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Our Blogs Core Dump Social web leads to company boycotts
Our Blogs Core Dump Social web leads to company boycotts | Social web leads to company boycotts |
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| by Stephen Withers | |
| Tuesday, 01 September 2009 | |
  
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RightNow's software includes optional facilities for monitoring Twitter and YouTube for mentions of a user organisation, so you can see where they're coming from. But just because the results are favourable to the company, that doesn't automatically invalidate the research. Particularly worrying for businesses is that of those influenced by negative comments, 42% had previously been customers. So it's not just a matter of scaring off potential buyers: adverse remarks made on the social web can drive away your existing customers. Which sectors are prone to negative online comments? There's no real surprise here. Telcos top the list with 71% negative commentary, followed by government agencies (63%) and financial services (62%). The only consolation is that it is difficult to boycott the government. If you don't think the ATO did the right thing, you can't take your business elsewhere. It's not all bad news: 73% of comments about travel and leisure companies were positive. Or were they? These numbers don't come from actually measuring comments found on Twitter, Facebook and other parts of the social web. RightNow's announcement makes it perfectly clear that they are the results of asking the respondents which industries they were most likely to comment on, and whether they would be positive or negative. Those questioned expect companies to respond to positive or negative online comments, though the numbers are slightly curious. 60% said they'd welcome contact from a company that was the subject of their negative comment, 66% said the same for positive comments, and yet 75% thought companies should listen to social networking sites and follow up with commenters. It sounds as if there's an element of "yes, by all means talk to other people when they comment, but leave me alone." Brett Waters, RightNow's vice president for Asia Pacific – South, said: "The survey's findings serve up a stark warning for all organisations, both commercial and public, that ignoring the viral nature of the social web can be detrimental to revenue and popularity. "Any execs considering what social networking sites mean to their business should take heed of the survey's overriding message; consumers want you to interact with them through sites like Twitter. Of course that doesn't mean organisations now have carte blanche to start 'stalking' customers! Rather, they must take a considered approach; monitoring conversations so they can learn the where, when and how of positively influencing 'badvocates' and fostering further loyalty among advocates." |
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