An interesting aspect of 'get found online' is redefining industry concepts. In this case, it's an opportunity to redefine beauty.
If you remember from Social Media for Consumer Awareness: Natural Beauty Summit America, I'll be participating on May 14th and 15th in the Natural Beauty Summit America 2012. It's a forum for professionals in the beauty industry who are particularly passionate about the natural care beauty segment which includes natural and organic cosmetics. The event takes place at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City.
[My presentation is titled “The role of Social Media and Natural Buzz. Why online conversations matter?" and is part of a session on Day 1 titled "Living with and optimizing Social Media".]
- What is the impact of social networks for a brand?
- What about the influence of blogs and the vital role of “community managers” ?
About the impact of social networks for a brand, I highlight that "... consumers educate themselves online and trust perspectives from social circles rather than what brands tell them. Consequently, it’s vital for brands to pay attention to social networks – that’s where their customers are."
Furthermore, "... social networks offer an opportunity for brands to listen intensely to customers. They can also interact with, obtain perspective and feedback from them – including suggestions on how to improve and what to do differently.
...Social networks require that brands be honest, authentic, and human – a characteristic often difficult for brands – and to listen carefully. It means that the people behind the brand need to identify themselves and be willing to engage as people.
What’s magical about the process is that a brand can become part of the changing definition of what beauty means."
About the influence of blogs and the vital role of 'community managers"
Here I get the opportunity to highlight blogs and how 'get found online' offers brands significant benefits. "Blogs are the equivalent of a printing press... blogs become meaningful if brands and the people behind them are willing to be human and speak in terms that customers recognize and identify with.... That deeper content can be shared on social networks that are important to their consumers, creating a means for drawing visitors back to the brand’s website for a different level of interaction.
...A community manager lends a human presence to the brand... [and] monitors brand and category relevant conversations; ... to listen and interact with fans, friends, followers, and readers and to respond to observations and questions. An effective community manager will transform a network into a true community of individuals who share a passion for what the brand makes possible and contribute to its success. Without that commitment and engagement, a brand risks losing touch with its consumer base and eventually becoming obsolete."
I invite you to read the entire interview on the Beyond Beauty Blog. While you are there, do read I love web, an interview with Dominique Lahaix, my co-presenter and founder and CEO of eCairn.
Has your business category change? Have you been part of its redefinition? How has getting found online affected your awareness and perception of those changes?
