The social media makeover

Found this quite magnificent social media scribble via Charles Frith.

I write a fair bit about social media and in particular how businesses and companies can use it.

It's a hugely important topic. Social media has the potential to be "game changing", as the Yanks say.

All consumer communication will be turned on its head. The boot is on the other foot, consumers are enfranchised with potential to stick-it to major companies. Suddenly every poor customer experience has the potential to generate poor PR via online, viral, word of mouth.

What used to be a customer complaint letter read by a handful is now something with the power to influence, persuade, dissuade, promote, reject and hold companyies to account.

Check out the Debtors Revolt on YouTube, United Airlines breaks guitars or, on a wider but more shallow scale, there is Facebook. With more 256 million users pouring their thoughts, good/bad experiences onto the web for friends to see.

But, before we get carried away, the great 'socialist web' revolution is yet to occur. In today's market, precious few are getting close to turning this potential into value.

All too often business are misfiring and misusing social media.

They just don't get it, yet...