Comments on: do we live in a bribery economy?

By: Kevin McGonigal

Kevin McGonigal — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:41:58 +0000

Everything you read regarding social media is about contributing to the conversation. You have to contribute to the community if you expect to be a part of it, and usually with something more than a discount. The only time consumers can’t find a better deal is when they stop looking. By definition, content is what makes you who you are. Good content is what keeps customers from looking further.

By: Benin

Benin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:59:07 +0000

Whats up Sonny! I come from the school of thought that says absolutely not. The only thing that offering consistent deal sweeteners does is bring the wrong type of crowd to your brand. Once they get into the habit of seeing sweet 50% off this and 30% off that then they’ll come to expect it. And don’t ask me why but without fail these deal seekers seem to be the biggest complainers and whiners out there.

On the other hand I don’t want to take it out of context. There are instances when something needs to be discounted or when it genuinely fits the brand. There are also times where it would be advisable to do so to reward a great customer.

Outside of those though using discounts en masse to attract a new or larger audience is probably not advisable unless you’ve got an army of customer service reps on standby.

By: Jeffrey Summers

Jeffrey Summers — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:11:43 +0000

If you believe in treating consumers like just another transaction, discounts & coupons are for you.

If you believe in real, organic loyalty, you have to engage in real conversations and establish real relationships.

You also can’t have it both ways.

Great post Sonny.

By: Sonny Gill

Sonny Gill — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:39:27 +0000

Jason – really glad you shared a real life example at how these different dynamics play out in the community built around your CPA firm. Even more so, I love the importance you’ve put on face to face meetings. It’s important to shift the online community and create things for them in-person that are of value and help further nurture that relationship – showing the long-term effectiveness of that strategy vs. providing periodic discounts.

Appreciate your feedback!

By: Jason M Blumer

Jason M Blumer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:33:44 +0000

Though we use social media to drive relationships in our CPA firm, our clients still want relationships to be real and ultimately face-to-face.

Offering “discounts” and “promotions” on Facebook usually brings limited results. But constant lunches, value-driven tweets, face-to-face meetings and consistent solid blogging over many years make for happy clients.

Good value. Thanks.

Jason

By: Sonny Gill

Sonny Gill — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:43:34 +0000

You’re right, Danny. It’s an ironic dynamic, as Chuck pointed out, as we look to teach companies to be pure and honest in their intentions within the social space – where on the flip, many of us expect to get something in return just because we contact/complain to these companies on Twitter or other social platforms.

Hopefully it’s a voice that slowly goes away, but it is prevalent.

Thanks for stopping by, Danny.

By: Danny Brown

Danny Brown — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:45:30 +0000

One of the things I’ve noticed more with social media is that more people seem to feel they have a divine right to getting something. While you rightly mention the discount factor, Sonny, I’m tired of seeing anyone and everyone take a complaint to the highest person they can find on Twitter, and get a reduction or free product, as opposed to going the correct customer service route.

Having a voice is great; abusing it just makes you a douche.

By: Sonny Gill

Sonny Gill — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:52:49 +0000

Interesting questions but glad you pointed them out:

1 – Well, you can definitely bring new people into your community through some form of deal, but are people looking for deals going to stick around to connect within your community? How are companies furthering the relationship past the initial offering, would be my question.

2 – Interesting perspective that Jason mentioned in his comment actually. If you’re relying on deals to keep people intrigued (which is what they’ll always come to expect then) and not spending the additional time and effort to build an engaged community, then your company should probably reevaluate what they’re doing.

3 – MUCH irony

Thanks for the great questions, Chuck.

By: Chuck Hemann

Chuck Hemann — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:05:20 +0000

Sonny – this is a great post, and had a similar reaction to the Razorfish study when I saw it released. I agree with you and Jay, though I think I have a few questions to ask…

1. Can you use these “discounts” to bring in new members to the community?

2. If you use those “discounts” does that mean the community will forever want those deals?

3. Is there any irony in the fact that we preach selflessness to companies yet the people we are trying to reach are obviously in it for personal reasons?

Anyway, thanks for the thought-provoking post.

By: Katrina Hollmann

Katrina Hollmann — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:59:39 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this all day as a result of my initial, incomplete response to Jay’s post earlier.

Like the other responses above, I think deals and discounts can be a way to trigger interaction and perhaps prompt people to visit your group or fan page and keep some top of mind visibility. Sure, competitors may post an even better deal, but if you’ve built the brand loyalty and have a quality product, your user is more likely to stick with you and the deal you offer.

That being said, if you don’t provide good content – a new way to use an existing product or some related information that improves functionality, productivity or quality of life – then all the deals in the world won’t keep someone coming back. There are only so many accessories or items that can be purchased, so the need to provide other value is definitely there.