makes sense for bigger brands. Sure people are talking about Coca-Cola, and Nike, and Ford, but what about Every Man Jack? What about Optimum Nutrition? They’re both (very good) national brands, but there isn’t a lot of online chatter around either.
What about your brand? How many people are talking about you?
My point is this: Unless you’re a small Mom & Pop operation (and sometimes even then), people are probably talking about you. However, unless you’re a bigger brand, odds are they aren’t saying that much.
In the case that you’re not Microsoft, you probably don’t need a team dedicated to “listening” on the internet, you probably don’t need Radian6 (but if you’re big enough, they’re awesome). Empowering your employees to take pride in their brand and respond online should be enough.
And hey, if you’re not happy with the quiet? Just take some advice from Paul Isakson.
4 Responses and Counting...
People may not be talking about Mom & Pop operations in large scale online, but they are definitely talking (even raving) about them in smaller local circles.
Small mom and pop companies need to be aware of this local discussion just as much as (probably even more than) online discussion of their brand/company.
The best way to find that unique restaurant in the city is from your friends or friend of a friend, etc. If you're that unique restaurant, you're probably hoping people are saying good things.
I agree that people are still talking about the M&P places, and that it's important for them to listen, but not to the point of having dedicated resources. It's always a good idea to respond to any mentions, but there may not be that many.
Taking things offline is a whole other ballgame. As a small business owner/employee you have to understand that you're one of the few ambassadors of that brand, and a lot of the “word of mouth” vibe is up to you.
What?! You mean they aren't talking about moi??!?!?
) Great point Matt, there are just some companies/industries etc. that no one is talking about on-line, but does that mean a company still should be out there? Social media isn't a silver bullet or one size fits all…but just wondering what you think.
BTW, you never call or write! You must fix that. LOL!
Great points, Matt.
While you might not find any references to “mom & pop” by name on Twitter search, it's possible people are still talking about them. Millions of conversations about businesses happen every day, but without reference to the brand. How many times have you seen “Just had an awesome salad at a little Italian restaurant in _______.”
What mom & pop's restaurant needs is some brandbuilding.
Another reason to be present in the social media space, even if they're not talking about you, is that they may be talking about your competitor. If I were a small business owner and saw that nobody's talking about me but they're talking about my competitor down the street, I'd be motivated to find a cure.
Important discussion, Matt…thanks for getting it started.