Customer centricity is the basis for authentic engagement and conversations in the social Web

Of late, I have seen a lot of commentary from people in the marketing industry – both here and overseas – about the pros and cons of social media strategists, the quality of advice and advisers when it comes to digital PR and discussion around who ‘owns’ digital communications and social media. I’ve also seen many many organisations pitching  complementary ‘Social Media Workshops’, which would suggest that they are not doing as much work as one might think in this area.

All of the hype and buzz around social media should give the marketing industry pause for thought. I’ve certainly stopped to think deeply about social media and what it actually means, as opposed to using it as a vehicle for self promoti0n. There is no doubt that many agencies and individuals are jumping on the bandwagon.

Social media strategy should be considered deeply and planned in detail. It should also complement, align and integrate with wider marketing efforts and programs.

But I think there is a more important point that the Social Media Workshoppers nearly always overlook.

In a nutshell, organisations need to re-design their cultural and operational focus around customers in order to truly tap into the potential of the Web and the empowered consumer. They need to learn how to incorporate real conversations and feedback into their product and customer service strategies.

Today, I learnt about the concept of Social Business Design, which heads in this direction. Check out this Dachis Group info for more information.