Turn that frown upside down or, as Aki Spicer, director of digital development at Fallon, put it: “Turn crappy into happy….in just five tweets.” Spicer delivered a webinar entitled “Wiretapping the Social Web for Insights and Strategies” to an online audience of more than 400 members of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), of which Riger is a proud member.

Some of Spicer’s presentation gems:

• Social Media is now being referred to as “The Real-Time Web,” or sometimes simply “The Social,” e.g., “Let’s get out into The Social to see what people are saying about us on the Real-time Web.”

• When using The Social, be authentic and be transparent. Your brand’s chief marketing officer probably should be the brand’s chief voice, chief blogger, chief twitterer…

• Agencies’ role is monitoring conversation about the client in The Social, advising how to respond, and coaching.

• Real-time is the new pace of business.

• Shift happens. He described four uses of “Overheard Research” (monitoring conversation on The Social)

1. Beat the Haters — There will be brand haters; learn from them. Often brand hate is based on hearsay or “herd perception,” and it can be nipped in the bud. If it’s a few unhinged haters, it might be best to ignore, but if it’s a groundswell, you will need to respond.

2. Storm-warning system — Consumers use The Social to look to one another for answers. Keep an antenna tuned to whispers before they turn to shouts. Clients need to join the conversation. People on The Social are cupping their ears, listening for the voice of your brand. Talk to them.

3. Holla back — Social Media have made a “viewing party” out of TV watching. It’s interactive now. Your presence in The Social is not a campaign, it’s a commitment. You must feed the beast new content. Talk back.

4. Discover your enemy’s weakness — If your competitor’s batteries don’t work, make sure yours do. And then tell the world.

SUBMITTED BY:

Steve Johnson, Vice President, Client Services