The 10 faq about social media and conversation management

The 10 most frequently asked questions
about social media & Conversation Management

Since the publication of my book ‘De Conversation
Manager’ (2010), I’ve worked with quite a few companies
to inspire and advise them in this new marketing field.

?
The same questions keep coming back across all regions
and sectors of activity. Social media, community and
conversation managers will definitely recognise them,
because they are the same type of questions they hear
from colleagues every day.

In view of these recurring questions, I thought it would
be a good idea to make a list of the 10 most frequently
asked questions and their answers.

The contents are open to debate and new arguments can
certainly be added to this summary. Please feel free to add
your own contribution.

twitter.com/stevenVBe
b-conversational.com |
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The 10 most frequently asked questions
about social media & Conversation Management

1. Aren’t social media exclusively for B2C and not for B2B?

2. What is the profile of a Conversation Manager?

3. What if the boardroom doesn’t buy into social media?

4. What is the role of the product in social media?

5. Is operational conversation management something we do ourselves or should we call upon an outside company?

6. Are Facebook likes and Twitter followers important?

7. How do I get a lot of followers and likes?

8. How do I react to really negative people?

9. If I become active on social media, do I run the risk of stimulating negativity?

10. What use do I have for conversation management if my customers aren’t on Facebook or Twitter?

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Question 1
Aren’t social media exclusively for B2C and not for B2B?

The basic philosophy of conversational thinking is pretty simple and as old as For a B2B company, this is simply the next step in their existing approach;
the hills: the best kind of publicity is an existing client convincing someone for a B2C company, including the consumer in the decision-making process
else to work with your company. For years, manufacturers were able to exert often takes some getting used to.
a strong influence on public perception through intelligent and creative
publicity. In those pre-social media days, publicity produced an endless • Customer feedback has always been a first-hand experience. In a B2B
stream of information about everyone and everything, thereby diminishing organisation, direct customer feedback comes with the territory. Since sales
the impact of word of mouth. B2B marketers got to benefit much less from and service people work hand in hand with customers, they get feedback
this luxury and, as a result, conversations have always been important in a B2B on the company’s operational processes and service straight from the
context. Besides, I’m convinced that B2B marketers hold several advantages horse’s mouth. In a B2C context, though, feedback usually comes from a
over B2C marketers: market survey. A slightly lower percentage of reactions is negative, but they
are less personal and less direct than in a B2B context.
• Knowing clients: a good B2B marketer knows who the company’s clients
are (certainly the top clients). For instance, it is much harder for Coca Cola • Smaller volume of conversation. A final advantage is the fact that B2B
to find the consumer who drinks the most Coke in Holland than it is for a companies average a smaller number of conversations. In terms of online
company selling iron ore. conversations, an industrial company will average a lower volume than a food
manufacturer. On the one hand this makes it harder to get the conversation
• Co-creation is ingrained in the mentality: a lot of B2B companies started, but on the other hand it’s easier to manage and follow up.
habitually involve clients in R&D projects. What’s more, a new product or
technology is usually developed for specific client processes. Today, social
media make it possible to convert co-creation into structural collaboration.

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Question 2
What is the profile of a Conversation Manager?
Since the publication of the original version of my book ‘The Conversation • Choice No. 2: The conversation manager as a facilitator of strategic change
Manager’ (2010), many companies have gone looking for someone to put in Let’s consider why so many companies are looking for a conversation
charge of their social media strategy. In quite a few cases, the job description manager. The answer is simple: we are living in a time of change. There
was ‘conversation manager’ – thank you very much for that, by the way. isn’t a company out there that doesn’t realise we need a new form of
When we analyse the many vacancies for conversation managers, it’s apparent interaction with the consumer. They want to engage the consumer in
that two profiles are in demand. There’s the strategic approach on the one conversation so they go in search of someone to manage that conversation.
hand and the operational approach on the other. Both jobs are valuable and Logical, isn’t it? What companies are really looking for is someone to aid
both are essential to effective conversation management. I found the inspira- them in that transition. In order to facilitate that change, a strategically
tion to describe both routes in the various papers of Jeremiah Owyang. competent conversation manager is the best choice. In this role, the
conversation manager is proactively involved in determining the strategy.
• Choice No. 1: The conversation manager as a reactive helpdesk The conversation manager heads the most important projects but also
A large portion of the job descriptions for conversation managers remind me involves the other departments in his plans. He makes sure that the learning
of the profile of a modern webmaster. These guys start up the conversation effect ripples throughout the organisation. In his ideas, he takes a proactive
for the brand by sending Facebook and Twitter updates. Every day they go approach to other departments. The conversation manager determines
looking for a small amount of content to put online. They represent major the content agenda of his organisation on a strategic level. He thinks a
brands and help companies find their way in conversation management. year ahead and goes in search of the most relevant content in order to
Every one of these tasks is of crucial importance but they are very operational in maximise the effect of the conversations about his company. He designs a
nature. They execute the assignments they receive from various departments. conversion strategy: how can all these conversations lead to conversion and
When someone is conducting a campaign, the conversation manager is consequently impact our turnover?
there to help him promote it. When there’s a crisis, the conversation manager
monitors the situation on behalf of those involved. Again, each one of these
tasks is important but they still only cater to the operational aspect of the job.

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General
HR The choice is yours
MGM

We’ve explained there are two different ways of
looking at conversation management. Both roles
R&D Sales are important: one is an operational, executive
role whereas the other has a strategic focus.
When writing the job description, it’s a good
Conversation
idea to think about the place of the new role in
Manager
the overall structure of the organisation.
Cust
Mkt
Care Most companies simply look for the operational
people. However, operational people need ‘the
(wo)man with the plan’. Combining both profiles
is what generates true change.
Legal IT

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Question 3
What if the boardroom doesn’t buy into social media?

The answer is simple: If you want to convince management of the use of social
media, then don’t talk about social media. Instead you should talk about
things that managers find important. One of the challenges for top managers
is improving customer satisfaction at a lower cost. Another challenge consists
in consolidating sales results in a world where customer contact is becoming a
rare commodity. Base your arguments on the challenges they face. Explain the
Social
long-term advantages of your plan. Contribute to one of the company’s main M edia
Plan
goals through your social media plan.

Also, it’s always a good idea to submit a concrete step-by-step plan. Such a
plan brings clarity and sets people at ease. The plan consists of a number of
pilots. Pilots with a long-term plan have the biggest impact. A successful pilot
survives the initial test phase. The ideal pilot is a pilot with the ability to keep
evolving with time.

Try to include a broad spectrum of factors in the plan. It shouldn’t merely
outline the external communication strategy but also the role that staff will
play. Take the structural changes into account and be transparent about the
investments required for the plan to be successful.

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Question 4
What is the role of the product in social media?

It goes without saying that the quality of the product is essential. Analysis of consumer
conversations clearly shows that customer experience is the topic of conversation in Develop
Help customers
more than 50% of cases. This experience is always a combination of product quality conversation Grow an active
with issues,
starters around group of brand
and the quality of the service. When these two elements are satisfactory, you’re off to a thank them for
your advocates
flying start on social media: thanks to the quality of the product, consumers will already compliments
product/brand
be exchanging their product experiences of their own accord. The product has already
created a positive buzz, regardless of what you yourself are doing.
if product/service quality is OK

If your product is lacking in quality then you will be confronted with that fact in a hurry.
Faster than ever before, careful observation tells a company what’s wrong with its
products. We can help consumers by taking part in the conversation, but even more Product
& service
than that, it’s crucial to bring the observations into the R&D department and make
actual improvements to the product.

if product/service quality is not OK
In other words, product quality has a major impact on conversation management.
If your product and the accompanying service are up to par then you can start
brainstorming about creative content campaigns because consumers are prepared to Improve/new
Listen and be
talk about your company. If either your product or the service are below average, then product
empathic for Use consumer
you will need to focus on observation and on neutralising conversation management. negative feedback
Thank consumer
Of course, this also creates an opportunity. Using consumer feedback to improve your feedback
for feedback
product makes a company look good to its consumers.

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Question 5
Is operational conversation management something we do ourselves
or should we call upon an outside company?

In a perfect world it’s better to implement conversation management ourselves.
Managing the direct relationship with the customer yourself is undoubtedly an asset.

In some cases, though, it’s better to use a partner:

• If round-the-clock availability is required but the terms of employment don’t allow it.
• If the company lacks the in-house knowledge to take part in the conversation.
• To provide assistance at peak moments. For instance, if a company can handle the daily flow of conversations but needs
outside help for a product launch, they may call upon an outside partner to help them deal with the peak in activity.
• In case of a pressing need for specific competencies that are not available within the company.

In the future, marketing organisations will try to become more flexible. As a result, the number of in-house staff may drop
as companies are quicker to call upon a specialised outside firm. The service providers’ expertise on the subject of online
participation may become so high that working with an outside partner becomes an asset.

The conclusion is that apart from the ideal case scenario, there’s also the everyday reality to take into account.

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Question 6
Are Facebook likes and Twitter followers important?
Many social media experts would say ‘no’ but I beg to differ. However, two Still, keep in mind that your efforts should be based on a clear strategy.
conditions must be fulfilled: first of all, the fans and followers must be gen- You can devise a strategy using the four steps outlined below:
uine fans instead of ‘purchased fans’. And secondly, you have to get those
followers involved. An entirely passive audience has little worth. 1. Draw up a content conversion plan
Think carefully about which content areas you would like to tackle. Also,
If these two conditions are fulfilled, building a wide reach is a great asset. it’s a good idea to select a digital location that offers the best odds of
This is true for several reasons: conversion, of reaching your goals. Next you try to bring as many people
to that location as possible.
• The main reason: while the investments in campaigns and content remain
the same, their impact increases. In turn, this generates a bigger impact on 2. Build reach
investment. Once the strategy is in place, you have to build reach. See also the next
question for more pointers on the subject.
• Managers like figures and success indicators. As a conversation manager,
you will have to report to your superiors from time to time. A growing 3. Generate commitment through content
online reach may help you secure additional means. The content should be worthy of conversation. It should invite interaction
and make people feel involved with the brand.
• The perception of the outside world is still determined by volume and
reach. 4. From likes to ambassadors
The final step consists in activating people. When your fans start talking
about your brand to other people, that’s when the likes have been
converted into ambassadors.

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These four phases are obviously not entirely sequential; there is an overlap between phases 2, 3 and 4. In our strategy, it’s not that hard to define the necessary
actions for the various steps. In real life, though, we need to be flexible enough to adapt to consumer needs in a moment’s notice. Once a certain stage is
reached, phases 2, 3 and 4 become iterative steps in an eternal loop designed to build reach and create more ambassadors.

Conversion

Convince with
content & interaction
Build reach
through campaigns

Content
Touchpoint plan

TIME

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Question 7
How do I get a lot of followers and likes?
Three conditions must be fulfilled to build reach: • Campaigns worthy of conversation: invest in strong online campaigns to
boost the reach of the online channels.
1. Strong content: the most important way of building reach is sharing • Competitions & free giveaways: giving away free products is an effective
relevant, creative and enjoyable content with your network. Not only should method of building reach in the very short term. The drawback of this
the actual content be good, but more than anything else it should also be approach is there are no guarantees of attracting the right people. Many
visually convincing. Our communications are slipping back toward the age companies get a lot of ‘fans’ this way but their quality is often questionable.
of hieroglyphics: text is slowly but surely disappearing from the online world When using this strategy, the trick is to convince people through high-
and photos and videos are taking over. quality content.
2. Discipline: doing something fun once a year just isn’t enough. You have • Social advertising: good content deserves to be seen. Promote your
to settle on a rhythm for making and sharing strong content. Keep to that content with social media ads.
rhythm even if not much is happening in the short run. Discipline coupled • Activating staff: a company should always have more fans than staff. If
with patience is a second condition. your own staff are not interested in the content then you can’t expect the
3. Be human: don’t fall into the trap of one-way communication on social customer to take an interest. Train and coach your staff so they become
media. Keep it human. Play an active role in the conversation, react to other active ambassadors of your social media activities.
people’s input, joke around… Make the personality of your brand tangible. • Offline communication: building reach goes way beyond the online
channels themselves. Mentioning the online channels in every form of
Then there are also a number of more commercially oriented possibilities to communication will help build your reach on a structural level. Mention the
build reach. The challenge is to balance the scales. Don’t just go for the fast online channels in all communications: TV commercials, banners, posters,
build-up of fans but always concentrate on finding good fans. I have outlined printed ads, publicity at the mall …
a few ideas that work but you should take care to use them in a way that fits • Work with partners that have a wide reach: If you have a good
the brand while still attracting good fans: relationship with strong brands that already have a wide online reach then
you should look into the possibility of them sharing your content as well.

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Question 8
How do I react to really negative people?

There are two kinds of negative people. The first kind had a bad experience with your company and the second kind is negative by nature.
The first are relatively easy to convert. The second are the so-called grouchy smurfs that are impossible to please. Both groups require a different approach.

Negative reactions after an incident: open a dialogue Haters: ignore their hate but understand its source

This group often spreads negative content about your company. They feel This group has lost all trust in your company. They are convinced your com-
you should do better (as opposed to positive criticism from those who think pany simply can’t do any better. Everything you say and do comes across the
you COULD do better). Open a dialogue and listen to their feedback. Maybe wrong way. The thought of having anything to do with your company makes
you can make some actual improvements that will change their opinion of them shudder. You won’t change their minds, not even through dialogue, so
your company. Make sure their negative comments are processed in a posi- there’s little sense in reacting to their negative comments. Anything you say
tive, empathic manner. Even if their opinion doesn’t change, at least you’ve will only fuel their anger and it’s a discussion you can’t win. Don’t pay any
neutralised the negative conversation. attention to them. Do not delete their negative comments but simply ignore
their remarks. By reacting, you are giving the impression they’re succeeding
in their mission. The only interesting thing is to determine (listen) the cause
for these extreme feelings. You can learn from the past to keep other people
from developing the same feelings towards your company.

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Question 9
If I become active on social media,
do I run the risk of stimulating negativity?

Consumers don’t need your permission to talk about your company. still about understanding your customers and reacting appropriately.
Conversations will take place regardless of whether or not the company itself In other words, it all starts with listening to what consumers have to say.
is involved. If you’re not, then you don’t know what they are saying and you
can’t react; by participating in the conversation, you are aware of what they If your company is hesitant to create an online presence it can be very helpful
are saying and you can react. to fall back on the three steps of conversation management:

Also, your presence will have a psychological effect in limiting the number • Observe: start by listening before you join in the conversation. As long as
of negative conversations. After all, people are reticent to make negative you are uncomfortable participating, the least you can do is listen.
comments when the target of the remarks can hear them. It is very easy to • Facilitate: make it easier to talk to you and about you.
be angry with someone who isn’t in the room. Arguing with someone who is • Join: take part in the conversation. Leave the safety of your brand identity
actually there takes more nerve. and put a face on the brand in your capacity as marketer.

The more human your style of conversation management, the fewer negative
As a manager As a brand As a peer
conversations take place. Nevertheless, a major mistake by your company
will result in an avalanche of negative comments. Again, this is not related to
your presence or absence but to the mistake itself.

Observe Facilitate Join
Not being active on social media means turning a deaf ear to your
customers’ feedback and that’s obviously a bad idea. After all, marketing is

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Question 10
What use do I have for conversation management
if my customers aren’t on Facebook or Twitter?

Conversation management goes beyond Facebook and Twitter. It’s about establish-
ing an emotional connection with customers that results in positive conversations.
These positive conversations are the basis for growth. I’ve never heard of a company
that doesn’t care about positive conversations, regardless of the channel being used.

Needless to say, the new media also play a role in conversation management. While
it is true that not everyone uses these channels, they are still important to every
company. Digital marketing goes beyond Facebook and Twitter. Company’s often
underestimate the importance of their own website. Establishing your own channel
for interactive communication with the customer is also part of a conversation strate-
gy. This involves a larger target group, viz. the entire internet population.

In addition, the indirect effect of social media is often much bigger than the direct
effect. More and more, news is being shaped online. Once the classic media pick
up a story, it grows and may eventually become a fad. The quickest road to offline
visibility is scoring on social media. The opposite is also true: the quickest road to
online success is your offline behaviour. In other words: thinking in silos is not a good
idea. Everything is interconnected and every channel has its own part to play.

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To learn all details about my vision, check out my two books...

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Feedback & suggestions?

I hope these questions and suggestions for answers help you to tackle
questions and issues in your day to day working environment.

If you have other experiences or suggestions, feel free to contact me.

Steven@VanBelleghem.Biz
@StevenVBe
linkedin.com/in/stevenvanbelleghem
facebook.com/theconversationmanager

Thank you and good luck!

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The 10 faq about social media and conversation management

The 10 faq about social media and conversation management

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