If we hear it from enough people from across enough industries maybe the advocacy community will get it. Monitor online discussions, foster them, reach out to the leaders, engage people personally online (that is NOT an oxymoron) and address the issues people raise.
Tips
Kaushansky outlined a number of strategies to take advantage of the action online:
* Understand that it's all about communication, and encourage it. There will be a "lot of ugly discussion," he said. But companies should create forums for their customers to say whatever they want to say--good or bad.
* Reach out to the most influential members of your online communities, and in so doing, understand that every one of them is an individual. Some like to be contacted directly, while others like to interact only in a forum.
* Establish consumer advocacy programs by giving the community early information about new products, and even provide members with advance versions of the products. Then let them comment freely about the products.
* Transparency and honesty matter. Companies or company representatives who get involved in online communities need to make it plain who they are and what they represent. "There is nothing wrong with saying 'I'm from this company and I'd like to know how we can fix this problem,'" Kaushansky said. Pretending to be someone other than a representative of the company can lead to a public relations disaster.
Find people online. Talk with them. Answer lots of questions. Help them understand what you understand. Ask them for help. give them help. If someone called you would you talk with them? They are asking questions online don't make them pick up a phone and call you. When you talk with them online and you leave intelligent answers and ask for help and like to your site IT IS A FREE AD online much more powerful than a banner ad or google ad word.
Ask you members to do the same for you.
