Dave’s Take

I’ve commented before about the negligible significance of social media in society; how Facebook, Twitter and all the rest are fun diversions, but serve little purpose in daily life. But now it appears that social networking sites have evolved to the point where they can finally offer society some tangible benefits. While they might not offer a cure for cancer, they can now help the American consumer with personal issues.

Led by national retail giant Best Buy, businesses are at long last embracing the immediacy of social sites to solve problems rather than to spin corporate advertising. Best Buy started a pilot program over six months ago that empowers their employees to interact with customers directly via Twitter and Facebook in dealing with product and store service inquiries. Since its inception, the Best Buy program has grown to include over 2,200 employees who are screened and instructed on how to best assist their customers.

And the customers are utilizing the new interactive avenue to the tune of over 15,000 regular “followers”. People are beginning to understand how they can communicate via Tweets to better their shopping experience. From product availability to pricing and delivery issues, consumers can now communicate directly with a store employee who will provide answers spontaneously. The Best Buy employees can accomplish this by referring the customer to a specific section of their website, sending them to a manufacturer’s site, or point them to a demo or ad link.

These new avenues of customer communication provide several advantages to their sponsors – mainly in brand loyalty and in reinforcing media direction and placement. This valuable feedback tells retailers how effective their media message is in regards to reaching the masses in a meaningful way. Clearly, if they keep getting bombarded with price or availability questions, they know it’s time to change their message. On the other hand, if customers share service complaints, etc. they know their employee training programs need some serious revamping.

Regardless of specific issues, consumers obviously like the immediacy of the program. A recent Nielson study discovered that nearly two-thirds of Twitter brand accounts deal with some level of customer service. Big players like Southwest Airlines, Comcast and Patagonia are all jumping into the social media customer service arena. They are now beginning to realize, like the rest of us, that social networking is finally beginning to serve a purpose other than wasting our time.

Lately there has been more buzz about Twitter than the plight of the U.S. economy. The MSM has beaten the tweet phenomenon to death, making it out to be just one step short of sliced bread. Celebrities are tweeting, politicians are tweeting, even people who don’t normally embrace new media (Elizabeth Taylor, Larry King, John McCain) are sharing their most inane thoughts via the tweet. Which begs the question, ”Why do we need to be alerted to someone’s mindless140 character thoughts at any time of the day or night?” Personally, I don’t really care when Ashton Kutcher is headed to the grocery store to buy salad fixin’s or what Paris Hilton’s latest buzzword is. In my opinion, only twits tweet. However, actual social networking can provide substantive advantages to the businesses that embrace it.

Before you write me off as another guy who “just doesn’t get it,” think about this: While 83% of the Internet population is using some form of social media, less than 5% actually turn to it for advice on purchasing decisions. In a new study, “How People Use Social Media” by Knowledge Networks, researchers have discovered that social media is indeed lighting a new path for friends to connect, but not one that provides any real guidance on buying products or services. Not only is twitter and it’s brethren not the go-to, one-stop shops for quick advice, but only 16% of social media users say they are more likely to buy from a firm or service that advertise on social networking sites. The overwhelming way people decide on major purchasing decisions? Word of mouth. Wow, what a concept! The good news is that these stats prove you don’t have to spend big money on social sites to be successful, just provide a relevant presence for your company or service.

Despite their apparent inability to create sales, social media outlets are on a popularity upswing and businesses that ignore them do so at their own peril. Like any other tool in the toolbox, social media outlets should be kept in your marketing mix. I advise clients to open and maintain accounts on social sites like Facebook, Likedin and Tagged. I also encourage them to post informative blogs highlighting their solutions to popular problems and concerns. While they probably won’t make the cash register ring, they will keep your business or product topical and in people’s minds, which is half the marketing battle.

So remember, to keep the buzz about your company or product fluid, invest some time and thought into social networking. Concentrate your efforts on sites that allow you to create a positive image, not just a 140-character punch line. In other words, leave the tweeting to the birds.