Social media give businesses the ability to listen and respond in real time, and those that are socially engaged have never been closer or more in-tune with their customers.
But the interconnected nature of social media also means that businesses are held accountable. We're coming to expect businesses to act with honesty, humility, concern and openness. We also want them to be listeners, givers and collaborators.
Essentially, we're asking business to be more human. And we're starting to hold them to the same standards as we hold each other.
Most humans consider being other-centered one of the key traits of being a good person. In other words, our goal is to treat others the way we want to be treated. Yes, I'm talking about that enduring ethical code to which we're all meant to aspire, the Golden Rule.
It sounds corny. But if you think about it, many of the tenets of what are deemed good social media practice (for a business or person) can be packed into the Golden Rule:
- Listen more than you speak
- Help others before helping yourself
- Be honest, interesting and useful
- Ask for and apply feedback
- Share knowledge generously
The thing is, these guidelines are not just about social media. They are also some of the keys to being a customer-centric business (rather than profit- or product-centric).
By providing unprecedented customer access, social media remind businesses that customers are real people who deserve to be treated well. Social media compel business to be more human and put customers at the center of their universe.
In other words, social media engagement teaches businesses to be customer-centric. And a true customer-centric business treats its customers the the way it would like to be treated.
Because that's what we humans try to do.
