Social media, coming as the primary tool of customer engagement

The study I did for Social Media Today, “The Coming Change in Social Media Business Applications” was the first study to document the trend where social media grows from its current use as a general communications tool used for public relations and marketing into a primary tool of customer engagement.

 What does this mean and what this look like when it comes?

While working on another social media research project in the Multi-Family Housing Market (the apartment community management business to those of us outside this industry) I interviewed Eric Brown, owner of Urbane Apartments in Royal Oak Michigan, who helped show me the way.

Brown owns about 400 apartment units just outside of Detroit and is a true social media pioneer who put up a MySpace page for his business in 2004. Brown recalls members of his staff objecting to the idea fearing that any apartment manager using social media would get a lot of complaints which would be shared everywhere. Over some staff objections, the page went up and the complaints came in. But Brown found he could use the feedback to improve his organization. After that, Brown began a steady investment in building a social media presence. As his social media presence grew Brown discovered he could dispense with many of the traditional tools, and expenses, of marketing and PR.

Early on, when Brown discovered his social media activities were attracting new residents at a sufficient rate to keep his apartments at above average occupancy he discontinued his print display advertising. As the stream of new residents continued Brown found he could discontinue his use of online apartment listing services as well. Later, Brown discovered his social media was generating so much positive press that he no longer needed a formal public relations program. Finally when I interviewed Brown just a few months ago, he challenged me to “Google” the name his town followed by the words “Apartments for rent.” Sure enough, Urbane apartments were near the top of the search. That spelled the end of the “search” budget.

With a growing social media presence Brown had dispensed with display advertising, classified advertising, search, and a separate public relations program. At Urbane Apartments, the prophecy documented in “The Coming Change” study had been fulfilled.  Social media, once just a tool used in public relations and marketing had become the core tool of customer engagement.   

As media salespeople selling those display and classified ads it is time to consider what we can do to profit from the sweeping changes social media is causing. More posts on that are coming.  

Link to the study, “The Coming Change in Social Media Business Applications”

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[Tim de jardine]

This research is great Josh, thanks for creating and publishing this.

[Greg Marshall]

We all have to change as the world changes and sometimes radical ideas truely work. The social media scene is one of the best ways to connect with clients because you can interact with them at a better level and it is much more personable. The greatest tool in sales is obviously the relationship you create with the client and the more important they feel their opinion is the more they will open up so you can focus on giving quality service and effectively improving.

[Jada]

I will be sure to subscribe and post this on our blog as well. Thanks again!

[Josh Gordon]

Thank you for the kind words. Feel free to link to this blog post, and you can subscibe to my newsletter as well at www.SmartermediaSales.com.

[Jada]

Hi Josh. This is my first time reading your blog. I represent a company that employs thousands of salespeople. This particular entry was interesting to me because it also speaks to our industry in how social networking sites can serve as communication tools between customers and sales agents. It would be helpful for our salespeople to have a mainline to their customers via comments and messages, so that they can better meet needs. Thank you for posting this. May I link it from our blog? Thank you!!!