Guest Post by Kenneth Weiss: When Social Media Becomes Slightware, Your Brand Does Not Stand a Chance

by Guest Poster on September 7, 2009 · 7 comments

Photo of Ken Weiss Back when the last puff of air was escaping the Internet bubble, I wrote a column for a business publication on the inability of companies to incorporate the brand into their websites. Companies bought content management systems and used prepackaged templates; emails were forwarded to customer service black holes; atrocious stock photography was used repeatedly; and every edge, button, background, and line of text looked like Photoshop 101.

You’d think the problem would have gotten better. It’s worse than ever.

If you google different combinations of “software,” “glitch,” “problem,” and “apologies,” you’ll find countless examples of companies attempting to use technology that, in the end, hurts their brand. This problem, slightware, is moving beyond marketing websites to customer service applications, kiosks, and other customer experiences.

Slightware includes any unsuccessful attempt at using technology that results in damage to the brand. A company might, for example, put a coupon online and greatly underestimate the number of people who will actually attempt to redeem it. As a result, they may be forced to turn away customers. Another company might attempt to reduce time spent on phone calls by adding a series of prompts at the beginning of every call. If done incorrectly, customers might be more upset than when they initially called. Any poor technology implementation can be slightly off-brand. The bad ones are a true slight to the brand.

Remember the college that accidentally emailed acceptance letters to 22,000 students who were actually rejected earlier this year? How about the uproar when a programming error at Amazon made hundreds of titles virtually disappear?

… and then comes the opportunity of social media. Social media is a scary proposition for some companies. Brands, by nature, have rigorously controlled the dialogue and vernacular surrounding the brand. Social media invites customers to take part in the dialogue, direct the conversation, and *gasp* talk to each other about the brand.

Social media can be the worst kind of slightware. Why? Because a company offering a social media experience is implicitly stating “please be a part of our brand.” If the brand does not truly follow through on the promise, it is the ultimate case of a brand not being truthful and credible.

So when does social media become slightware? The line is crossed when companies focus on the fear of the customers controlling the brand rather than focusing on the challenge of creating a great social media experience.

Here are some common, telltale signs that your social media program is sliding towards slightware:

When the process of participation is confusing or loaded with rules and legal considerations.

When the functionality offered within the user experience is not competitive. Can you share content? Post it? Print it? Follow it?

When questions and requests are not addressed.

When the user experience is given a permanent home within the brand’s overall online information architecture but treated as a temporary activity.

When comments are ignored–especially when the commentary follows a consistent theme.

When few resources are assigned to the project.

And lastly, and most importantly, when the dialogue is unduly censored.

I often wonder how many companies keep a scorecard of their performance, rather than scrutinizing every last word of users in the experience.

So, how do you get it right?

If you are building your own social media experience, choose and invest in the right technology.

Develop an editorial philosophy, guidelines and process. Have the entire approach endorsed by the most senior people in the company.

Challenge your brand with expectations for transparency, timeliness and customer satisfaction.

Build your entire brand team’s user experience acumen.

Talk with other social media experts.

When done correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful brand-building force. It is the ultimate demonstration of a brand’s authenticity and its respect for the audience.

Kenneth Weiss is the director of e-commerce for Hoover and author of Slightware: The Next Great Threat to Brands. You can download the first chapter for free at slightware.com.