Underground Web Designs Blog

You really should read the SanDisk story on Chris Brogan’s blog. Go ahead, I’ll wait. 

Back?

When I read that story, I was blown away by the power of social networking. A customer had complained about a product on Twitter, so hundreds would read the complaint and most companies would not have even noticed. Because Rachel was plugged in to the social web and acted quickly to address the complaint, thousands have heard the story, and thousands more will hear it in the days to come, because it is spreading.

The sad part (or maybe not) is that Rachel lost her job with SanDisk. However because of her willingness to help and social media savvy, she now has a public recommendation on a popular blog. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been hired already.

If you do business in the online world, it’s important to make the first step when it comes to customer service. You can’t just deal with the people who contact you… you have to engage the discussion about your product or service where it matters: on the social web.

As great as the internet is, there’s nothing quite like meeting other people who share your passion face to face. That’s why I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to attend the WebVisions Conference in Portland Oregon later this week (Thursday and Friday).

Even though I’ve learned a lot about the internet and how it works on my own from reading, research, etc. nothing is quite the same as having the chance to talk to people who know the business better than you do. The chance to ask questions, participate in live discussions, and hear the passion in someone’s voice is priceless.

That’s a good thing to keep in mind as we build websites too. Even though a site IS an online entity, not an in person meeting, people will be more willing to trust you if you can provide an “in person” feel to your site. Isn’t that why sites like Facebook and Myspace do so well?

Of course, not everybody can start their own social network — nor should they. However, if you stop talking AT your audience, and start sharing something your passionate about with them, it shows. Enthusiasm is infections, and if you can communicate to your audience that you care about them personally, and that you truly believe what you have to offer is the best thing for them, they’ll listen.

After all, why else would I fly across North America to learn stuff I could probably get from the net if I looked hard enough? It’s not about the information, it’s about how it’s presented.

PS: Keep an eye out for posts live from Portland and the WebVisions conference over the next few days. And if anyone who’s attending happens to read this, shoot me a comment, I’d love to meet up with you there!