Jordan’s Blog

It is comforting to finally realize that I am pretty familiar with a lot of the tools of the Groundswell.  I have been participating in the discussion forums for years, but never really thought much of it.  Most of them where for used for very little importance, but some of them where used for technical support.

Companies who use online forums or blogs as a help resource are embracing the idea the Groundswell.  When I read about all the different tools you can use with social media today, my first thought is always the level of impact it can make when used properly.  The second is how cheap it is compared to older, more traditional means of communication.

The book describes a scenario where computer users can log on to discussion forum and ask questions about their Dell products.  The great thing about this is that another consumer, not an employee is providing the answers to the numerous questions people have.

It’s a win-win situation.  By allowing this, an online social networking is being formed.  Not only is it being formed, it will practically cost nothing.

Think about the money you can save even if you did hire someone to answer troubleshooter questions on a forum.  Wouldn’t it be cheaper to employ a couple of responders to help those who have questions instead of hiring a lot more people to answer phones so that calls are not backed up?  Plus you can always have a section where other users answer questions like the case study in the textbook.

Any company that creates a product that generates lots of technical questions should have a support forum in place.

The more and more I learn about social networking and everything that goes with it, I realize that the tools used can be of great service to not only businesses and their products, but ordinary people who are just looking for information.  That information includes medical updates.

The use of forums and medical patients were mentioned in the chapter. I can personally say that this might be one of the smartest and useful ideas I have come across.  My friends and family have grown very familiar with a site called Caring Bridge.  We began referring to the site when one of my family members was in a car accident.  I think the site is actually nothing more than a blog.

Regardless of its format, Caring Bridge is helping update people around the world about their loved ones and their conditions.  It is a ad free, and doesn’t charge its members to use the service.  It does however ask for donations in order to keep the site running.

My attention to the Groundswell and its components has been brief, but I have been using some of its features for years.  I personally prefer online help forums to phone calls.  I hate being put on hold and I feel like the respondents always speak another language or mumble.  As long as you can type in English, that’s all you need to respond on a forum.  This could be a great benefit to a lot of companies, especially those who are selling products over seas.

When I think of energizing customers, I immediately think of the Apple brand.  During the many years of owning a personal computer, I have never experienced such scrutiny for owning a certain brand or type of product.  Apple enthusiasts are ruthless.

My roommate has been using Apple brand computers for some time now, long before I ever considered getting one.  Around 2004 or 2005 when Apple computers were becoming more common in home use, I felt like there was a memorandum sent to all owners as if they were employees instructing them to act as proud as possible, that and to be as critical as possible of Windows operating system users.

It was annoying.  While my roommate continually harassed me about my computer troubles and shortcomings, I silently paid homage to Steve Jobs and the marketing minds responsible for this onslaught.  It was a stroke of genius.  I was a freshman in college then.  I knew even less then about marketing and public relations than I do now.  I did however know that Apple was doing something right.  They were essentially receiving free word of mouth promotion.

I heard the term “word of mouse” the other day.  It makes more sense for how things are working these days.  There is a higher frequency of Internet word of mouth than face-to-face.  That’s too bad because I personally believe the latter to be more effective, but Internet word of mouth is more constant and frequent.

I was excited to read about Buzz Agents in the Groundswell book.  Maybe excited is not the word, but happy to recognize the service.  I think I received an offer to become a tester at some point.  It was a really good idea by whoever started the service, but I highly doubt that Apple employed their services.

How did they do it then?  I hope everyone who reads this had someone in their life breathing down their neck about an Apple computer.  They were smart enough to give their customers a free Apple decal sticker to put on whatever they wanted in order to express themselves as Apple users.  My roommate decided to put it on his car.  I asked him if he was ok with giving Jobs and everyone at Apple some free advertising.  He denied such a thing.  I would laugh because it was clearly the opposite.

Apple somehow made their products cool, and I really don’t know how.  Maybe it had to do with their sleek and simple designs in white.  Maybe it was their stable operating systems coupled with the failures of its competitors.  I think its because they targeted a young audience and in the last 5 years that audience has entered the workforce bringing their Apple computers with them.

However they did it, they truly energized their customers.  They were so energized that they annoyed outsiders like myself.  I would love to tell you that I still use my Windows based laptop, but I was taught not to lie.  I am the proud owner of an Apple brand laptop.  Did I make my car a min-mobile billboard with an Apple sticker upon ownership?  No.  Would I recommend my computer to someone looking for a new laptop?  Absolutely.  Well-played Apple.