There’s a very interesting article by Benedict Carey on the New York Times titled “Evidence that Little Touches Do Mean So Much.” Technically, it’s an article that has absolutely nothing to do with social media, yet I feel that it is extremely relevant. Essentially, the article discusses a few different studies that indicate that physical touch, whether it be a high five, a pat on the back, or a nice big hug, can communicate a wider range of emotions than words ever can and communicate these emotions more accurately.
Examples include everything from a student who receives a supportive touch on the back or arm are twice as likely to volunteer in class, to professional sports teams who have more physical contact (chest bumps, high fives, etc.) actually tend to perform at a stronger level than other teams. It’s a great article and I’d encourage you to give it a read.
So, with social media, we have this medium that is based entirely on words, pictures, and video. It is consumed independently and, although it is meant to connect us emotionally, it has disconnected us more than ever physically. On a personal level, think about communicating with your friends. Sure, it’s fun to shoot some tweets back and forth to each other, but nothing can beat a real life rendezvous where you shake hands, hug, chest bump (whatever floats your boat). It would be hard to argue against this, right?
It should be the same for businesses.
Businesses who want to engage their customers and fans online are of course attempting to develop a relationship with these customers. And most relationships are built on some sort of emotional bond. According to this study, the strongest of emotional expressions come through tangible interactions. Therefore, in order to stand out from your competitors (who are also using these online tools to build relationships) the obvious options to try to transcend the digital aspect of “social media” and interact with them offline as well.
It’s paradoxical in a way: to strengthen your online relationships, you must take it offline.
Now, obviously this doesn’t mean to knock on their doors asking for a hug (creeper), but this is the part where I really want your input. How can we extend the relationships we’re building with our online customers beyond the digital space?
Image by striatic
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Hey Jackie!
I absolutely agree with you that to form real relationships with customers, businesses and individuals alike have to extend networking and relationship building offline.
This is why tweet ups, networking events, or just informal get togethers are so important. If I've met you in real life, and like you, chances are I'll pay more attention to what you have to say online.
There are many practical applications of this idea for businesses:
If you're a small business, restaurant, or bar: Invite bloggers, journalists and friends over for a special event to encourage word of mouth, both on and offline.
If you're an agency, or consulting shop: Sponsor a conference, tweet up, or networking event.
If you're a sports team (because I know how much you love sports, what up SMC!) utilize exclusive online incentives to encourage people to attend games, matches, or meet and greets with the team and management.
These are just a few ideas. I also think all of these can work in reverse as well (using real life networking to spur online engagement).
Do you think one works better than the other? Would you encourage clients to start networking online and solidify the relationship offline or the other way around?
Adding that article to my bookmarks to read later! I completely agree with you- the way a brand or company acts online should be reinforced by the way they interact with their customers in person, and vice versa. As to how we can extend relationships beyond the digital space? I think it's about being kind, courteous, and quick- people love the immediacy social media offers, and while issues usually aren't resolved as quickly in real life, even taking that first step to reach out and get down to the heart of a problem would be a big step up. In the social media space, companies monitor their brand and tend to approach customers who have problems who complain. I think adapting that in a real life setting would ensure customer loyalty.
Haha I like the SMC shout out! Thanks for some great examples, Danny, and great point in that it can work the other way too, which I feel people often forget. I wouldn't want to say either is necessarily better than the other, as both work towards strengthening your brand's relationship with them.
If you think about a sports team, taking your online engagement and developing real, offline relationships with fans will result in ticket sales. Taking your offline relationships and encouraging them to participate in your online communicate will make sure that your team is even more “top of mind” than it was before.
So to answer your question “Would you encourage them to do option 1 or option 2?” My answer is yes, haha. It shouldn't be one or the other, as both ultimately have the same goal in mind of extending the relationship with your customers. What do you think?
You raise an interesting point that a brand shouldn't be a different experience online and offline. If you interact with the @comcastcares Twitter account and have a great experience, you would expect a similarly awesome experience from their help line on the phone, right?
But imagine if you had a problem with a certain brand and tweeted about it, then received a phone call from a representative asking to help you work through the problem. Woah. They just took your online comment and responded offline. I think we just entered some sort of time space continuum.
Great thoughts, Sheema!
Hi Jackie, As usual some good good stuff, I think the point of engaging online should be to develop these emotional bondings because apart from the flashy advertisements which a lot of brands offer this is something which tells people that a particular brand really cares for them and for this they need to have an employee as in the individual representing them, to get that personal feeling.
As far as the physical meetings are concerned, they have already started increasing in the form of physical tweet-ups and conferences, so we are going the right way.
Thanks for sharing your insight…..a real cool one.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting again, Akash! You're right, the whole point of engaging online is to create these emotional bonds, but, if your competitors are doing that too, taking it offline can help you stay ahead of the pack.
Companies aren't “extending” the relationships beyond online because the offline relationships came first. Before the Internet, before computers, companies maintained completely offline relationships with customers.
While a lot of companies are concentrating on their online relationships more, I think they should continue to maintain their offline relationships too, especially those companies with brick and mortar locations.
The online aspect is a bonus; offline is still what matters most.
Jackie,
Your post makes me think of a recent post by Scott Stratten (UnMarketing), in which he says if he hadn't jumped into Twitter he wouldn't have: “the most incredible support system I’ve ever known in my life. When UnJr’s mom passed away in the fall, hundreds, if not thousands of you opened your arms, even if it was just for a virtual hug. I’ll never forget that”
I'd argue that virtual hugs can be as important as physical ones. And, I'd also argue that you, in particular, give great virtual hugs. I've seen the way you respond to your readers' comments and I have no trouble imagining those thoughtful, personal responses as hugs, playful punches to the shoulder, pats on the back, etc.
Good post…thanks!
I do agree that, in some companies the reverse of this post is true and they're just extending their offline relationships to the online space, but I definitely don't believe that's the case for everyone.
An example: Google is a company that we've grown accustomed to ONLY seeing in the digital space online (until the Nexus One). Yet, last week, they sent me a Valentine's Day card in the mail. No, not e-mail, even though they have gmail–snail mail. They made themselves tangible (and went above and beyond what was expected of them).
Personally, there are numerous companies I've interacted with online but never have offline, whether it be because they only exist online (like a hosting company) or because they just aren't geographically located near me (a European soccer team).
So, what I'm saying I guess is there's merit and importance for evolving an offline relationship to an online one AND taking an online one offline.
Hi Beth, very interesting point that I hadn't really considered. Since physical “touch” isn't exactly possible online, why not make certain gestures and treat your fans/consumers just as if you were physically in front of them? Do you think this has the same effect?
I hesitate to use the word “same” but mainly because it's subjective in this example. You may have a person who isn't very touchy-feely in person but who is comfortable giving “virtual hugs” or you may have someone who considers the virtual world sterile and would rather look the person they're doing business with in the eye and shake their hand. I do, though, think it's important to acknowledge that a growing segment of the population is becoming more comfortable with these virtual “touches” and to figure out how you can reach out to people (without being creepy) in both your personal and corporate online voices.
That's a great point. I forgot about the companies that started out online entirely.
Foiled Cupcakes is an excellent example of this. Mari sells cupcakes 100% online with no storefront, but she has created the most personal company I've ever seen. She's not hiding behind that website – she's out on the front lines each and everyday putting a face to the company and the experience.
Foiled Cupcakes definitely sounds like a cool business and one that their customers really have developed a sort of attachment to. Some guy introduced me to them in this video series he does.
I have attempted chest bumping offline after an extremely successful softball league season and learned that when you are a girl…it generally hurts. I imagine it is the equivalent of all the boy-ouchie-hits on America's Funniest Home Videos..
But I digress…
I agree that companies can fall dangerously into a trap of “getting out too easy” by appealing only through shallow online interaction. I'd say there are two ways to counter this. The first is follow up. Creating systems that are put in place to make sure than no one feels as though they were just answered “by a bot” and forgotten. An email/phone follow up, customer comment card, something. Not only does this reach out to your customers, but it encourages them to interact. Interactions = customer loyalty = repeat business and referrals.
The second is the human “factor” of your online presence. Anyone can create auto replies and canned statements. Many businesses spew our updates and Tweets and marketing without ever attempting to reach out and build any sort of relationship. As has been mentioned with Foiled Cupcakes, she does an amazing job of showing clients the person behind the screen. Granted, this is sometimes easier with a smaller business, but not impossible with a larger one. And of course there's the false sense of relationship too. You @reply with someone for a bit, follow them, comment on their site, assume a level of relationship somehow/some way and then you go to DM them and BAM!
It's not a virtual hug, it's a virtual bitch slap.
Interesting. This is obviously a topic on many people's mind. Just today, I came across another link that discussed the very subject! http://bit.ly/bsWEu3.
Haha thanks for stopping by and sharing the cartoon, Jeannie!
Great points, Elisa! As I read in a book, familiarity leads to trust, which leads to loyalty, and what better way to make a customer more familiar with you than by reaching out to them offline? That level of trust increases a whole lot when you interact in person, and it makes you feel a lot less like they may, as you so eloquently put it, give you a virtual bitch slap.
Haha thanks for stopping by and sharing the cartoon, Jeannie!
Great points, Elisa! As I read in a book, familiarity leads to trust, which leads to loyalty, and what better way to make a customer more familiar with you than by reaching out to them offline? That level of trust increases a whole lot when you interact in person, and it makes you feel a lot less like they may, as you so eloquently put it, give you a virtual bitch slap.
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