Social Media Principle 6 Be Open and Be Human

Social marketing earns , not buys care to have an opinion, be true to what you say, be useful , be open - above all be human.

"Ask not what your customer can do for you , ask what you can do for your customers " Stan Rapp

As markets become conversations customer relations and advertising models are changing for good. Passive consumption becomes an active interaction. Monologue becomes dialogue. Control becomes collaboration. Customers are empowered , knowledgeable , connected. Companies are becoming more transparent whether they like it or not.

It is an environment in which the balance of effective communication teams to be less about interruption of more participation , less about delivering a message over to be part of a conversation , less than what you say to people and more about what people say about you .

This is an environment that leverages social principles - creating not subtracting value , serve a greater purpose than yours , be useful, easy .

This is an environment in which the most important human elements - having a point of view, be true to yourself and what you say , be open , honest and transparent . Ford use social media ( in the words of Scott Monty ) " humanize the Ford brand and put consumers in touch with Ford employees ," and consistently reach bloggers feedback and encourage the spread of mouth positive word .

Zappos believe that their " culture is their brand" and use social media to create contact points across all areas of their business and ensure customer service is not just a department, it is the whole society whole . authenticity is the currency that encourages trust , involvement and commitment. authenticity is what turns an audience in a suite.