Likeable Social Media summary
Book Summary & Synopsis
What's it about?
Likeable Social Media explains how businesses can use social media to build stronger customer relationships through listening, authentic conversation, collaboration, storytelling, integration, and unexpected moments of delight. Instead of simply broadcasting advertisements, companies are encouraged to participate in two-way conversations and make customers feel heard and valued.
Who is it for?
- Business owners and marketers who want to understand how social media can strengthen customer relationships.
- Anyone interested in practical approaches to listening to customers, encouraging interaction, collaborating with audiences, sharing stories, and integrating social media into the customer experience.
Meet the author
Dave Kerpen presents practical examples of how businesses can use authentic social interaction to create customer connections, encourage loyalty, and uncover new opportunities.
From the Introduction & First Chapter
Introduction
Likable Social Media by Dave Kerpen. Connect with customers authentically to build an irresistible brand online. Do you ever wonder why some businesses seem to effortlessly charm their audience online? Why do others struggle to get noticed?
Traditional marketing taught companies to broadcast messages and hope customers listened. Social media changes that relationship. Customers can now praise a brand, criticize it, ask questions, share experiences, and influence thousands of other people instantly. That means businesses can no longer succeed online simply by talking louder.
They need to listen, respond, and participate in the conversation. Think about a time you had a frustrating customer service experience. Perhaps your car insurance company left you on hold for hours. You might have vented your frustration on Twitter.
Now imagine you run that company. Would you ignore that message or would you respond quickly and try to resolve the problem? Likable Social Media shows how listening and genuine interaction can turn social platforms into powerful tools for building customer relationships.
listen before you speak
Listen before you speak. The first rule of effective social media is simple: listen to what your customers are already saying. Communication is a two-way street, yet many companies focus too much on broadcasting their own message. They spend heavily on advertising, but they neglect to hear what their customers are saying.
Social media makes listening easier than ever. You can gain valuable insights directly from your audience. You can discover what products are working. You can also discover what needs improvement.
Negative feedback can reveal problems before they become larger. Positive conversations can reveal what customers already value about your brand. Companies like IBM use social media listening. They scan for conversations that can lead to sales.
For example, someone might mention that their server is failing. An IBM representative can notice the conversation and offer a solution. Listening can therefore do more than protect your reputation. It can reveal opportunities to help customers and generate business.
You can start listening with minimal cost. Search social media for keywords related to your business. This includes your brand name and your competitors' names. Pay attention to the questions, complaints, and conversations surrounding them.
You can also use paid monitoring services as your needs become more sophisticated. The important point is to understand the conversation before trying to control it. Once you know what people are saying, you can decide whom you want to reach and how to engage them.
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction 1:21
- 2 listen before you speak 1:51
- 3 target and talk with your customers 2:39
- 4 collaborate with your customers 1:48
- 5 share stories to connect 1:40
- 6 integrate social media 2:01
- 7 surprise and delight customers 1:11
- 8 connect directly with customers 1:45
