Building Trust

Whether posting a story, tweeting a thought, listening to the wisdom of the crowds, asking for money, or making a commitment to online friends and followers, the values a company, nonprofit or association must be ever-present in their communications -- no exceptions. Lack of consistency in word and deed undermines the messages that thoughtful communicators work so hard to craft. A case in point is an organization's online privacy policy.

Back when interruptions came only from phone callers, occasional knocks on my cubical door and the alluring sound of a nearby ice-cream truck, noted author and teacher Tom Demarco wrote about the impact of disruptions in ones stream of thought.  Not a pretty sight, said Demarco, that as few as three interruptions a hour can skuttle all productivity. As the problem of information overload has increased in an age of pervasive communication, is there anything we can do to manage or mitigate the flow?

Contrary to the immense buzz around Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and scores of other technology widgets, tools are not what make social media all the rage. Bigger news is a communications paradigm shift, away from broadcast as a means for getting a message out, and toward a more networked model of communication.

While upstart bloggers and new-agey techies muse about trusting the crowd to define an organization's identity, communicators worry around losing control of their brand. Organizations will need to embrace a partnership with the crowd without getting lost in it.

The pomp and formality that once punctuated intelligent discourse has been replaced in the Internet age by a more informal stream of communications that is broader and more frequent. This phenomenon offers insight into the impact and value of online communications on organizations building relationships to help meet their missions.

Going online and facing hoards of fans and admirers can provide quite a lift in psyche and be good for business.  But can a mass approach to social media deliver strong relationships that help organizations achieve their goals?

Such an uproar about Facebook's new assertion that it forever controls all content that anyone posts on their web site. It only took a day for the company to take an aboutface on the issue, which offers a lesson for anyone who operates a web site or other online service.

Good news from the cell phone company this week. Sign up for their family plan for 2 years and you can add a line for $9.99/month, they promise. Exceptions apply only when you try to add a line and they can't figure out how to make it happen. Closer to home, what happens when your organization makes a promise to stakeholders without providing staff with effective tools and training?

What happens to trust when organizations collect information from individuals for one purpose, then use it for another? In the information age, this happens all the time. I remember a (now defunct) online service that would send an email to remind you to send your mother a birthday card, get your car washed, or pay your taxes. At its peak, Lifeminders boasted over 10 million subscribers.

What do McDonalds Double Cheeseburgers have to do with building relationships online? Well, nothing directly, but the company's decision to move the Double from their dollar menu and replace it with the similar McDouble Burger illustrates how a savvy marketer can strengthen customer relationships through unusual solutions.