Our Thinking

Powerful Posts or Contrived Conversations

Nobody asked me to write this post, but it is an exceptionally powerful one. Have you noticed that many (most?) Social Media posts by organizations seem contrived? They are sales-focused, or narcissistic, or they’re trying just a bit too hard to be friendly.  It is someone’s day job – a “community manager”  to increase likes, comments, and friends: a contrived conversation. The most powerful posts come from the most powerful real-world experiences.  They don’t come from “corporate”, and they don’t come from a community manager. Four weeks ago I decided to purchase a Fitbit – a tiny device that tracks steps, stairs, calories, and sleep. This is a fantastic piece of technology that syncs with my iPhone, the web, and my Fitbit-enabled scale.  Sadly, a week after purchasing it, I lost the device. No matter where I looked I couldn’t find it.  I contacted Fitbit support to ask if they could track it remotely. They couldn’t, but they did offer a few additional suggestions.  I thanked them, mentioning that the Fitbit still couldn’t be found.  Here is their email response:
Thank you for providing us with your information.  Your replacement Fitbit is now being processed, and we are sending it to you at no charge.  Thank you for walking with us towards your goals.
Today’s blog post is powerful because it didn’t come from Fitbit – it came as a result of what Fitbit did: they vastly exceeded my expectations with their regular, everyday, real-world customer service.  It wasn’t a contrived conversation.  The number of people I’ve told the story to both online and in the real world has value far beyond the replacement and courier costs. This week’s action plan:  Of all the posts, all the tweets, and all the comments that are on your social sites, how many of them are because of what you’ve done in the real world – and have been initiated by your customers or members?  This week, don’t spend those extra minutes on social media: instead, invest in what will generate a powerful post. Postscript:  My family now has fitbits, as do my colleagues at 108 ideaspace, as do a number of my clients.  And because of this post, many others may purchase them too.