I think I caught me a big one!!! (Groundswell Reflection #2)

The notion of  “embracing” the groundswell brings to mind a superfluous metaphor... As a young and impressionable child, my uncle Marvin would take my four brothers and I on venturesome fishing trips in the beautiful waters off of Cape Cod. Uncle Marvin taught us a type of fishing known as trolling.

Trolling in action... See as the fish are enticed by the variety of bait...

Unlike angling, which is done from a stationary position, trolling is achieved by slowly dragging several fishing lines through the water behind the boat. Long poles known as “downriggers” allow fishermen to drag the different lines at varying depths, depending on the type of fish being hunted. Trolling requires a knowledge of many different factors, such as water currents, water temperature, time of day, migrational patterns, etc. Other factors must be considered before simply tossing the lines into the water. The type of lure, for example, is essential, as specific types of fish are attracted to different colors, movements and shapes. A spoon lure, for instance, will entice different fish than a spinnerbait.

In the world of the groundswell, businesses are like fishing boats, slowly trolling the open waters. Consumers are the fish, in search for some tasty food.  Perhaps where this analogy falls short is that after capturing a segment of the groundswell, companies are best suited to not eat their customers;  Instead they must ENGAGE with them.  Most Internet users, like albacore tuna, revel in their online autonomy. Like fishermen at sea, in order to entice these free-swimming consumers, companies must exploit a broad range of tools and knowledge to build interest around their product.

Gaze, and enjoy the wonderment of the mighty albacore tuna.

In chapters 9 and 10, Li and Bernoff emphasize the need for marketers to take part in honest and substantive discourse with online consumers in order to develop a constructive relationship between buyer and seller. Li states, “… You need to do more than just ask for feedback.  You need to show that feedback online, good and bad, where people can see that you are ready to act on it, that you are committed to improving things” (pp. 194).

Chapter 10 takes a look at two companies that effectively changed their business strategies by embracing the collaborative benefits of the Internet. Both Dell and Unilever are enormous businesses that bring in huge profits each year. Despite their size, forward-thinking employees pushed executives to consider new ways of communicating and working with customers. In the case of Dell, engaging the groundswell helped revive dwindling sales and rising customer dissatisfaction. By providing a forum on which consumers and employees could discuss the company's products, Dell created an ongoing dialogue with its customers. Not only did this allow for the company to better recognize its flaws, it also created a more positive and honest business environment. When customers can look to a company for answers to their problems, the company establishes trust and a strong reputation.

Here's a simple breakdown of the social media mechanism used by Dell. As you can tell, in engaging the groundswell the first step starts with the act of listening.

On the Internet, building a reputation is fundamental for success. The Internet is ripe with deceitful scumbags. Take, for example, this vile company called Dentech Whitening. The company purchases ad space on popular websites such as the HuffingtonPost and advertises its free tooth whitening trial. Unsuspecting customers are lured in by this seemingly auspicious deal, only to find weeks later that they actually have agreed to pay Dentech Whitening $90 a month for a useless product. Internet savvy consumer have grown weary of such unscrupulous companies, and as Li points out, consumers tend to consort with businesses that, you know, keep it real. As common sense would presume, people gravitate towards businesses that are compassionate, sincere and above all, trustworthy.

My Uncle Marvin

More often than not, we would return home from our fishing expeditions with a boat stuffed with fish. It was as if uncle Marvin had a way of speaking with the fish, a “fish sense,” if you will. However sometimes, even with his vast knowledge of the seas and his unrivaled fishing expertise, uncle Marvin just wasn't on the fish. Certain variables would come into play, and we would turn for home, despondent and empty-handed. (As uncle Marvin steered us to port, me and my brothers would yell from the stern, “Uncle Marvin, we're starvin'!!!”)

Much like trolling the high seas, engaging the groundswell requires a calculated, well thought out plan, and a knowledge of people's online patterns and tendencies. Exploiting the realm of social media is complicated, but if done right, more often than not, at six o'clock sharp, they'll be more than enough fish to go around the dinner table... Who knows, maybe even enough for seconds  :)