Rule #3: Consumers want to sit in the driver's seat
Consumers are social. And by definition, social is not a one-way push. Social networks are all about interaction -- a give-and-take. Companies that only populate their social networks with their own content are not successful at engaging consumers.
Consumers don't want to be passengers; they want to get behind the wheel. User-generated content drives community and participation. It's raw and it's real. When consumers are encouraged to create their own content, share ideas and build relationships with other consumers, they become an integral part of the company's brand.
Anheuser-Busch's bud.tv is one example of a social network that did not create opportunities for consumers to engage and interact with each other or the brand. Anheuser-Busch asked consumers to visit a static site to view content created by others, without the lure of a compelling, dynamic community. Although the company experienced an initial surge in visitors in its first year, those numbers declined dramatically as time passed, and rightly so. Consumers choose television to engage in this type of passive activity, and conversely, they rely on the internet to provide interaction. If that interaction is not provided through a branded social network, consumers will quickly find it somewhere else.
Rule #4: Plan ahead for detours
Marketing has become a conversation, and in the digital space, if a company sits passively by, this conversation can easily gain momentum and occur without the company's voice present at all.
Just as marketing has become a conversation, branding is no longer entirely controlled by the company. Certainly, the marketing department has a hand in the branding of the company's products; however, ultimately consumers are helping to build and shape brands, as they want to personalize products and brands in order to identify with them.
Social networks help foster effective dialogue, and listening to the consumer will help a brand better understand the individuals that keep it prospering. Understand, however, that along the road there may be some harsh criticism, albeit constructive. Opening the corporate doors to this type of transparency can help build a brand's prominence as a company that values customer input.
Online marketing is not the same as traditional marketing; it's much less controlled, the rules are not set, and there is a much greater risk involved. But as with any great risk, there's opportunity for great rewards if done properly.
Rule #5: Set your sights on a new course
When something works well, expectations rise. The lessons learned through customer engagement will translate to employee engagement, as well as partner engagement. In other words, this is only the beginning. As these social networks grow -- and they will -- the technology infrastructure should enable the rapid launch of new networks and the quick expansion of existing networks with ease and assurance.
At the end of the trip, it is no longer about simply getting consumers to your company's site; it's about getting them there, keeping them there, and gaining tangible results along the way. Nielsen's recent changes in online metrics measurements have made this point clear. Allowing consumers to have a voice in the discussion and a hand in shaping the brand strengthens their relationship with the brand, and creates a sense of loyalty that will keep them coming back.
What company wouldn't want an instant increase in consumer interaction and conversation, all within a community that promotes its brand and drives revenue? So, fill the tank, fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. When strategically implemented, a social network with a business purpose can lead your company down the road to success.
David Bankston is executive V.P. and co-founder, Neighborhood America. Read full bio.