HARO Call: Recapping Broman-isms

Today’s HARO conference call — coupling the brilliant Peter Shankman with Chris Brogan — was amazing. You know how sometimes you listen to conference calls and it’s just talking heads droning on? Not this one! Instead, it was like we were eavesdropping on two friends chatting about social media. Well, except for the fact that the call was live-tweeted by who knows how many people. Check here for all the #broman tweets.

There’s no way I could recap the whole conversation, but there were some nuggets of brilliance worth repeating. So, here’s my “best of” today’s HARO conference call.

• Enter social media with the intention to do business from the human perspective

1. It’s not how many [followers], but how good.
2. From 1950-now, tools were made for talking to customers. Now, tools are made for listening.
3. Share, share, share.

• You can’t listen if you’re constantly talking.
• #1 rule: Improve customer service. Tell them “We see you, we know you’re there, you matter.”
• There’s a difference between saying you’re sorry and being ahead of the game.
• Chris told a story about how even he likes to be a “fan.” He loves NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me and tweeted about it. The show’s host Peter Segal responded to Chris, which he said made him do the “happy dance.”
• People are asking questions every day — especially on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Businesses should seize this opportunity by listening and responding quickly. When people are looking for help, answer them.
• B2B is still struggling with social media adoption. Chris says try it — it’s cheap, inexpensive, won’t break the bank.
• Looking for case studies? Check out Chris’s delicous page.
• Every day, we put out our wishes/desires/wants on social media. Businesses need to switch from a “Where do I advertise?” mindset to a “Where do I listen?” frame of mind.
• Share information like a free gift. It will get people to ask “What else do you have?” Like crack. (That quip was courtesy of Peter!)
• People now ask the “human web” for information — not just Google. Search engines are machines, lacking any emotion. For example: If Peter gets dumped and googles “break-up martini,” who knows what he’ll get. (He said maybe a porn site!) But, if he tweets the same question, he’ll get actual responses from real people — people who have broken up and enjoyed a good, strong martini! How can businesses use the human web to grow their business and get customers/clients to help them spread the word?
• Social media allows customers to see how you conduct yourself. This is especially important if you offer a service that people don’t know much about — like accounting. Consumers want to hire someone they’re comfortable with. Social media helps establish that comfort level.
• Businesses are starting to create pages on their websites just for people who find them via Twitter. Information is conveyed in 140-character bursts. (Has anyone seen one of these? I’d love to see an example!)
• Social media consultants need to figure out doing vs. teaching. We need to teach people how to use the tools. It’s totally fine to help guide them along, but they need to participate in the process.
• Chris suggested thinking the Twitter question is “What has your attention?” vs. “What are you doing?”
• Avoid sites like ping.fm that autopost to various sites. Each site has a different audience that should be treated differently.
• Peter: You don’t have to respond to everything in public. Don’t forget about the DM.
• If people are posting information to social networks, they’re not going to be freaked out by a business dropping in on a conversation. They want to be heard.
• How often should businesses tweet or update Facebook? Per Chris: “All the damn time.”
• Don’t share your whole life. Share enough in the public realm so it seems like people can get to know you. They’re getting to know the *essence* of you.
• Best quote of the day: “The only way to silence the voice of self-doubt is to cross the start line” from Peter.

Were you on the conference call? What did I miss? What’s your favorite “Broman-ism?”