Tech Buzz

The trend of social networking (or social media, if you prefer) is not about the technology of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or other networks. Yes, the technology is nice and has a lot of possibilities.

Relationship Marketing is about people connecting with people at certain levels to satisfy their needs for business and personal life. It is not about pushing stuff out to people. That’s the old way.

Social Networking is all about Relationship Marketing, or what I call R-Commerce. For over a decade I’ve said “It is NOT about E-Commerce (the Electronics); It’s about R-Commerce (the Relationships).” Social Networking is about connecting with people on a real level and helping them. As you help them and hear from them you do more for yourself.

Marketing is different today than before. In the old days, “push” marketing was the key to getting your message out to others. I remember reading magazines like Ad Age and other great marketing tools and various ads would encourage readers to “Buy Chicago” or “Buy Dallas.” By this, they meant to purchase time on their TV station, buy space in their magazine or newspapers, etc. etc. The idea was to take your products and services and push the idea of people buying into that market and “own” the market.

Things are different today.

If you are too “pushy” (used colloquially as a negative term now) you get rejected. I’ve talked about people in this column who were way too pushy and therefore lost respect and business. Instead of being “pushy” or even using a lot of “pull” you have to interact.

This is a different concept. Interaction means that we recognize how we are all interdependent in today’s world. No one can make it alone. You have to work with and through others to achieve your goals. Social Networking is a matter of finding out how others are feeling and where they are experiencing pain. You listen to their needs and find a way you can assist them. This is how success is achieved.

Here’s a story that illustrates how businesses must work with, not against, their customers that supports this. A while back a singer named Dave Carroll from Halifax flew United Airlines for a tour with his band. They flew from Halifax to Chicago and then on to Nebraska. While on the ground in Chicago O’Hare (a United hub) a passenger saw the way baggage handlers were dealing with luggage and commented about the treatment. One of those cases happened to be Dave’s and, sure enough, when he got to his destination in Nebraska, he discovered that United had broken his guitar.

Ouch!

Dave contacted United and for over a year tried to get resolution but United Airlines continued to say the easy “No.” I’m not familiar with the particulars of the situation and can’t cast blame on anyone, including United. However, what happened and how Social Media was involved affects you and me.

Dave wrote a funny song about the incident and posted it on YouTube which you can see at: http://tinyurl.com/knxyvm It is hilarious and instructive for you and me in our business.

In the past, Dave would have just had to suck it up and go on. Today, Dave, and people like him, have a vehicle where they can express displeasure to millions. As I write this, over 4.4 million people have viewed that video! In an update I see that United has made some attempts to resolve the situation. Gee, I wonder if they would have done something if there were no YouTube? Watch the video and I’ll let you decide.

My point is even bigger than what Dave Carroll has gone through. Think about your own business. Are customers satisfied with what you do? Would you like a video of your business along the lines of the “United Breaks Guitars” video?

Today, it is all about interaction, not push and not even pull. Listen to what others are saying and then provide that for them. It is not about all the fancy technology. It is about connecting with people, real, oxygen-breathing, blood pumping customers (!) who buy your products and services.

Of course, this is good old Marketing as it is supposed to happen. When I was in business school studying Marketing, we called this being customer focused.

Whatever form of Social Networking or Social Media you use, this has to be your focus. Don’t tell me just how great you are. Don’t tell me about the “new way to earn money on Twitter.” Identify key areas (do the keyword research for your industry) and find where people are hurting. Then craft unique, helpful tools for them. There’s no magic here and nothing new, but this is the way to succeed.

I hope United Airlines and other companies can adjust accordingly. Can you and I?

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/extraedge/consultants/succeeding_today/2009/08/03/column560.html?market=portland

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There simply must be a better way of doing things.

This was the thought I had last weekend as my daughter with the learner’s permit stomped down on the gas pedal instead of the brake, shooting us wildly, and in reverse, into the middle of the street. To divert attention away from this small error, she immediately began shouting at me for having the nerve to let out a gasp and for grasping the dashboard.

I had the same thought a few days later when she started to drive off with her little brother half in and half out of the car.

I feel the same about having to drive with a newly permitted teen as I did 10 years ago when a not-so-experienced doctor or doctor-to-be performed a spinal tap on my 6-year-old, as another, more experienced doctor talked and coached him through it.

I know teenagers have to learn to drive and I know that most doctors at some point have to perform their first life-threatening procedure on a real person, but I’d prefer not be present for either one.

There should be a better way.
For Pete’s sake, last March a company in Boston tested and released video footage of the first flying car. The goal is to manufacture a vehicle that a person can fly, land at an airport and then drive off the runway and onto the road. The push of a button and the wings fold up and disappear in just 35 seconds. It uses regular gas and can go for 500 miles on one tank. The company hopes to be selling them sometime next year.

In May it was announced that vegetables can communicate with their people folk, letting them know when they need some water. Plants will be equipped with microchips and will send text messages to farmers’ cell phones letting them know they are thirsty.

And speaking of vegetables, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently developed robots capable of watering and harvesting tomato plants, even being able to distinguish between ripe and unripe tomatoes. Their goal is to develop a completely autonomous greenhouse.

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