Quelling "But They Could Say Anything" Syndrome

As of late, it seems nearly everyone is diving head-first into social media and evolving their digital communications. Companies like Pepsi, Molson and Comcast have made big news engaging their stakeholders online and are setting the bar high as rules for social media continue to be written. Still, there are many organizations that haven't jumped into social media for a host of reasons - some because they don't know where to begin and others because they don't see an immediate or clear ROI. For some companies, however, the biggest barrier is that they are timid when it comes to finding out what people are saying about them online and talking with their stakeholders. I've heard the fear of the web expressed with phrases like, "It's just a bunch of people in their pajamas wanting to cause me loads of trouble," and, "They [the royal they] don't represent real consumers. They're just angry." However, the most common way this fear manifests itself is by proclaiming, "But they could say anything!"

Companies with "Say Anything Syndrome" see the web as completely separate from the real world, where people are out to spread rumors and tear them down. The reality is that the discussion of brands online really doesn't differ much from what happens every day in coffee shops, offices and bars (and they're the same people, too). The true difference is that companies can now actually hear the conversation they've been missing out on, and it's not all terrible. One of the biggest opportunities in social media is the first (and safest) step to joining the online community: listening.

Kat French has several great posts on the Social Media Explorer blog about getting started in social media monitoring (she actually just posted another today). If engaging your stakeholders online isn't right for you at this time, listening to what they're saying is an easy way to dip your toes in the water. In fact, the majority of the discussion may be just what you'd expect: some really positive, some really negative and most just neutral. Monitoring allows you to identify your fans and detractors and analyze trends in conversation. It also gives you the ability to spot false rumors and correct them. "They" can and do say "anything" - online and offline - sometimes even false things. However, you may be surprised to find that untrue things are often corrected by your fans. Similar to a cocktail party conversation, if someone hears something they think is false online, they raise skepticism about it. Other more believable rumors stay out on the web and don't get addressed. If you've decided to engage online, this is where you can confirm true facts and refute senseless gossip.

One of the best arguments for getting over "Say Anything Syndrome" was given by one of the members of the social media team at Molson during a BlogWell conference call a couple of weeks ago. I can't remember exactly who said it, but Molson's decision to engage in social media was essentially "opening the flood gates to what was already happening." If people don't have the facts about a situation, the company reaches out and provides them. They've received a lot of praise for their outreach efforts and have shown measurable growth in their reputation. If they weren't at least listening to the discussion of their brand online they would never even hear it and would never have the opportunity to proactively protect their brand on the web.