"Listening to the Groundswell"

My social media principles course at ONU is reading an interesting book titled "Groundswell." This book was published in 2008 and was written by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li. Although the book is outdated, it gives meaningful advice for businesses trying to make the most of the social media around them. Chapter 5 spoke to me most while reading because it shares the idea of listening, which I feel is often lost in today's hustle and bustle.

To give some background information, the term "groundswell" is defined in the book as "a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations." The beginning of the book describes the three main forces that cause groundswell: people, economy, and technology. Out of these three factors, I find people to be the most important.

People power business and the economy. Without the consumers, companies would not exist because there would be no requirement for their services. Chapter 5 illustrates that listening to the consumers is important to the success of the business. Everyone has heard the old saying, "the customer is always right." Although I have dealt in some situations where this may not necessarily be true, the idea still holds. If the customer is not happy, they will tell other people and business will drop.

"Groundswell" describes two strategies for listening. The first is setting up a private area for people to review items or engage in conversation about the company. In this strategy, businesses can hear the opinions of others and get a discussion started about the products. Then, necessary changes can be made to improve the brand. The second strategy is to look online at various websites, such as YouTube, blogs, or other social media sites, to find what people are saying about the products. People may not feel threatened if they post about a product on their personal blog, and will speak their mind.

I feel that companies who listen to their consumers have the most positive outcomes. After all, the reason you make a product is so the public will buy it. It only makes sense that you listen to their likes, dislikes, and feelings about the products. Listening enables a company to better fit the needs of the customers, which will lead to more sales and a growing brand.