social networking |

Satisfied customers tell three friends…angry customers tell 3,000.

The title of the book by Pete Blackshaw captured my attention and I wondered: Is this true for churches as well?

Blackshaw’s work documents how the balance of power for today’s businesses has shifted – the consumer is now in control. In the world of Consumer Generated Media (CGM) via Instagram, blogs, YouTube, social networking sites, etc. a single disgruntled customer can broadcast his opinion to millions and derail a company or undermine a global brand. Companies can’t ignore CGM, and have nowhere to hide. According to Blackshaw, the only response is creating 100 percent credibility by establishing:

Trust
Authenticity
Transparency
Active Listening
Responsiveness
Positive Affirmation

I know this is a business book, but the more I get into it, the more I find application for churches. Here are a few questions I have:

Are churches impacted by consumer-to-consumer communication?
Do churches have reason to be concerned about what people are “saying” about them?
How can churches find out if CGM is going on?
How can churches make positive use of CGM?

What do you think? What can you add to the conversation?

Here’s the deal: a book a day, with a few nuggets pulled out for your consideration. Ready?

The End of Business as Usual, Brian Solis

Some of today’s biggest trends – the mobile web, social media, gamification, real-time – have forced us to rewire the way we think about and run our organizations. Consumers are creating a new digital culture, and as they connect with one another, a vast and efficient information network is taking shape and is beginning to steer experiences, decisions, and markets.

The End of Business as Usual will change the way you view the world of business, from sales and marketing to customer service and product development to leadership and culture. Its critical insights include:

Shared experiences are redefining brands in digital consumer landscapes, and astute brands can now also create and steer these experiences
Consumer influence is growing, and businesses can use this to their advantage
Connect with a rising audience (and with audiences of audiences) through new touch points between consumers, brands, and new influencers
Create a culture to earn trust, influence, and significance among connected customers

Solis has written a powerful book, deep with implications. Here’s a couple of samples:

The nextwork sends and receives information at blinding speeds, creating an efficient human switchboard and network that in theory and in practice, outperforms telephone, terrestrial, cell, emergency, and web networks for the speed and precision at which relevant experiences are shared and re-shared. News no longer breaks – it tweets. (pp 54-55)

An Audience with an Audience of Audiences

This picture serves as both a time capsule immortalizing this important transition and evidence of the emergence of new information nextworks, a series of audiences with extended audiences. Every single one of these students is a representation of the connected customer. They are each connected to others in the room and around the world, figuratively and literally. They are nodes in the human network, playing an instrumental role in the dissemination of information and also the experiences that unite us online and in real life. Your job is to now influence what they share. (p 61)

Questions for ChurchWorld

How has the explosion of social media impacted your ministry – personally or corporately?
How are your “consumers” influencing your organization differently today than 3 years ago?
How are you harnessing the power and influence of social media technologies to connect with your audience?
Is the rate of change greater today than it was a year ago? How comfortable are you with that?
On a sliding scale, do you view your organization as rigid, social, connected, adaptive, or predictive?

This is your time to lead, not follow; your time to make a difference.