Listen
Even if you do not want to market directly to the social web, it is important to listen to what people are saying about your brand online. Using free tools like Google Alerts and TweetBeep you can track key words and phrases, so that you can follow the conversations that people are having about you.Target and position
Once you have started to listen, you need to decide which social media platforms are best for your business. Where is your audience and what are they talking about? You need to identify what their 'passion points' are, so that you can engage with them in an engaging and meaningful way.Once you start talking to your audience you need to identify who the 'influencers' are - these are the people who post regularly, who receive a lot of comments from others or are linked to in other peoples content. These types of users can help you communicate to a wider audience.
Converse
Use your presence to engage with the community and open up a dialogue with customers. By listening and responding to what people have to say, rather than just pushing sales messages, you can gain valuable insights and build trust in your brand. It is important to say something regularly.Think about the 'tone of voice' that you use in your content - customers will trust you more if they feel that you are honest, responsive and engaging in your interactions with them.
Protect
It is important to address any negative feedback quickly and honestly. Responding thoughtfully to negative feedback, resolving customer problems and apologising - sincerely - can go a long way toward limiting damage.Assess any impact that negative feedback may have to your search engine ranking. It is important to 'own' your ranking in universal search, so if negative links begin to be displayed for your brand, you will need to address this.
