Looking Back

This semester has been crazy. I got the chance to experience new things. Thankfully, this year is almost over. I only have three finals next week and I will be done with my junior year! Before finals week begins, I want to look back at some of my favorite moments of spring semester.

The first thing I did this semester was the 20th anniversary dance concert. I got to perform in a body percussion dance, which was so much fun. It reminded me of STOMP, which I saw in New York during fall break. The excessive snow resulted in two cancelled rehearsals, but everything came together in the time we had. It was a blast and I would love to do it again.

I was pretty busy with Tau Beta Sigma. I became a big sister to two wonderful new members, Olivia and Kay. In late February, our chapter also held its 50th anniversary celebration. Although the actual anniversary isn't until May 17, it was easier to get a large amount of people if we held the celebration during the school year. 

The following month, we hosted the North Central District Convention! For this, we worked with the Kappa Kappa Psi chapter on campus. We promoted the convention through traditional mail and social media. The chapters in our district received a letter about convention. A Facebook event was created, and numerous emails were sent prior to convention. In the end, we held a very successful convention.

The other big thing was looking for an internship. With my interest in social media, I did countless searches online for anything that sounded interesting. I applied for a few of my favorites and waited for a response. During spring break, I got an offer for a trial internship with Dumblebee, a social network and advice forum. It would be a week so I could see if I liked it, and I would be evaluated at the end of the week. I am happy to say I am an intern with Dumblebee! If you're in need of advice, check out Dumblebee and get the advice you want.

I was a little nervous during my trial week, but it wasn't too bad. My first day, I got a package in the mail and it contained two t-shirts, two mugs and a little bag of business cards. I was really excited and it pumped me up. How can you resist the bumblebee?

I am really excited to finish up my junior year. At the same time, I'm nervous because I'll only have one more year of school. However, I won't worry so much about that right now. My main goals are to finish this year, complete my internship and enjoy life!

An Analysis of The Face-to-Face Book

The-Face-to-Face Book was very different from the other two books in Digital Branding. While the other books stressed the importance of online communication, this book explained how offline communication is an important tool. Authors Ed Keller and Brad Fay seemed to be against social media as a good marketing strategy. 

I thought The Face-to-Face Book was assigned because Keller and Fay discussed word-of-mouth and real relationships, compared to online communication. While the class focused on online branding, the book explained how word of mouth is important, and can help or hurt a brand. When a company is talked about positively, it helps promote the brand. On the other hand, negative word of mouth allows others to share their bad experiences, hurting a brand. It also helps to have an integrated strategy for marketing. There should be a mix of online and offline communication for a successful marketing strategy. Some people may favor offline communication, while others prefer online communication, such as reviews and ratings.

Keller and Fay discuss how a brand becomes talk-worthy, which can apply to digital branding. Through influencers, word of mouth, and relationships, people learn and talk about different brands. Influencers share their knowledge with others and tell people about the brands they advocate. Word of mouth can be done in multiple ways. People can talk to others, or share their thoughts online. Finally, brands should focus on creating relationships with their customers. If brands do this, the customers are more likely to be loyal to the company and talk about the company.

There were things I liked and disliked about this book. I liked how Keller and Fay included case studies of the concepts they discussed. Instead of just explaining a concept, they provided examples of how the concept was utilized in real life. One interesting example was Target's first store in New York. The ad included Target's logo, but did not reveal the company. This allowed Target fans in the area to feel special and "in the know." I did not like how the book seemed to only favor real-life communication and not social media. While it is important to actually talk to people, there are other ways to promote and discuss a brand, such as online reviews. Plus, if companies are not online, customers will still complain. These complains will grow, while the companies still believe they are doing a good job, although online comments may give a different opinion.

I think this book should stay on the Digital Branding reading list. While it focuses on oral communication, it can still apply to the online world. People can spread word of mouth online, either by writing a review for a product or discussing a company on social media. It gives readers another perspective on branding that may not be a main priority today. This book gives a mix of online and offline communication that can be beneficial for companies.

A main idea of this book is relationships between a company and its customers, which is a main idea of the other two books I read for this class. When a customer experiences a problem and writes the company about the problem, that person shouldn't have to wait for a solution. It is important for the company to act quickly to fix the issue. 

Companies should have an active presence on social media. Current and potential customers are online, so companies should follow suit. It is also important for companies to check what is being said about them. If they don't, they may be unaware of negative feedback, like Dell experienced in 2005. Also, when customers complain or ask questions, the company should answer in a relatively quick manner. If not, customers may become unhappy with the company and take their business to another company.

Although this book sparked more discussion, it was interesting to read. New perspectives to marketing allow for new ideas to form, which could help companies in the future.

Dell's Negative Word of Mouth

Word of mouth can be either positive or negative. When a company is mentioned negatively, it can also affect the company negatively. People may share their bad experiences with others. In addition, they may stop buying products from that company. Ed Keller and Brad Fay discuss negative word of mouth in Chapter 8 of The Face-to-Face Book.

In 2005, Dell suffered from negative word of mouth. Jeff Jarvis, a well-known blogger, explained the bad service he received from Dell about his "lemon," (p. 186) or bad computer. He blogged for a few weeks and was never satisfied about Dell's lack of a reaction. Finally, he wrote to Dell's Chief Marketing Officer and received a refund, which satisfied him. He selected to receive a refund because the company took so long to respond to his issue. While he was waiting for a response, he decided to buy an Apple computer.

Dell was not listening to what Jarvis wrote. At first, the company did not know that people were becoming unhappy with the company. The posts by Jarvis reached many people and the unhappiness with Dell skyrocketed. Other people began to share their negative experiences with the company. Eventually, when people searched "Dell Sucks" (p. 187) on Google, Jarvis's posts were ranked fifth. When Dell found out about the negative posts and the dissatisfaction, they were not impressed. The company had a focus on being direct with customers. This idea of being direct also applied to relationships with customers. If a customer had a problem, Dell wanted to fix it as soon as possible. This did not happen with Jarvis.

Jarvis did not want to continue his business with Dell. He went and bought a new computer from a different company. When people write about a bad experience, they want it fixed as soon as possible. They don't want to wait for days and weeks for a response from the company. If people have to wait, they will likely follow Jarvis's example and lose faith in the company. Also, they may decide to not buy anything else from the company.

It is very common for people to write negative reviews of a product or company. When a negative review is posted, it can be a catalyst for others to share their thoughts. Dell is one example on how a flood of negative word of mouth can hurt a company. It is also important for companies to keep track on what is being said about them. If a company does not do that, they may become unaware of negative feedback.

Word of Mouth Helps House Party

Word of mouth is one way people can talk about a product or brand. By talking directly to other people, people can ask and receive answers to their questions quickly. One way word of mouth works is by hosting events. Ed Keller and Brad Fay discuss word of mouth in Chapter 8 of The Face-to-Face Book.

Gene DeRose was one of the first people hired to work at Jupiter Communications. After being promoted to the head of research, he eventually became the Chief Executive Officer for the company. However, Jupiter was sold when the company's value quickly dropped. However, DeRose was not discouraged. The Internet's role in marketing kept his spirit up. His new goal was to start a company where marketers could acsess in-home brand experiences for consumers, courtesy of the Internet. He wanted social people to have the chance to entertain others by hosting events in the comfort of their home.

DeRose's goal came true in 2005, when House Party was created. House Party allows people to host in-home events for friends and family. Interested people can fill out a survey so they can potentially host events they are interested in. A House Party client sponsors every event. Some of their well-known sponsors include Kraft, McDonald's, and Ford. There is a new thing shared at each party, whether it is a new item, a worthy cause, or even a television show. The goal is to build up conversation before, during and after the party, and that is exactly what happened. 

Thanks to word of mouth, House Party has been successful for nearly ten years. There is the possibility for discussion about an event in every stage: before, during and after. People can build up hype about an event and make it sound like a fun thing to attend. There can be discussions and questions at the event. Afterwards, people can discuss their thoughts on the event on social media or through face-to-face conversations. The post-event discussion can make other people want to attend a party or even host their own party.

Using Social Media in Moderation

In advertising, social media has been used modestly with most companies. A brand that primarily focuses on social media for advertising, such as PepsiCo, is not very successful. However, brands that use social media modestly, such as Zappos and Old Spice, have had more success. These brands understand social media is only one medium for advertising and there are other available channels. Ed Keller and Brad Fay discuss how social media should be used in moderation in Chapter 6 of The Face-to-Face Book.

Keller and Fay begin their discussion with Facebook. Dan Rose, Facebook's vice president for partnerships, is a regular speaker for the company. In 2011, Rose spoke at a marketing event to explain the impact Facebook has on culture and business. He stated while Facebook is a took to record your activities, Facebook is also an activity in itself. Rose also discussed how people are more likely to remember an ad if a friend's name pops up in the ad. By including a name in the advertisement, it is more likely someone will remember the ad and purchase the item in the ad. The person who saw the ad would be more likely to remember the friend's name, and then the ad. Then, the person may tell others about the ad.

Apple is considered to be a great brand from the word-of-mouth perspective. The company did not have a Facebook page in summer 2011. Also, they had a light Twitter presence with two feeds. One feed focused on the App store, while the other was dedicated to the iTunes music store. These feeds mainly promote apps and music and do not have a strong focus on engaging with consumers. Apple relies a lot on the retail stores, not social media. By relying on stores, they want potential customers to come into a store and check out their products. Apple is a successful company because of the marketing and design of their products. Apple shows how a company can be successful and not use social media on a frequent basis.

Later in the chapter, Keller and Fay explain how brands use social media correctly. These brands use social media as a way to learn what people say about them. They do not try to learn what people say about them in real life. Social media is a supplement to other channels to share news and promotions. Also, social media is used as a way to help with customer service, but it is not the only way to get assistance. While successful brands have a social media presence, they do not rely solely on social media. They use a variety of channels to get their advertisements out to the public.

I agree with the idea of using social media in moderation. Social media has to be used in conjunction with other mediums, such as television and print advertisements. Not everyone is glued to social media. Some people prefer a print or television ad to check out. Those types of advertising should still exist. When social media and other mediums are used in advertising, it has the potential to reach the maximum number of potential customers.

Word of Mouth and the Internet

Ed Keller and Brad Fay explain how a brand's successful advertising results in conversation. When an advertisement is done correctly, it makes people curious to learn more about a particular item or brand. Advertising makes people talk about a brand. People want to talk about brands for a number of reasons. They can share their experiences with a particular brand. Also, they can learn more information about a brand they do not know. Chapter 5 of The Face-to-Face Book discusses the importance of word of mouth and how the Internet plays a huge role in creating word of mouth.

Good advertising has the ability to create a good amount of word of mouth, one factor in determining the success of advertising. Word of mouth is not generated through one medium. However, the Internet has become the channel that creates the most conversation. Keller and Fay's research explains how the Internet creates offline conversations to help make successful advertising. When a persons views an online advertisement, it can become a conversation starter, such as, "Did you see that soap commercial?" The other person may or may not have watched that commercial. If the other person did, there would be a discussion about the commercial and the brand. If not, the person who watched the commercial could share the information with the other person.

There are three categories of messages that are delivered online: paid, brand-owned and earned. In word of mouth conversations, the Internet is referred to 16 percent of the time. A company website follows at 5.2 percent, while an Internet ad is mentioned 4.5 percent of the time. Other websites are talked about in 3.1 percent of the conversations. Online consumer reviews and social media are mentioned 2.9 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. While the elements do not surprise me, the percent of social media reference does surprise me. I thought social media would be mentioned in at least 10% of conversations. There are blogs and social networking sites where people share their thoughts and opinions about products and brands, both positive and negative. With the growth of social media, I expected it to be referenced more than 2.6 percent.

The Internet also plays a role before, during and after conversation. Keller Fay did a study for Google in 2010 that determined the role of the Internet in conversation, compared to television and print. The study found that the Internet and television play equal roles before conversation, while the Internet takes a higher role during and after conversation. The Internet was found to be a leader in each phase. Before a conversation, a person may find an interesting item or brand online, which can become a conversation starter. During a conversation, if an item or brand is mentioned, a person can do a search for that item or brand. Once a conversation ends, a person can look online for more information about that brand or item.

The Internet has a large impact on creating word of mouth for brands and items. There is creative advertising online that sparks interest and conversation. There are a number of ways to refer to an online advertisement, such as an Internet ad or social media. The Internet also leads the way in the conversation process. While there are other mediums out there, the Internet is leading the way for word of mouth conversations.

The Components of Influencers

In Chapter 3 of The Face-to-Face Book, Ed Keller and Brad Fay describe an influencer as "a person who has a greater than average reach or impact through word of mouth in a relevant marketplace" (p. 60). Everyday people can be considered influencers. An influencer does not need a large amount of Facebook friends or Twitter followers. Based on literature and their experience as market researchers, Keller and Fay discuss three key components of an influencer: means, motive and opportunity.

First, Keller and Fay explain why an influencer needs to have the means to stay in contact with others. If a person does not talk to others, it is difficult to spread new ideas. It is important for people to have a strong real-life social network. When an influencer has a large group of people to interact with, the influencer can actively be involved in the conversation. It is also important to talk to others frequently. By talking to others on a regular basis, an influencer can spread a number of new ideas to those people.

Another way to determine if someone is an influencer is motive. Influencers always want to know about the new thing. Influencers will also use various channels to stay informed. They will use social media, attend stores and expos and talk with others about the latest trends. They can talk to others either in-person or through social media. Influencers have to consistently learn about new trends so they can share their thoughts, which keeps them motivated to learn about the newest trends.

Opportunity is the last aspect of an influencer. Influencers must be willing to share their new information with other people. Typically, the opinions of influencers can sway a person's decision. When people read product reviews, they may favor an influencer's review more than other reviews of the same product. That may persuade someone to either purchase or not purchase an item. Also, influencers can use social media to share their thoughts and information. When influencers use social media, more people can find that information and share it with their friends. As a result, even more people learn about this information.

Influencers can impact the decisions of others. They have to have the means, the motive and the opportunity in order to be considered an influencer. They have to talk to people regularly, learn about the latest trends and share new information with others. They do not need a huge following online. It is more important to have more real-life relationships with people. Anyone can become an influencer, as long as they have these three qualities.

Talking About Brands

There are many recognizable brands that exist. It's hard to talk about every single brand. Some brands are discussed frequently, while other brands are not talked about. Why do people talk about some brands, but not others? Ed Keller and Brad Fay use Chapter 2 of The Face-to-Face Book to discuss what causes people to talk about a brand.

People talk a lot about a brand or company when a new product is available. What about well-known brands? Are they talked about? Keller and Fay believe people should ask these questions and discuss Seth Godin's 2003 book, The Purple Cow. In the book, Godin's family traveled to France. On the way to France, they passed many pastures with cows. Eventually, the cows were not interesting and the family ignored the cows. However, a purple cow would get noticed because it would be a unique cow. Godin states many products are not unique enough to demand attention. If a brand has something remarkable, people will remember it and talk about the brand (p. 31). That idea remains true today. When a brand has something that is different from other brands, that different item makes people talk. That unique item is the cause for discussion.

Chick-fil-A's "Daddy-Daughter Date Nights" are one reason people talk about the brand. Different restaurants hold these date nights throughout the year. It is common for the restaurant to be closed to the general public, making the evening more special for the fathers and daughters who attend. Chick-fil-A provides each pair with a tray liner with conversation starters, allowing for good conversation. They also receive a take-home booklet filled with ideas for other activities fathers and daughters can do together (p. 46). I really like Chick-fil-A's "Daddy-Daughter Date Nights" idea. It gives fathers and daughters an opportunity to talk and catch up on each other's lives. They also get to spend quality time with each other and build their relationship.

Brands need that special thing that causes people to talk about them. When brands have a unique item, it gives people something to talk about. If someone has that special item, that person can act as a brand ambassador and talk about the product and the brand. As a result, more people may learn about the brand and check the brand out. The Purple Cow and Chick-fil-A's "Daddy-Daughter Date Nights" are just two examples of a special thing other brands do not have. These are things that get people talking, which brands want. Brands want people to talk about them, whether it is through word of mouth or social media. When people talk about a brand, that brand stays relevant, as it is considered important enough to talk about.

Pizza Hut as a Leader in Social Media

Pizza Hut, Inc. is the world's largest pizza chain, with more than 13,000 outlets in 92 countries. The brand was recognized as one of Interbrand's "2010 Global 100 Best Brands" and also ranked in the top half for social media engagement. Pizza Hut uses social media as a way to interact with fans. Bernie Brennan and Lori Schafer use Chapter 10 of Branded! to discuss how Pizza Hut uses social media.

Pizza Hut has made ordering a pizza easy, via their Web site and Facebook app. Typically, to order a pizza to eat at home, you have to call the restaurant and place your order. Pizza Hut's Web site shows customers how to order online. Customers are able to save items, so it is simple to reorder in the future. It is quicker for customers to order online and there is less chance for error. In additon to ordering on the Web site, Pizza Hut created an app where customers can order a pizza without leaving Facebook. With Facebook's popularity, the company wanted to have a presence so they could be involved in the conversation.

The Facebook page of Pizza Hut provides a lot of information. There are positive comments from customers and customer service issues. Company posts are about the latest marketing campaign and corporate initiatives, such as the BOOK IT! program. The page also has a link to an iPhone app, as well as a discussion forum, polls, videos and upcoming events. These features allow fans to interact with the company and share information from the company with their friends. By sharing content, more people could become interested in Pizza Hut. In addition, Pizza Hut could get more customers.

At first, Pizza Hut's Twitter page was not as successful as Facebook. That changed when the company hired its first "Twintern," a summer intern who focused on communication on Twitter. In June 2009, Alexa Robinson became the first Twintern for Pizza Hut. She tweeted about giveaways, the iPhone app, new products and more. When she first started, the page had 3,000 followers. That number increased tenfold in just a few months. Robinson was very successful and became a "Tweetologist," a Twitter specialist for Pizza Hut.

Forbes Magazine named Pizza Hut's "Killer App" as the top branded mobile application of 2009. Users can order pizza, pasta and wings. While users wait for their food, they could play the Hut Racer game, where they navigate a course to get the best time. The app is practical and fun, combining the ability to order food and play games in one. The app was downloaded more that one million times in its first year. It has also received a number of awards.

Through their use of social media, Pizza Hut has been very successful. The ordering process is easier, which may result in more repeat customers. The Facebook and Twitter pages provides fans with information they can share with their friends. The "Killer App" not only lets users order food, but they can also play games. Pizza Hut has been a leader and continues to use social media to interact with fans and get them involved in the conversation.

Wet Seal Caters to Teens Through Social Media

Wet Seal is a clothing store geared towards teenagers who want to follow the latest trends. The company has a unique social media strategy. Teens can create their own outfits and rate other outfits. Additionally, they can talk about current styles with their friends. Bernie Brennan and Lori Schafer use Chapter 6 of Branded! to focus on this strategy and the success of the company.

Wet Seal's customers are very familiar with social media and mobile technology. In 2007, Outfitter, Wet Seal's online social community, was formed by chief executive officer Ed Thomas and chief information officer Jon Kubo. Outfitter allows users to create outfits that are placed in virtual closets. Also, these outfits can be voted on by other Outfitter users. This allows users to see what the most popular outfits are. Also, if a user creates an outfit and it is very popular, it is likely other people will buy it, because it has been approved by others.

The Facebook presence of Wet Seal is growing quickly. In its first year, Wet Seal's Facebook page had close to 650,000 fans. Fans get exclusive coupons, check out behind-the-scenes photos and videos and interact with other fans. The newest tool is the "Shop with Friends" app. The app allows customers to shop with friends and family online in real time, as both parties view the same Web page. The parties can ask and answer questions during a shopping session. This is a new idea that could be successful in other stores.

Twitter and YouTube are also used by Wet Seal. While Twitter is not as popular, there are many tweets about Wet Seal that can be seen daily. The company has a YouTube channel with videos from photo shoots and fashion contests. Also, fans can post videos that show their "Wet Seal Haul." Fans can show off what they recently bought.

I think Wet Seal has a good social media strategy that is appropriate for their audience. The Outfitter app allows fans to create and vote on their favorite outfits. The "Shop with Friends" app lets a customer get insight about a possible outfit from a friend. "Wet Seal Haul" videos are a new way for fans to interact with the company. Also, people watching a "Wet Seal Haul" video may be interested in an outfit and want to buy it, resulting in more sales for the company. As time passes, I believe Wet Seal will continue to add new mobile apps and grow their social media strategy.

Zappos Strives to Wow Customers

A lot of companies do not share their culture with the world. One exception to that is Zappos. Chapter 5 of Branded! explains how Zappos is adventurous and creates family spirit to give customers the "wow" factor. This company culture results in positive employees who treat customers the same way they are treated in the company. Zappos is now a leader in social media.

There are ten important values in the Zappos company. They are:

1. Deliver WOW through service.
2. Embrace and drive change.
3. Create fun and a little weirdness.
4. Be adventurous, create and open-minded.
5. Pursue growth and learning.
6. Build open and honest relationships with communication.
7. Build a positive and family spirit.
8. Do more with less.
9. Be passionate and determined.
10. Be humble.

It was interesting to learn the values were not created by just the management team. Chief executive officer Tony Hsieh allowed every employee to help develop the company's values. This showed Zappos as a united team with internal communication and dialogue between customers and vendors (p. 82).

Zappos is well known for using Twitter. The company started using Twitter in 2007 as a text messaging service between employees. The company eventually realized outside people could listen to these conversations. As time went on, people retweeted tweets from Zappos and interacted with Zappos employees. This helped create open communication, which is part of a key value of Zappos.

Zappos has found a way to "wow" their customers. Zappos employees treat customers the same way employees are treated. If a customer has a question on Twitter, an employee is able to answer that question. The core values of Zappos directs what employees should do and how they should do things. These work together to intrigue customers, who are more likely to use Zappos in the future.

Social Media for Your Business

In today's world, many people shop online. Chapter 1 of Branded! talks about bringing your store to your customers. This requires companies to utilize social media pages, such as Facebook and Twitter. Bernie Brennan and Lori Schafer also use the chapter to talk about customer engagement and the importance of social media for companies. 

The Internet is a powerful tool for customers. They can write product reviews, share their positive experience at a store, vent about a negative experience and so much more. This gives customers the ability to be in charge and share their thoughts on a store's products and experience. Companies should be interested to learn what people have to say. By listening to customers, companies can engage with customers and try to remedy any problems quickly, before they get bigger.

It is important for companies to use social media. Companies can monitor their social media pages to find out what people are saying about them. This includes positive and negative comments. Today, it is very common for an unhappy customer to post a rant on a company's Facebook page. If a company notices this post, an employee can respond to the post and try to help the customer. Not only does this show a human side to your company, but it also lets the customer know that someone cares and wants to fix the problem. On the other hand, if a customer posts a great experience, you can publicly thank that person for the compliment. 

When social media is used by a company, the brand is being amplified. If there is a post about an upcoming promotion, fans can share that post with their friends, who can share it with their friends. The message is being shared with more people, and as a result, more people could come into your store. These people would then be likely to share their experiences and thoughts with their friends through social media.

Social media is a powerful tool for businesses. They learn what customers are saying. Employees can help customers who experience a problem. Plus, the company's brand gets amplified when content is shared. While it may be overwhelming at first, companies can figure out if what they post gets a positive response, or if they need to change their messages.

Twitter as a Service Channel

Since March 2006, Twitter has grown into a main online community. Chapter 7 of Delivering Effective Social Customer Service talks about Twitter as a service channel. It is a great tool for companies to help customers when they have problems. Carolyn Blunt and Martin Hill-Wilson discuss how Twitter is used by people and companies.

Many people use Twitter on a daily basis. Blunt and Hill-Wilson provide some interesting facts. One in three people check Twitter during their commute. One in four use Twitter while shopping. Also, people who use mobile devices are 40 percent more likely to access Twitter multiple times in one day (168). These statistics do not surprise me. Twitter is a great way to get real-time updates. We want to stay informed, whether there is breaking news or a friend shares good news.

There are a number of tips that Blunt and Hill-Wilson give to companies, but three tips really stuck out to me. The first tip is for companies to acknowledge issues quickly. When we have a complaint, we want an answer now. We do not want to wait for hours or days for a response. Another tip is to be as human as possible in the response. People do not want a generic, automated response. One way to show a human side is to use initials or first names to end a response. This shows a personal side of the company. The final tip is for companies to be empathetic. You want to show customers that you understand how they feel. The phrase "I am sorry" is very important.

Twitter is a great way to assist customers with their questions and complaints. In today's world, when we have a question, we want an instant answer. When we get that instant answer, we are more likely to thank the company on Twitter and other social media sites. By including a name or initials in the response, it shows a human side of the company. I think Twitter will continue to be a main service channel for many years to come.

Peer-to-Peer Support and its Benefits

Chapter five of Delivering Effective Social Customer Service talks about peer-to-peer support. Carolyn Blunt and Martin Hill-Wilson discuss how communities work and the benefits of these communities. These online communities have been used for over 20 years. Some communities have matured into a main point for engagement. Team members receive valuable insight from communities.


Blunt and Hill-Wilson also talk about the 90/9/1 rule. These three numbers show the three main forms of participating in an online community. 90 percent of the users are considered lurkers. While these people read and observe, they do not contribute to the community. Nine percent of users occasionally contribute. Finally, one percent of users participate frequently. This one percent is responsible for most of the content in a community.


I was very surprised to learn about the 90/9/1 rule. There are online communities, such as forums, that would consider me to be a lurker. On the other hand, the one percent that posts most of the content was a shock. However, there are times where these people may post just to get attention and turns a conversation into an argument.


With online communities, there are bound to be benefits. Michael Maoz, a Gartner distinguished analyst vice president, observed four communities in action for one year. He found that on average, over 40 percent of customers resolve their issues in the community. This resulted in a 15 percent reduction of service cases. Finally, the average return on investment was 100 percent within 15 months. 



Maoz's findings did not really surprise me. When people can solve their issues in the community, it saves them time and they do not have to wait for a professional to help them. It is common for people to share questions in an online community, where others who have experienced the same thing can give their input.

Social Customer Service Ecosystem

Chapter three of Delivering Effective Social Customer Service talks about the ecosystem for social customer service. It is important to have a broad ecosystem that includes more than just social networking sites. An ecosystem causes people to think in a broad sense. Carolyn Blunt and Martin Hill-Wilson talk about the benefits of visualizing an ecosystem. It provides companies with an easier way to determine demand for customer service.


Blunt and Hill-Wilson discuss a way to visualize this ecosystem. Social listening is at the center, while corporate blogs, peer support and ecommerce reviews are the next level. The third outermost level includes social networking sites. Finally, the final level includes self-help forums, online communities, expert sites, review sites and personal blogs. The levels closer to social listening have a stronger influencing ability than the levels closer to the outside of the ecosystem.


Blunt and Hill-Wilson also stress the importance of a customer community as part of the social customer strategy. It is a way to build integration and interaction. Self-help forums are one way to help create a customer community. A customer can search the forum and see if another customer has experienced the same problem. If so, other customers may have provided feedback on how to solve the problem. In addition, the company can also assist the customer. It can be quicker to figure out the solution to a problem by searching the forum than sending an email to the company.


I believe it is important to have a visualization of an ecosystem. It shows how some sources can influence others easily, while it is harder for other sources to influence people. I agree with the idea of including more than just social networking sites in the ecosystem. Social networking sites do not have the strongest ability to influence others, which surprised me. By including more sources, there are more opinions and more talk about your company, which is better than no talk.