Social media rule number one : Know thy network

Social media rule number one: Know thy network

Many businesses are scared to be online. They fear the adverse power of social media and online communications. An open two-way channel is indeed more difficult to control than the one-way TV, radio and newspapers where customers will eventually comment but the editorial team will decide which comment to accept and which one is better to delete. But what can happen online and why the fear? Well the truth is that everything can happen online and damage a brand. Businesses that took years to work their image and message can see all their efforts destroyed in some days, with a simple comment on Facebook. Conflicts and crises happen every single day on social networks. 

At the same time companies know that they don't have a choice to eventually get online and hope for the best if they want to survive in a competitive market. So what can they do about it? 

Well first of all it is important for businesses to know that A LOT can be done to prevent, limit and control online problems, especially conflicts and crises. 

Rule number one that I always tell my clients is KNOW YOUR NETWORK. Know your Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc. network. This is easier said than done, but it is the most important thing your business must know online. Knowing your network doesn't mean how many ''LIKES'' your business has on Facebook or ''TWEETS'' on Twitter. Knowing your network means to ask yourself the right questions about your network. Here are some examples: 

1) Who are my online customers?

2) Do I have a community, a sub-community?

3) How is information shared in my network?

4) Who are the leaders of my network?

5) etc. 

When I did a quick survey, not even 1 out of 20 online businesses could answer one of those questions about their online community. We all know that knowledge is power so if you don't know your network how can you prevent conflicts and crises in that same network?

If you have questions or comments you can also contact us or visit the official eRelations website at erelations.info. 

Google Plus: how to use it

Here is a great infographic by Chris Brogan that could be used as a basic training tool in how to use G+.

In fact it could be useful for tips on how to use social media accounts in general!

gplusinfographic

Chris Brogan brings humans and relations as a core social business value. It is not easy to make a living by telling businesses that they should stop putting their products before the people that work from them or the consumers that buy those products. We need more people that value the human experience in businesses and ask companies to C-A-R-E about people. That is what social business is ALL about. A network of people working together, connecting and interacting for a better tomorrow. 

Human relations in the virtual online world

Human relations in the virtual online world

Source : http://ediscovery.quarles.com/tags/virtual-worlds/ http://ediscovery.quarles.com/tags/virtual-worlds

We are not different in the online world, yet we feel so because we perceive ourselves as being anonymous when we are online. When online, we are still connected to each other even more than in our everyday life. The virtual online world doesn't have boundaries and the laws don't have the same power here. The virtual online world feels and seems like the closer we can get as human beings to freedom. A freedom that can sometimes cost our lives in the real world. I am referring for example to the Arab World where people who began an online revolution got killed by their governments on the streets.

This blog wants to address a question that we are not yet addressing to a large extent: what happens precisely to human relations in an online, virtual world?