"Facebook? MySpace? Twitter? Aren't these just teenage fads?"
To some degree, you are right. But it is MUCH more than that. They are examples of titles you may have heard before: Social Media and Social Networking. Are they valuable to you? Without a doubt. Let's review what these terms mean, how they have worked in the past and what you can do to take advantage of them.
SOCIAL MEDIA
In its essence, social media allows us to easily exchange information in many different formats without time or distance being a factor. One example of this is the Community Portal. Us GTS folk can create information and share it with you in an instant, no matter where you are. You, in turn, can create information and share it with us. It may be in the form of a discussion (forum), a blog post, a video or more.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Social networking allows you to keep in touch with people you would normally lose track of. Because of that, you can keep in touch with many more people. In the past, to keep in touch with someone you would have to keep a rolodex, or use Outlook to manage contacts. But what if one of those contacts changed their email or phone. You might not ever know. Using social networking they change the information and you are always updated. You may use LinkedIn and get connected with many professionals you would not normally be able to keep in contact with. Sometimes you only want a casual connection and don't always want to send a Christmas card. This allows for those casual connections. It also helps you find people with the expertise you might be looking for - like our "People" section of the Community Portal. (In fact, if you are so inclined, sign up for LinkedIn and join the AUTO GLASS networking group and get connected with others in the industry.)
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Sure, social media and networking can be abused (and my opinion is that often it is). But within the tools out there are silver linings that can turn golden. Here are a couple examples of how social media has helped two companies.
COMCAST
A technician came to a customer's home to do some repair. Instead, the person ended up sleeping on the couch for over an hour while on hold with Comcast. The home owners took a video, quickly edited it and posted it to the Internet:
Thousands of people saw it. They passed it on to friends. Others (who had similar experiences) posted their videos. Soon, ComcastMustDie.com was born. Anyone who had a bad experience with Comcast could post their experience. It was a PR nightmare for Comcast. Then one Comcast person decided to use the very thing that created the mess to their advantage. They joined ComcastMustDie.com and started resolving customers' concerns. Another employee created @ComcastCares on Twitter and started servicing customers there as well. Instead of making the customer come to Comcast to voice concerns, the employees went to the customers.
As a result, Comcast's service has greatly improved and they turned a disaster into a an opportunity to deliver better customer service.
BLENDTEC
How do you make a food blender popular and stand out from all the others? That was the question the president of Blendtec was trying to answer. Think of it - nothing could be more generic than a food blender. But how to do you make the world take notice of YOUR blender? The answer was to do what blenders do best. Blend. Blend without reservation. Blend iPhones, garden hoses, Transformer toys, oh, and food (even if it is still in a can). Then video the blending and create WillitBlend.com and make it easy for people to share it with others.
The result? Thousands of people viewed it and passed it on to thousands more. The blender was featured on the Discovery Channel. The president of Blendtec is now on a speaking tour. There is a rumored 500% increase in sales.
And these are not the only two companies that have benefitted from Social Media. Dell. Zappos. McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Southwest Airlines. Companies of ALL sizes, shapes and products.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Don't think that people have been talking about your business? Think again. Do some research. I would not be surprised if people are already talking about you.
THE BOTTOM LINE
You can ignore the conversations and pretend they are not happening or you can go to your customers. You can use social media to increase your business, or you can let your competitor do it. It is up to you. But to ignore it is pure craziness.
If you need help, let us know. But don't ignore this so-called teenage fad. Sure, there are faddish elements, but there are other elements you and your business can really take benefit from.
UPDATE: POST SCRIPT
I mentioned Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Let me explain each very quickly in reverse order...
TWITTER - Say what you want to say, but you are limited to 140 characters. When you "tweet" (create a message on Twitter) everyone can see it. It is referred to as a micro-blogging platform. This basically means that you can post information out to the world and anyone can answer. Not that everyone's posts come to you. When you sign up you can follow certain people or companies and receive only their updates. For example, follow GTS.
MYSPACE - This was the first site that made it easy for anyone to customize their site and add anything they want to - videos, music, flash animation - anything. It also allowed you to connect to others very easily be 'friending' them. Teenagers are the largest group of users. This was the first attempt at any service like this. Since many people are on it, it is still a good place to sign up with to advertise your business. Since its creation this type of service has grown up and the most popular current one is...
FACEBOOK - Originally started for college students to stay connected with each other, this is often referred to as a 'grown up MySpace'. It is not nearly as busy and, in the end will allow users to keep in contact with each other. Where as LinkedIn is more for keeping in contact with other professionals, Facebook traditionally is more for keeping in contact with friends on a social level, although it is heavily used on a professional level as well. Join the AUTO GLASS group on Facebook. (I know not everyone is auto glass focused - more groups coming...)