Part III: Strategy Delivery
Chapter 8
YOUR BEST ADVOCATES
Helping staff share expertise with customers is the best way to build your brand
In Short
- How conversations are marketing.
- Why staff network matters.
- What customers want from you in social media.
Overview
In this chapter Euan Semple, who has worked on social media projects for organizations like the BBC, World Bank and Nato, explains why conventional advertising and marketing have had their day. Being “targeted” and having “campaigns” aimed at you feels more like combat than custom.
People are suspicious of the artifice of television advertising, preferring the viral video or genius tweet to the expensive ad or press release driven copy. Given these shifting expectations I will make the case in this chapter that your staff have the potential to be your best advocates and customers will increasingly want real conversations with real people working in the companies whose products they buy. Cut the cost of your expensive ad agencies and start having your own conversations with your own customers in a tone that suits them and in the places they want to meet you. The chapter will explore the whys and hows of staff advocacy and lay out the risks and benefits to your business of adopting this radical way of reconnecting with both your customers and your staff.
Marketing
Brand used to mean the trust resulting from consistently high quality products or behaviour. Increasingly it means carefully managed spin. In addition, most ...
