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Why You Never Had Control

Authors: Jay Baer Jay Baer
Posted Under: Social Media
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Do you have control issues?

juggling knivesEven now, with social media being hotter than the brow of a teppanyaki chef, companies of all sizes and descriptions are still using “loss of control” as a reason to not get involved.

Sure, there’s a possibility that your brand will have to use your social media crisis plan eventually. But, it’s critically important to recognize that social media isn’t a match, it’s a log.

Every major social media “disaster” in recent times has stemmed from offline, operational mishaps, not a cabal of angry customers armed with iphones and a pitchfork app. United broke the guitar in the real world. The guy at Domino’s put pizza in his real nose, not a virtual one. The Whole Foods CEO wrote a letter in a publication made from trees, not bits and bytes.

If you think social media is going to cause your company more problems than it will solve, you’ve lost before the coin toss. Social media doesn’t create problems for your company, it finds the ones that are already there.

And really, the size of the magnifying glass is the real difference between brand/customer relations BSM (before social media) and ASM (after social media).

This “control” you think you’ll lose if you engage with your customers in social media? You never had it. It’s a myth. A unicorn. A Cubs World Series. Customers have been talking shit about you since the day your company started, they just didn’t have the audience that social media now provides.

When it comes to being personal and authentic, and delivering a customer experience that exceeds expectations, the game hasn’t changed. There’s just more spectators.

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