Newspaper column born from social network

Tweet

Today I helped launch the San Diego Union-Tribune's "Social Media Monday" column in its business section by authoring its first weekly installment. (I shared tips for local businesses trying to grow their following on Twitter.)

But how did I get such an opportunity? After all, authoring a social media column in the market's major news daily is pretty sweet.

The opportunity was all the result of my social network, and I thought it would be fun to show how that worked:

• June 2008: Get on Twitter. Figure out how it works. Make friends.


• March 2009: When Twitter friend @tawnypress in Orange County offers up her ticket to hear @chrisbrogan speak at @bryanelliott's SoCal Action Sports Network event, I go. I enjoy meeting and learning from Chris Brogan as well as hanging out IRL with another OC Twitter friend @kirstenwright. But I also meet @ronploof. Ron is an author, blogger, storyteller, and speaker who helps executives understand the business of new and social media. I stay connected with Ron through Twitter but also subscribe to his blog. Ron shares great insights and advice, which I often ReTweet or post to Facebook to share with my network. It's really good stuff.


• May 2010: Ron suggests I take his place on a social media panel at Cal State Long Beach's Journalism Day since he has a conflict. It's a fun experience, and I enjoy meeting the other folks on the panel including OC Tweeter and blogger @tednguyen. A former Orange County Register reporter, @mcdiana a.k.a. Diana McCabe, is auditing the panel, and we connect after the event on Twitter.


• June 2010: @mcdiana becomes a business editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune, with a focus on the interactive side of the paper's business reporting. We share advice and observations on running in San Diego, among other local tips.

When it's time to kick off her idea for a "Social Media Monday" column, I come to mind. Why? Because in 2009, @tawnypress Tweeted that she had an extra ticket to an event, and I went. Because @kirstenwright Tweeted that she would be there too so I wasn't going alone. Because @ronploof and I connected there and then stayed connected via our shared social networks. This led to a shared mutual respect which resulted in a speaking opportunity that led to a column opportunity.

See how that works? It might sound like a lot of work or a long time to work, but it's just one example of the many great connections and opportunities that social networking activities have produced for me and my business.

If you missed it, here's the column:

How to grow your Twitter network

Welcome to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s first installment of Social Media Monday, a new weekly feature that helps businesses and consumers understand how to use social media tools to their best advantage. This week's tips come from Julie Wright, president of (W)right On Communications, a San Diego public relations agency. She frequently speaks and consults on social media best practices. (Find her on Twitter at @juliewright).

SOCIAL MEDIA MONDAY: Building quality connections

The social networking site Twitter has allowed me to make new connections at a pace that I could not possibly have achieved in person or, as they say on Twitter, IRL (in real life).

This ability to connect with others so easily is a seductive feature of online social
networks, but they are not simply about collecting followers. It’s the quality of your connections that makes your social network valuable...: https://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/26/quality-of-connections-content-can-help-grow-your/

The front line is the only line

Tweet

If you have the greatest company in the world, the best finance team, great IT support, well-respected managers, the whole nine yards - that’s fantastic. You should be proud. However, none of that matters if you have poor customer service representatives (CSRs). To the customer, those CSRs are your company. They make or break the sale. They leave the customer satisfied and likely to return or they leave them unhappy and likely to tell everyone they know not to buy your products or services.

Think about it. If Peyton Manning is your quarterback, you’re not going to surround him with a bunch of bush league offensive linemen. No, you want the best.

In a survey, the National Association of Retail Marketing Services found that companies lose 10 customers for every one that complains and 90% of unhappy clients will not do business with the same company again. Considering how much it costs to attract a customer, it makes no sense at all not to invest in a service program and satisfy and keep those hard-won customers.

This isn’t a new concept. It’s one that holds true through the evolution of customer service from face to face, to phone, to online interactions.

The person managing your Twitter and Facebook accounts is one of the most important CSRs there is. Is the person behind those social network accounts familiar with all aspects of your company? Have they been properly trained to respond to customer complaints? Do they follow through with people who connect to them, whether it’s a neutral, good or bad comment? It’s not enough to just be: you must become an engaged and active presence.

Consider this person an extension of your front line, because they’re not just picking up the phone and dealing with 50 customers a day, they’re online dealing with thousands – or more. Without a solid front line…the rest won’t matter.