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.