We’re at a point now where duplicating hot technology isn’t overly complex. It’s easy for a competitor to implement the same features you have and basically follow in your footsteps. I think the long-term winners will be the companies that are able to turn a simple user-provider relationship into a personal connection.

I couldn’t agree more regarding your remarks about bland content. Doing something cutting edge just for the sake of doing it doesn’t help move the pill at all. A bland video will not entice engagement. In fact, you may miss an opportunity to engage with someone. But, you can take a bland subject and turn it into something engaging by creating a video. Audiovisual content affords a tremendous opportunity to turn something dull into something captivating. That’s what ultimately helps it drive engagement.

I think many companies are handcuffing themselves by not being a little more flexible and human with their messaging. If all of their content online is just tweeting out or blasting their sales message mantra on Facebook…who ends up listening? I guess my point about the employees is to find the voices that are brand advocates for you and enable them to become stronger voices for you. Not every employee will have the skills or ability to be a brand advocate for you.

As with any company including some sort of social media guidelines in their employee handbook or wiki should be standard practice (at least I think it should be at this point).

i agree in principal and this is great advice for companies that are inclined to handcuff how employees talk about them– but I would fear that people will turn this into “no staying on-message.” That’s dangerous because a company that wants disparate employees to talk about them (which, in reality, should be any company), needs to foster consistent messaging.

Guidelines vs. script, perhaps?