1. Companies need to listen harder to customers and empower them by joining online conversations to understand feedback and improve. 2. Customers are talking about brands online, with both positive and negative comments. Companies should listen to understand misconceptions and customer needs in order to act and provide better service. 3. Empowering customers as brand advocates can exponentially increase a company's reach as people trust other people. By listening and engaging customers, companies can create brand advocates and humanize their brand.

1. Why should my company start listening toits customers? * Social Media Afternoon – Brussels, July 9th, 2009Nathalie Dumont – Project Manager

2. Overview Start listening? Not really. But listen harder and better! What is being said out there? Empower your customer. How do you empower your user? Humanize your brand, one customer at a time. What is being done out there?

3. 1. *Start listening? Not really. But listen harder and better!

4. Before we set off… Please take the time to watch this 1 minute video. Something’s gotta change: ‘United Airlines’ commercial a TV commercial from 1989 but more relevant thanever.

6. join the conversation

8. andlistento what is being said. The same is true online and in social media.

9. 2. What is being said out there?

10. What is being said out there? People are talking about your brand right now!! Some people like your brand. Some people don’t. Question: why? Answer: listen!

12. an opportunity to hear about the positive things spoken about your brand

13. an opportunity to show you care about your customer’s feedback & needs

14. an opportunity to act (improve customer service, give feedback, ask opinions, …)Well, don’t you want to know what your consumers say about your products and brand??

15. 3. Empower your user!

16. Empower your user! Web 2.0 expands the reach of a single voice. One single disgruntled consumer with a broadband connection can ignite a crisis. The internet makes it possible for this crisis to be re-ignited and used over and over again. Lesson for marketing managers, pr, customer service: not only does bad news spread fast, it can have a second or third life spreading around the Internet. The broadcast of the few has given way to the narrowcast of the many

18. know your customer’s brand expectations better

21. ask for feedback

22. make it easy for the customer to get in touch with you

23. create brand advocates so they recommend your product, service & brandPeople listen to other people. They always have, they always will. By empowering your brand advocates, you can exponentially increase the audience you reach.

24. 5. Humanize your brand

26. respects their values

27. asks them for ideas (crowdsourcing)

28. does not treat the customer as a number

29. engages in the conversation

30. puts a face on its big corporate brandwill always gain credibility and improve brand equity.

32. but also engage in conversation

35. ‘Doritos Super Bowl Crash ‘– user generated commercialsDoritos awarded 1 million dollars to the best user generated commercial

36. Verizon math fail – example video of #fail