This document summarizes a webinar about how to avoid negative word-of-mouth on social media. It discusses how satisfied customers will advocate for brands without payment if engaged properly. It provides examples of companies damaged by negative reviews and presents a case study where identifying and energizing advocates through a platform doubled sales and ratings. Key lessons are to make advocacy easy, avoid paying for recommendations, and continuously engage advocates. The document ends by advising being prepared to respond to errors and engaging advocates early to avoid becoming "social media roadkill."

1. How to Avoid Becoming
Social Media Roadkill
Zuberance Webinar
June 23, 2010
1

2. Rob Fuggetta
Founder & CEO
2

3. About Zuberance
• Brand Advocate Platform Company
• Award-winning Advocate Marketing Platform
• Turns social media into sales by energizing Advocates
Members

4. Driving Advocacy & Sales
Recommendations
Advocates Prospects
Zuberance
Advocate
Platform
es
“R
nu
ew
Social, web, mobile
ve
Re
ard
s
”
Brands

5. Today’s Focus
When bad things
happen to good
companies…

6. “Boogergate”

7. “Prinergy is Dead”

8. Diaper Drubbing

9. Everyone’s Got a Megaphone

10. Word of Mouth Rules
Consumer Trust
94%
WOM
14%
Ads

11. Power of a Few
“One or two consumers can make a
lot of noise.”
Jodi Allen, VP-North American Baby Care, P&G

12. So what’s the answer?...

13. Engage & Energize Your Advocates!
Highly-satisfied customers who pro-
actively recommend your brand or
product without being paid to do so

14. 3 Things to Know About Advocates
1. You have lots of Advocates
2. Advocates are highly influential, trusted
3. Advocates will gladly advocate you (make it
easy for them)

15. Real-World Case Study:
Activating Advocates

16. Negative Reviews Hurting Sales
• Consumer electronics company
• Major new product launch
• Negative reviews hurting sales

17. Reviews Drive Sales
84% of consumers say
reviews influence purchases

18. Negative Reviews
“Even a single negative review…
can have a significant impact on a
prospective buyer’s decision to
purchase.”
Linda Shea, SVP & Global Managing Director, Opinion Research

19. Solution: Energize Advocates

20. Identify Advocates

21. Energize Advocates

22. Track & Optimize Results
Dashboard
(Advocate Analytics)
Platform Engine

23. Ratings Doubled
Before
After

24. Sales Doubled
After
Before

25. Advocacy Score Doubled
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

26. 3 More Ways to Energize Advocates
1. Advocate Testimonials
2. Advocate Answers
3. Advocate Offers
Turn Advocates into a
Powerful Marketing Force

27. 3 Key Lessons
1. Make it easy for Advocates
2. Don’t pay or coach Advocates
3. Engage Advocates continuously

28. When to Respond to Negative WOM
1. How credible is the source?
2. How influential is the forum?
3. How common is the complaint likely to be?
4. How serious is the complaint?
5. How likely is my response going to make things
worse?
Source: Ad Age, Jack Neff

29. Don’t Become Social Media Roadkill
1. Do the right thing (even when it costs you
money)
2. Acknowledge errors & fix them
3. Be prepared
4. Engage & energize Advocates early
5. Communicate early; don’t wait

30. Talk to a Brand Advocate Expert Now
Matt Elders
415.264.1821
matt@zuberance.com