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Tell all your friends.By Brandon Stickney, March 9, 2010
You probably recall the old pitch: “tell all your friends…” about whatever product or service was being pushed. Complaining about his alleged mistreatment by Southwest Airlines, film director Kevin Smith recently showed the power social media can have to stir up controversy and corporate public apologies. He also showed us all how businesses, small and large, must have an online PR crisis strategy in place to deal with real-time, online rants.
When you had a bad customer service experience in the past, you might’ve told 10 friends. Today, whether you are famous or not, you can tell millions and keep the ball rolling with every Tweet and blog post you publish. What kind of damage can a negative customer service experience cause? In 2009, an estimated 22% of consumers posted negative feedback about a company*. Social media is an instant outlet to release frustration, or praise.
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube – they’re all right at our fingertips. It’s instantaneous and can be tied to just about anything. Kevin Smith has a new movie out. When this Southwest story gets mentioned in print, his new movie also gets mentioned. Was that his intent? Perhaps.
Companies with competing products can talk about you and your services any way they wish. The more you are talking about your company and services, the better your search results will be on Google, Bing and Yahoo. But, if you have no social media presence, you have no way to answer criticisms instantly, and on a mass scale. You might not even have the awareness to know what people are saying.
So, how does your company currently respond to customer complaints and negative feedback? Do you have a plan in place to handle a crisis? No company is immune to feedback, positive or negative, now that social media is such a popular and preferred method of communication.
Whether you are ready to build your social media presence, or are trying to manage a more serious situation, we’re here to help. Contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call (716) 433-7688.
*Right Now Technologies
It may not be so cheap after all.
By Brandon Stickney, January 6, 2010
Cheaper.
So many businesses choose web development partners because they charge less. Here’s the scenario:
“We need to update our website.”
“Yes. Let’s put it out for bid.”
The company receives proposals from web partners, a few they know, a few they don’t. The decision comes down to two or three.
The cheapest one wins. No matter who it is.
But did the best web partner get the job? The answer may come several thousand dollars later, and too late. And you’re stuck with something that you didn’t really want and can’t return.
Do you base employee hiring decisions on salary alone? Clothing? Food?
Pick a partner based on their web portfolio, experience, future vision and their ability to be a good partner and help you grow your business. You know, the same way you choose other really important things for your company and in your life.
Don’t pick a web partner solely on price. Anyone can be cheap.
And cheap is likely what they’ll deliver. Have you had this experience? Please drop us a line at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Contact Information
J. Fitzgerald Group
12 West Main Street
Lockport, New York 14094
Phone: 716-433-7688
Fax: 716-433-6772
e-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
