Readers Respond: Social Media Marketing - Is There a Line Between Professional and Personal?

Responses: 23

By Laura Lake, About.com Guide

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Smaller enterprises have an easier time with this. Larger organizations must protect brand image and the wild world of Social Media is uncontrollable. In the end, social media can work, but it is not a traditional marketing method. This method is a one-to-many set of personal relationships instead of company-to-community. Thanks for this! Very thought provoking Denver SEO http://seoconsultantsdenver.thewebinfocenter.com
—Guest Denver SEO

While integrity and transparency are excellent goals for any social networking strategy, it has to be relevant to the interests of the consumer and avoid crude, offensive, or just "TMI" statements. In addition, it is important to be user friendly and avoid acronyms and jargon that may confuse anyone outside the industry.
—CJLee33

When an Economist makes a statement, the statement is based on the assumption that there is perfect information. Social Media Marketing puts us one step closer to perfect information. The unethical company should fear that perfect information will damage the company. The ethical company should be fearless in that; employee responses will be positive and help build the company.
—Guest David Morris

I think it may depend on where you are in your business' growth cycle. For a well established company that has a long and consistent history there may be more of a danger in turning to social marketing. With a new company, however, there may be a big benefit in using the social media channels to help define what will work and what will not in terms of the growth (or demise) of your company. You may have a great idea for a company and a sound business plan, but if you've misread the directions that your customers are going, you could be doomed. Why not let your customers and supporters guide your growth?
—dbkmd

Yes, companies can use social marketing. It worked for my company well in 2009. However, it must be managed by competent staff who actually know the product and are concoius of brand guidelines.
—Guest Petra Christian

Yes, I think there is (or definitely should be) a line between the personal and the professional when it comes to social media marketing. But the nice thing about companies that do allow their employees (and not just their PR flacks) talk to customers is that they appear to care more about the customers. Most people can tell when they are getting PR BS and when they're getting a person who's focus isn't just PR. I think of Matt Cutts for Google. He's clearly not PR, and yet he makes the company more accessible to their customers. I'm sure there are things he's told "don't talk about this under pain of death and firing." But I think most customers understand when an employee says "I can't talk about that." But keeping it more personal, keeps it more real and so feels less like someone is selling something to me. Which makes me more likely to buy.
—webdesign

Getting too personal with details on a blog or other social media channel obscures the message a company is (or probably should be) trying to get across. Social media need not be composed of dry observations, but irrelevant posts are frustrating for customers or potential customers who are looking for real information. Sure, there is an audience that craves posts that are off-the-wall, or in poor taste, just like Jerry Springer has an audience. I will only waste a couple of minutes weeding through irrelevant info when using Twitter, Facebook or a blog. Then I'm off to see what I can learn about an alternative product or service.
—Guest ShelleyElmblad

I think companies must protect their brands and establish internal policies about social media marketing so that employees know exactly what they can and cannot say about the company online. Companies also need to be up front about blogs, Twitter accounts, etc., not disguise them as "man-on-the-street" social media platforms. The recent concerns about mommy bloggers illustrate the need for transparency in social media marketing. I think consumers want to read product reviews by real people, but they also want to know how those real people obtain the products and services they review, so they can allow for bias. Excellent question.
—Guest PomMom

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