RonAmok!

Social Media for Executives
Feb 12, 2009

The opposite of control isn’t chaos

I am a businessman and an advocate for Social Media.

Some consider this claim to be an oxymoron.

Even though they now have everything that they’ve always wanted — text, audio and video channels to talk with their customers 24 x 7.

Yet resist these channels because they must relinquish control.

And to me, THAT is an oxymoron.

Don’t be afraid. The loss of control doesn’t translate to chaos.

Healthy relationships never occur when one party exerts control over another.

Think of us as equals.

Talk with us as opposed to at us.

And if you do, we’re more likely to buy from you.

I believe THAT is called business.

Filed under: Social Media
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  • Paul,

    I've been there, brother.

    We tell our kids to tell the truth over breakfast, and then go to work and deceive the marketplace?

    R~
  • In a recent meeting to talk Social Media with a fairly well known company and the fear of chaos was a big theme.

    "What if people trash us?"
    What makes you think they may not be already and you just don't know about it?

    Then this was said,"It's not always commercial to be honest with the marketplace" and I realised it will be a while before they get involved.
  • Jeremy: Can I have an Amen!

    Mike: I love the concept of "vacuum of the Internet" Very insightful.
  • Nicely stated, Ron.

    I think there's still trepidation because of everyone's familiarity with mass media and the large circulation/viewership numbers versus the relatively smaller (but as you always point out, much more targeted) numbers of social media. (Of course, then there's that shoe guy with 58,000 Twitter followers.)

    Companies think they will be talking to customers in the vacuum of the Internet rather than seeing a newspaper with their ad or story in it in people's hands. They still don't get that google is replacing everyone's mode of information access, and you can track the progress of your efforts.

    I suppose not enough people have convinced them every company has content that their customers want. They just need someone to help them find it and hone it.
  • amen
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