Business – Social Media = FAIL

Business – Social Media = FAIL

Social media has eclipsed the thought that it is just a fad; it is more like cotton – the fabric of our lives.  Social Media is not simply new media… it’s the media.  It’s the chosen form of media of the people.  If a business wants to be successful they have to be where the people are and the people are on social media.

It doesn’t matter if you’re in the business of selling trinkets, pancakes, books, gas, financial services, phones, hamburgers or cars… Your customers are on social media and that’s where you need to be.  Many of them are reading this post from their mobile device.  They want to hear from you, they want to find you and more importantly they want to share the good, bad and ugly about you with their tribe.  Social media has allowed ordinary Joe to have a mom and pop type connection with their favorite brands, products and businesses through Twitter and other forms of Social Media.

If a company is not on social media they are failing bigger than a pregnant Twitter Fail Whale – that’s Super BIG. Business – Social Media = FAIL. Businesses need to have a social media presence just for the sake of being able to know what people are saying about them and their products.  Like it or not people are talking about your business, they are talking the good stuff, bad stuff and ugly stuff.  Not only are they talking but their friends and followers are listening.  Research shows that 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations and only 14% trust advertisements.  For that reason, every business should have someone that understands social media (consultant or in-house) assigned and responsible for their social media presence.

I remember traveling to Florida this summer and had a layover at KCI, Kansas City International Airport.  If you have ever been to KCI you know that it is very tight (not cool, but small).  You have to leave outside of security to get food, other than a few little kiosk like stands.  While I was at KCI, I tweeted an honest but somewhat negative tweet, my tweet was this: “Kansas City might have some good BBQ, but they need to work on this airport captivity, can’t leave, must re-enter through security airport!” I also tweeted, “Kansas City airport is like a prison once you get through security…  You’re Locked Down.”

Shortly after my tweet went out, I received a twitter response from @kciairport that read as follows: “@scottwilliams our design is not ideal for transiting pax. Working to increase avail concessions in gate areas.  Please enjoy our Free Wifi.” I loved the quick response and the fact that they directly addressed my concern as a customer.  It immediately changed my thoughts about the Kansas City International Airport.  I felt compelled to share my change of heart with my Social Media Tribe.  I tweeted this response, “Big #FistBump to @KCIAirport for having free wifi & a social media crew that responds to customers.  Awesome! Others should learn from this.”

The fact that the Kansas City International Airport had a viable social media presence saved their brand from a black eye and ended up adding value to their business.  If they were minus a great social media presence, those pregnant fail whale thoughts of mine would still be actively swimming around in the online waters of Twitter and Facebook.

Business – Social Media = FAIL

Do your favorite brands and businesses have a viable Social Media Presence?  Share your thoughts and experiences w/ businesses that are failing and those that are doing a good job with Social Media.