The 10 FAQ about social media and conversation management

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Since the publication of my book ‘De Conversation
Manager’ (2010), I’ve worked with quite a few companies
to inspire and advise them in this new marketing field.
The same questions keep coming back across all regions
and sectors of activity. Social media, community and
conversation managers will definitely recognise them,
because they are the same type of questions they hear
from colleagues every day.
In view of these recurring questions, I thought it would
be a good idea to make a list of the 10 most frequently
asked questions and their answers.
The contents are open to debate and new arguments can
certainly be added to this summary. Please feel free to add
your own contribution.
The 10 most frequently asked questions
about social media & Conversation Management
?

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1. Aren’t social media exclusively for B2C and not for B2B?
2. What is the profile of a Conversation Manager?
3. What if the boardroom doesn’t buy into social media?
4. What is the role of the product in social media?
5. Is operational conversation management something we do ourselves or should we call upon an outside company?
6. Are Facebook likes and Twitter followers important?
7. How do I get a lot of followers and likes?
8. How do I react to really negative people?
9. If I become active on social media, do I run the risk of stimulating negativity?
10. What use do I have for conversation management if my customers aren’t on Facebook or Twitter?
The 10 most frequently asked questions
about social media & Conversation Management

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The basic philosophy of conversational thinking is pretty simple and as old as
the hills: the best kind of publicity is an existing client convincing someone
else to work with your company. For years, manufacturers were able to exert
a strong influence on public perception through intelligent and creative
publicity. In those pre-social media days, publicity produced an endless
stream of information about everyone and everything, thereby diminishing
the impact of word of mouth. B2B marketers got to benefit much less from
this luxury and, as a result, conversations have always been important in a B2B
context. Besides, I’m convinced that B2B marketers hold several advantages
over B2C marketers:
• Knowing clients: a good B2B marketer knows who the company’s clients
are (certainly the top clients). For instance, it is much harder for Coca Cola
to find the consumer who drinks the most Coke in Holland than it is for a
company selling iron ore.
• Co-creation is ingrained in the mentality: a lot of B2B companies
habitually involve clients in R&D projects. What’s more, a new product or
technology is usually developed for specific client processes. Today, social
media make it possible to convert co-creation into structural collaboration.
Question 1
Aren’t social media exclusively for B2C and not for B2B?
For a B2B company, this is simply the next step in their existing approach;
for a B2C company, including the consumer in the decision-making process
often takes some getting used to.
• Customer feedback has always been a first-hand experience. In a B2B
organisation, direct customer feedback comes with the territory. Since sales
and service people work hand in hand with customers, they get feedback
on the company’s operational processes and service straight from the
horse’s mouth. In a B2C context, though, feedback usually comes from a
market survey. A slightly lower percentage of reactions is negative, but they
are less personal and less direct than in a B2B context.
• Smaller volume of conversation. A final advantage is the fact that B2B
companies average a smaller number of conversations. In terms of online
conversations, an industrial company will average a lower volume than a food
manufacturer. On the one hand this makes it harder to get the conversation
started, but on the other hand it’s easier to manage and follow up.

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Question 2
What is the profile of a Conversation Manager?
Since the publication of the original version of my book ‘The Conversation
Manager’ (2010), many companies have gone looking for someone to put in
charge of their social media strategy. In quite a few cases, the job description
was ‘conversation manager’ – thank you very much for that, by the way.
When we analyse the many vacancies for conversation managers, it’s apparent
that two profiles are in demand. There’s the strategic approach on the one
hand and the operational approach on the other. Both jobs are valuable and
both are essential to effective conversation management. I found the inspira-
tion to describe both routes in the various papers of Jeremiah Owyang.
• Choice No. 1: The conversation manager as a reactive helpdesk
A large portion of the job descriptions for conversation managers remind me
of the profile of a modern webmaster. These guys start up the conversation
for the brand by sending Facebook and Twitter updates. Every day they go
looking for a small amount of content to put online. They represent major
brands and help companies find their way in conversation management.
Every one of these tasks is of crucial importance but they are very operational in
nature. They execute the assignments they receive from various departments.
When someone is conducting a campaign, the conversation manager is
there to help him promote it. When there’s a crisis, the conversation manager
monitors the situation on behalf of those involved. Again, each one of these
tasks is important but they still only cater to the operational aspect of the job.
• Choice No. 2: The conversation manager as a facilitator of strategic change
Let’s consider why so many companies are looking for a conversation
manager. The answer is simple: we are living in a time of change. There
isn’t a company out there that doesn’t realise we need a new form of
interaction with the consumer. They want to engage the consumer in
conversation so they go in search of someone to manage that conversation.
Logical, isn’t it? What companies are really looking for is someone to aid
them in that transition. In order to facilitate that change, a strategically
competent conversation manager is the best choice. In this role, the
conversation manager is proactively involved in determining the strategy.
The conversation manager heads the most important projects but also
involves the other departments in his plans. He makes sure that the learning
effect ripples throughout the organisation. In his ideas, he takes a proactive
approach to other departments. The conversation manager determines
the content agenda of his organisation on a strategic level. He thinks a
year ahead and goes in search of the most relevant content in order to
maximise the effect of the conversations about his company. He designs a
conversion strategy: how can all these conversations lead to conversion and
consequently impact our turnover?

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The choice is yours
We’ve explained there are two different ways of
looking at conversation management. Both roles
are important: one is an operational, executive
role whereas the other has a strategic focus.
When writing the job description, it’s a good
idea to think about the place of the new role in
the overall structure of the organisation.
Most companies simply look for the operational
people. However, operational people need ‘the
(wo)man with the plan’. Combining both profiles
is what generates true change.
General
MGM
Conversation
Manager
HR
Sales
Mkt
ITLegal
Cust
Care
R&D

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The answer is simple: If you want to convince management of the use of social
media, then don’t talk about social media. Instead you should talk about
things that managers find important. One of the challenges for top managers
is improving customer satisfaction at a lower cost. Another challenge consists
in consolidating sales results in a world where customer contact is becoming a
rare commodity. Base your arguments on the challenges they face. Explain the
long-term advantages of your plan. Contribute to one of the company’s main
goals through your social media plan.
Also, it’s always a good idea to submit a concrete step-by-step plan. Such a
plan brings clarity and sets people at ease. The plan consists of a number of
pilots. Pilots with a long-term plan have the biggest impact. A successful pilot
survives the initial test phase. The ideal pilot is a pilot with the ability to keep
evolving with time.
Try to include a broad spectrum of factors in the plan. It shouldn’t merely
outline the external communication strategy but also the role that staff will
play. Take the structural changes into account and be transparent about the
investments required for the plan to be successful.
Question 3
What if the boardroom doesn’t buy into social media?
Social
Media
Plan

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It goes without saying that the quality of the product is essential. Analysis of consumer
conversations clearly shows that customer experience is the topic of conversation in
more than 50% of cases. This experience is always a combination of product quality
and the quality of the service. When these two elements are satisfactory, you’re off to a
flying start on social media: thanks to the quality of the product, consumers will already
be exchanging their product experiences of their own accord. The product has already
created a positive buzz, regardless of what you yourself are doing.
If your product is lacking in quality then you will be confronted with that fact in a hurry.
Faster than ever before, careful observation tells a company what’s wrong with its
products. We can help consumers by taking part in the conversation, but even more
than that, it’s crucial to bring the observations into the R&D department and make
actual improvements to the product.
In other words, product quality has a major impact on conversation management.
If your product and the accompanying service are up to par then you can start
brainstorming about creative content campaigns because consumers are prepared to
talk about your company. If either your product or the service are below average, then
you will need to focus on observation and on neutralising conversation management.
Of course, this also creates an opportunity. Using consumer feedback to improve your
product makes a company look good to its consumers.
Question 4
What is the role of the product in social media?
Help customers
with issues,
thank them for
compliments
Product
& service
Listen and be
empathic for
negative
feedback
Develop
conversation
starters around
your
product/brand
Use consumer
feedback
Grow an active
group of brand
advocates
Improve/new
product
Thank consumer
for feedback
if product/service quality is OK
if product/service quality is not OK

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In a perfect world it’s better to implement conversation management ourselves.
Managing the direct relationship with the customer yourself is undoubtedly an asset.
In some cases, though, it’s better to use a partner:
• If round-the-clock availability is required but the terms of employment don’t allow it.
• If the company lacks the in-house knowledge to take part in the conversation.
• To provide assistance at peak moments. For instance, if a company can handle the daily flow of conversations but needs
outside help for a product launch, they may call upon an outside partner to help them deal with the peak in activity.
• In case of a pressing need for specific competencies that are not available within the company.
In the future, marketing organisations will try to become more flexible. As a result, the number of in-house staff may drop
as companies are quicker to call upon a specialised outside firm. The service providers’ expertise on the subject of online
participation may become so high that working with an outside partner becomes an asset.
The conclusion is that apart from the ideal case scenario, there’s also the everyday reality to take into account.
Question 5
Is operational conversation management something we do ourselves
or should we call upon an outside company?

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Question 6
Are Facebook likes and Twitter followers important?
Many social media experts would say ‘no’ but I beg to differ. However, two
conditions must be fulfilled: first of all, the fans and followers must be gen-
uine fans instead of ‘purchased fans’. And secondly, you have to get those
followers involved. An entirely passive audience has little worth.
If these two conditions are fulfilled, building a wide reach is a great asset.
This is true for several reasons:
• The main reason: while the investments in campaigns and content remain
the same, their impact increases. In turn, this generates a bigger impact on
investment.
• Managers like figures and success indicators. As a conversation manager,
you will have to report to your superiors from time to time. A growing
online reach may help you secure additional means.
• The perception of the outside world is still determined by volume and
reach.
Still, keep in mind that your efforts should be based on a clear strategy.
You can devise a strategy using the four steps outlined below:
1. Draw up a content conversion plan
Think carefully about which content areas you would like to tackle. Also,
it’s a good idea to select a digital location that offers the best odds of
conversion, of reaching your goals. Next you try to bring as many people
to that location as possible.
2. Build reach
Once the strategy is in place, you have to build reach. See also the next
question for more pointers on the subject.
3. Generate commitment through content
The content should be worthy of conversation. It should invite interaction
and make people feel involved with the brand.
4. From likes to ambassadors
The final step consists in activating people. When your fans start talking
about your brand to other people, that’s when the likes have been
converted into ambassadors.

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TIME
Content
Touchpoint plan
Build reach
through campaigns
Convince with
content & interaction
Conversion
These four phases are obviously not entirely sequential; there is an overlap between phases 2, 3 and 4. In our strategy, it’s not that hard to define the necessary
actions for the various steps. In real life, though, we need to be flexible enough to adapt to consumer needs in a moment’s notice. Once a certain stage is
reached, phases 2, 3 and 4 become iterative steps in an eternal loop designed to build reach and create more ambassadors.

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Question 7
How do I get a lot of followers and likes?
Three conditions must be fulfilled to build reach:
1. Strong content: the most important way of building reach is sharing
relevant, creative and enjoyable content with your network. Not only should
the actual content be good, but more than anything else it should also be
visually convincing. Our communications are slipping back toward the age
of hieroglyphics: text is slowly but surely disappearing from the online world
and photos and videos are taking over.
2. Discipline: doing something fun once a year just isn’t enough. You have
to settle on a rhythm for making and sharing strong content. Keep to that
rhythm even if not much is happening in the short run. Discipline coupled
with patience is a second condition.
3. Be human: don’t fall into the trap of one-way communication on social
media. Keep it human. Play an active role in the conversation, react to other
people’s input, joke around… Make the personality of your brand tangible.
Then there are also a number of more commercially oriented possibilities to
build reach. The challenge is to balance the scales. Don’t just go for the fast
build-up of fans but always concentrate on finding good fans. I have outlined
a few ideas that work but you should take care to use them in a way that fits
the brand while still attracting good fans:
• Campaigns worthy of conversation: invest in strong online campaigns to
boost the reach of the online channels.
• Competitions & free giveaways: giving away free products is an effective
method of building reach in the very short term. The drawback of this
approach is there are no guarantees of attracting the right people. Many
companies get a lot of ‘fans’ this way but their quality is often questionable.
When using this strategy, the trick is to convince people through high-
quality content.
• Social advertising: good content deserves to be seen. Promote your
content with social media ads.
• Activating staff: a company should always have more fans than staff. If
your own staff are not interested in the content then you can’t expect the
customer to take an interest. Train and coach your staff so they become
active ambassadors of your social media activities.
• Offline communication: building reach goes way beyond the online
channels themselves. Mentioning the online channels in every form of
communication will help build your reach on a structural level. Mention the
online channels in all communications: TV commercials, banners, posters,
printed ads, publicity at the mall …
• Work with partners that have a wide reach: If you have a good
relationship with strong brands that already have a wide online reach then
you should look into the possibility of them sharing your content as well.

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Question 8
How do I react to really negative people?
Negative reactions after an incident: open a dialogue
This group often spreads negative content about your company. They feel
you should do better (as opposed to positive criticism from those who think
you COULD do better). Open a dialogue and listen to their feedback. Maybe
you can make some actual improvements that will change their opinion of
your company. Make sure their negative comments are processed in a posi-
tive, empathic manner. Even if their opinion doesn’t change, at least you’ve
neutralised the negative conversation.
Haters: ignore their hate but understand its source
This group has lost all trust in your company. They are convinced your com-
pany simply can’t do any better. Everything you say and do comes across the
wrong way. The thought of having anything to do with your company makes
them shudder. You won’t change their minds, not even through dialogue, so
there’s little sense in reacting to their negative comments. Anything you say
will only fuel their anger and it’s a discussion you can’t win. Don’t pay any
attention to them. Do not delete their negative comments but simply ignore
their remarks. By reacting, you are giving the impression they’re succeeding
in their mission. The only interesting thing is to determine (listen) the cause
for these extreme feelings. You can learn from the past to keep other people
from developing the same feelings towards your company.
There are two kinds of negative people. The first kind had a bad experience with your company and the second kind is negative by nature.
The first are relatively easy to convert. The second are the so-called grouchy smurfs that are impossible to please. Both groups require a different approach.

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Question 9
If I become active on social media,
do I run the risk of stimulating negativity?
Consumers don’t need your permission to talk about your company.
Conversations will take place regardless of whether or not the company itself
is involved. If you’re not, then you don’t know what they are saying and you
can’t react; by participating in the conversation, you are aware of what they
are saying and you can react.
Also, your presence will have a psychological effect in limiting the number
of negative conversations. After all, people are reticent to make negative
comments when the target of the remarks can hear them. It is very easy to
be angry with someone who isn’t in the room. Arguing with someone who is
actually there takes more nerve.
The more human your style of conversation management, the fewer negative
conversations take place. Nevertheless, a major mistake by your company
will result in an avalanche of negative comments. Again, this is not related to
your presence or absence but to the mistake itself.
Not being active on social media means turning a deaf ear to your
customers’ feedback and that’s obviously a bad idea. After all, marketing is
still about understanding your customers and reacting appropriately.
In other words, it all starts with listening to what consumers have to say.
If your company is hesitant to create an online presence it can be very helpful
to fall back on the three steps of conversation management:
• Observe: start by listening before you join in the conversation. As long as
you are uncomfortable participating, the least you can do is listen.
• Facilitate: make it easier to talk to you and about you.
• Join: take part in the conversation. Leave the safety of your brand identity
and put a face on the brand in your capacity as marketer.
Observe Facilitate Join
As a manager As a brand As a peer

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Question 10
What use do I have for conversation management
if my customers aren’t on Facebook or Twitter?
Conversation management goes beyond Facebook and Twitter. It’s about establish-
ing an emotional connection with customers that results in positive conversations.
These positive conversations are the basis for growth. I’ve never heard of a company
that doesn’t care about positive conversations, regardless of the channel being used.
Needless to say, the new media also play a role in conversation management. While
it is true that not everyone uses these channels, they are still important to every
company. Digital marketing goes beyond Facebook and Twitter. Company’s often
underestimate the importance of their own website. Establishing your own channel
for interactive communication with the customer is also part of a conversation strate-
gy. This involves a larger target group, viz. the entire internet population.
In addition, the indirect effect of social media is often much bigger than the direct
effect. More and more, news is being shaped online. Once the classic media pick
up a story, it grows and may eventually become a fad. The quickest road to offline
visibility is scoring on social media. The opposite is also true: the quickest road to
online success is your offline behaviour. In other words: thinking in silos is not a good
idea. Everything is interconnected and every channel has its own part to play.

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To learn all details about my vision, check out my two books...

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Feedback & suggestions?
I hope these questions and suggestions for answers help you to tackle
questions and issues in your day to day working environment.
If you have other experiences or suggestions, feel free to contact me.
Steven@VanBelleghem.Biz
@StevenVBe
linkedin.com/in/stevenvanbelleghem
facebook.com/theconversationmanager
Thank you and good luck!