And Now A Word About Twitter

One of our local media opined that the NCAA would be forced to rule Facebook and Twitter out of bounds in recruiting. Respectfully, that’s wrong on two fronts.

First, the opportunity to re-cork the social networking genie is long gone. Lapped the field. Twice.

The second and far more important is the changing nature of communication. It is collaborative. People of all ages that are social by nature want to connect. Notice, I did not say digital natives or rising generation. This is not a matter of age; it is a matter of mindset.

It is not enough to share something to start the conversation. Granted, that’s vital in moving from the speech into the conversation, but what makes it work is the willingness to engage. Listen and respond.

And the responses do not have to be sucky platitudes or corporate B.S. (and I don’t mean Bill Smith). Feisty complaints deserve fair and firm answers, not a kowtow. Some of the best on-line fan relationships we have started with a carping attack, mainly because the person doing the typing didn’t really consider a human was on the other end. Once I came back at them, things evened out, problems get solved and – shocking – a bond was formed.

It’s all about converting your brand into a bond. That takes conversation. That takes content. And yes, that takes composition – in print.