Alienating customers can happen in lightening speed with the popularity of social media websites. Being a part of websites like Facebook and Twitter means that your page will be viewed by millions of people, your brand will be recognized and your capital should increase as a result. Information and opinions spread much faster on social networking sites than other media outlets. In an instant, groups can be formed, pages made and campaigns created, in favor of or against, any topic. Users can Instant Message and group chat with one another within seconds of an event. They don’t even have to be home. Consumers now have the ability to tap into their cell phones and use applications to access their accounts from anywhere.

What does that mean? It means that your company image is more important than ever. It is important that your company or brand maintains customer loyalty because if you disappoint enough of your customers you are sure to hear about it and so will millions of other Facebook, MySpace and Twitter users.
The power of a disgruntled social networker is clearly illustrated in the case of Whole Foods and its CEO John Mackey. How can one unhappy person create a complete PR disaster for a giant corporation like Whole Foods? Simply by using Facebook.

It all began when CEO John Mackey was offered the opportunity to submit an op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal. It was supposed to be about the generous healthcare plan he implemented for Whole Foods employees. Had it been written correctly the piece would have been an excellent opportunity that would have improved the public’s perceptions of the company; however, Mackey used the opportunity voice his controversial opinion on healthcare.

The piece was read throughout the country because it was published in the popular Wall Street Journal. This combined with the popularity of social media websites created a PR meltdown. Angry Whole Foods customers used Facebook to set up the group “Boycott Whole Foods,” which consists of tens of thousands of members.
What made them so disgruntled was what Mackey wrote. Members of the Facebook group claim that Mackey quoted Margaret Thatcher suggesting that healthcare is something only the rich, like him, deserve. I think it’s safe to assume that the majority of Whole Foods shoppers are not as rich as Mackey, and do not agree or wish to endorse his beliefs.

The Lesson

It is important to utilize social media because it is a market that cannot be ignored; however, it is also important that you take it very seriously. Here is one case where you can look to politicians for guidance. Avoid talking about controversial topics and/or issues, especially if you have an important role in your company. Even if the majority may agree with your point of view, you still risk losing some customers. Use your PR opportunities to spread the good word about your company and inform consumers of what new features or products you have to offer, but leave the controversial stuff at home.

Working with social media sites can be difficult at first. Change is never easy and the same goes for when you’re attempting to revamp your online marketing campaign. Online marketing is different from offline marketing in that samples can be popular and people can be in love with your product when introduced to it in person, but can ignore that same product when introduced to it online. Also, the way you market your product on social media sites is key to the success of your campaign.

For example, advertising on LocalPages.com offers you exposure to millions you could never have reached otherwise. It spreads the word about your product or service quicker and more cost effectively, than advertising anywhere else. Switching to marketing online is not an easy change and there are a few things you should keep in mind.
For example, recently Sara Lee Deli attempted to revamp their campaign for pre-sliced deli meats by creating a Facebook page. Their campaign failed and was torn apart by critics. What did they do wrong? Sara Lee produced three very short videos of mothers using and eating deli meat and displayed them on their homepages. They included a section for mom’s to write blogs. The Facebook page offered coupons, photos, recipes, polls and information.

It sounds like a well thought out website, but it failed to excite. Analysts and users criticized the effort for lacking originality. One complaint was that there wasn’t a section for mother’s to upload their own videos. The videos produced by Sara Lee were also found to be boring and general. A mother who commented wrote that she didn’t see the point of the website. There was nothing that grabbed the user’s attention and made them want to interact with the site on a regular basis.

Sara Lee failed because they didn’t understand the social media world. It’s an entirely different world for advertisers. If you want to take advantage of it you will have to study your audience and read their comments, in order to truly understand what excites and draws them in. It’s important to realize that no online community is the same. Coupons may seem like a draw; however, coupon success depends on how special or unique the coupons are. It is rare that a coupon will convince the consumer to switch from a brand they have used for years to a new one. For your coupon to work within a social media setting, it must make the consumer feel special. You should offer specific promotions, make sure your offer is for a limited time only and limit the distribution method.

Here at LocalPages.com we allow and encourage you to write reviews of the businesses and services you have tried. We want to provide our users with quantity and quality information to help them make the most informed decisions. Your reviews help our users decide on everything from where they will spend their night out and what restaurant to try, to important decisions like which doctor to visit and what hospital to book a surgery.

As a reviewer, you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. Formal critics for organizations like the New York and Los Angeles Times, have credentials and educational backgrounds; whereas, you as the consumer do not. But you do have something valuable and that is experience. You have experienced the restaurant and eaten the food. You have the same general expectations as are users do and you can provide them with the details of your experience. If your needs were met and you were satisfied chances are so will our users.

With all of this responsibility it might be useful to learn a little bit about review writing. For example, it might be helpful to know what a good review entails. Here are some keys to writing a good review:

1) Ask yourself, “What would the reader want to know?”

If you are writing about a restaurant it would probably be important to include things like how the food tasted, the condition of the building, what the interior looked like, how good and fast the service was, what type of food they serve and your overall satisfaction with the experience.
If you are writing about a doctor visit include how the office was kept, how friendly and helpful the staff was, and how the doctor care was.
If you were trying out a plumbing service talk about how quickly and efficiently the job was done.

2) Decide what your overall opinion is

Before you sit down to type make sure you know what point you want to get across. It’s best not to go back and forth. You can include both the positive and negative points about an experience but don’t forget to make a final conclusion stating how you felt about it all together.

3) Write as if you are writing to a friend

Don’t try to use fancy vocabulary or come across as an expert critic. Write as if you are telling your friends or family about your experience. Our readers will appreciate what you have to say a lot more if they can understand and relate to it.

4) Compare to other similar experiences

When deciding whether you liked the business you visited or service you used, take the time to compare it to some of your other similar experiences. This will help you determine your overall opinion and give your review a balanced point of view.

5) Be specific

Details are important. When our readers are trying to make a decision no fact is unimportant. A detail that might seem insignificant to you might be the determining factor for someone else.

6) Don’t be afraid

Here at LocalPages.com we can ensure that you remain anonymous. Whether your review is good or bad, it’s your opinion to give and it can be a helpful one. As long as your review is legitimate, you have nothing to fear.

LocalPages.com makes helping out your community easy during these tough economic times

Gone were the days of getting to know one’s neighbors. The urbanization of many communities has led to the ambiguity of those mysterious people who live next door. Americans these days are too busy to have the Jones’ over for a dinner party. Gone too are many of the mom and pop shops that used to be the heart of the community. Replaced by big chain restaurants and supermarkets, many of these local gems were forced to shut their doors.
Where once there was despair; however, now there is a glimmer of hope for the collective community. The bail out in this case comes from LocalPages.com. Our website is much more than just a phone listing, it is a way for you to stay in touch with your community.

The way it works:

Local businesses use our website to advertise. Our listings include restaurants, retail businesses and so on, but most importantly LocalPages.com connects you to those in your community ready to provide you with services to meet your every need. When the sink is clogged or you need a painter to take care of the artistic creation your child just spread all over your wall, LocalPages.com is there to find you the best person for the job.

How Will I Know Who to Hire?

What makes LocalPages.com uniquely different from your phonebook is that it allows users to leave reviews of their personal experience. When you type a keyword into our search engine you will be given a list of local results. When you click on your choice you will have the option of viewing what others have written about that business.
Reading a personal review from your every day consumer is typically more helpful than reading a critic’s response. For example, a restaurant critic tends to focus on the artistic interpretation of the chef and the dynamics of a dish; whereas, a typical consumer focuses on the service, price, quantity and taste of the food. LocalPages.com users rate services in this exact way. They will let you know if the job was done in a neat and timely manner, how prompt the worker(s) was, and the overall quality of the job done.

Special Features:

Besides giving the user real consumer feedback, LocalPages.com also offers a section where locals can leave information they find relevant. Locals add information like where to find the best burgers in town or where to look for vacant apartments. These tidbits appear along the side of your search results. This information may not be exactly what you were looking for when you entered the site, but it can offer helpful and interesting facts about your neighborhood you never knew before.

In these tough economic times many of us become more aware of our neighbors. Layoffs and business failures have brought their problems home to us. It may not be your job today, but it is important that we do what we can to help our community flourish despite the state of the economy.

When you use LocalPages.com you are not only solving your problem or taking care of your needs, you are also helping keep your neighborhood businesses and services afloat.