This is a sequel to my most recent post dealing with company blogs.
Today, I answer the question, "Should a company have one person as its 'voice' in the market via various social media platforms?"


The simple answer: Yes! Companies should have at least one person participating in the ongoing 24/7/365 conversation that's taking place across a broad spectrum of social media tools like blogs, social networks, Twitter, etc.
Rohit Bhargava, in the introduction of his new book Personality Not Included says, "[For] whatever reason, most companies are adept at removing any sense of individuality or human connection from how they communicate." He calls such companies faceless and says, in this era of the social web "being faceless doesn't work anymore."
Personality Marketing
As Jason Falls so aptly put it in a recent Blog Talk Radio interview, "In the social media world people associate with personal brands more than with company brands."
Jason is, in fact, an apropos example of a personality who, in building his own brand, is doing so in concert with Doe-Anderson, the advertising agency he serves as Director of Social Media.
Another very well-known example is Chris Brogan. Though most associate Chris with his own personal brand, he also serves as VP of Strategy and Technology for CrossTech Media. From what I've been able to discern, Chris and CrossTech CEO Stephen Saber are making a deliberate effort to "marry" the two brands. The 'About Chris' section on his blog gives an indication of the synergy that exists: "Chris Brogan advises businesses, organizations and individuals on how to use social media and social networks to build relationships and deliver value. I work with CrossTech Media."
Considering these and other examples I could cite (Paul Dunay/BearingPoint, David Armano/Critical Mass) I wonder if there won't be a trend toward companies finding social media "celebrities" to serve the role of spokesperson.
The trend is not novel by any means, as celebrity spokespersons have been around as long as media has existed. But what if your company can't afford such a person. What then? Well, you might be lucky enough to have someone like that already existing within your ranks.
The Accidental Spokesperson
In his post Corporate Bloggers and the Rise of the Accidental Spokesperson, Rohit Bhargava says, "One interesting situation that the rise of social media is bringing up...is the increasingly common phenomenon of the accidental spokesperson. These are the individuals that are working for an organization and blogging, but are not considered official spokespersons." The most classic example of this phenomena is, of course, Robert Scoble and Microsoft.
I would suggest that if your company is fortunate to have someone who is gaining a degree of noteriety that you take advantage of it (in a good way) to benefit of your corporate brand. While "no prophet is recognized in his own country," to neglect such a person is to risk losing them to a company with keener vision and insight into the value an "accidental" spokesperson could provide. Instead, find ways to reward them and put some effort into further increasing their celebrity status. As an old proverb says, "When the tide comes in, all the ships will rise."
What if you don't have an accidental spokesperson? Can "one person" still represent the company?
Six Apart's Ginevra Whalen
Recently, I experienced a problem with my blog, which is built on the Typepad platform. I "tweeted" the problem to my followers and it wasn't long before @SixApart responded inquiring about the matter. Turns out @SixApart is employee Ginevra Whalen, community manager with Typepad, who suggested I email her with more details than the 140 character limit Twitter would allow. I compiled and Ginevra quickly responded with an email of her own.
I noticed that Ginevra's email signature included a link to her personal blog, which I clicked. In so doing I came across one particular post that caught my attention (one having to do with dogs) and emailed Ginevra to comment on it. In response, she sent an email with a link to another site she thought would be of interest.
Think about this for a moment. Because Six Apart is smart enough to have someone, albeit not a "celebrity spokesperson," accidental or otherwise, paying attention to what customers and others are saying about its products via social media, I got my own personal "concierge" to assist with my issue. She's a real person whom I am getting to know by means of Twitter, email conversations and her blog. Compare that interaction to one with those "faceless" companies that require me to complete some impersonal form or phone their call center. With which would you prefer to do business?
"I really think bloggers, and customers of any service in general, deserve a bit more personal support than what folks have gotten lately: call centers and spam and 'RTFM' just don't make people feel helped," said Ginevra. "Especially in a down economy, connections are important! And since blogging is really about making connections, I think those real-human interactions are both valuable and welcome."
Even though Ginevra may not be considered a celebrity in the same way we would think of a Scoble, Falls or Brogan, she is a voice, a spokesperson, speaking on behalf of SixApart. Through Ginevra, Six Apart now has become, for me at least, a company with a human face and personality. My trust in them has increased and my connection to them has been strengthened.
The question of "one"
In my post dealing with company blogs the issue was raised whether a company should have one person blogging or many voices. I opted for many. In the same respect, I don't think a company should limit themselves to one spokesperson. What if Six Apart had many Ginevra's, for example. How much greater might the impact in pr and customer relations be?
(Truth is they do. Ginevra mentioned that Anil Dash, VP of Evangelism, handles questions related to Movable Type and David Recordon, one of 6A's core engineers, manages some of the deeply technical issues.)
At the company I serve as marketing director, I'm primarily the one reaching out via the blog and social mediasphere. What if I could get other employees to follow the same practice? Depending on the number, the impact becomes multiplied, even exponential. That is, in fact, beginning to happen. Our SVP of Sales is leveraging LinkedIn to build his network and has even started a group which numbers at the time of this writing in excess of 150 members.
We've asked our management staff to join the group and actively participate. As a result, a great deal of discussion has ensued and our brand, via employee spokespeople, is squarely in the middle. (I've also managed to get our CEO to start Twittering, a feat of which I'm extremely proud! And he's enjoying it to boot.)
Well, that's it, my attempt to answer the question of whether a company should have one person serving as their "voice" in the social mediasphere. Now, I'd like to hear from you. What would your answer be?
Got questions about the "how-tos" of blogging or social media? The handyman is here to help. Either leave a comment or email me at pchaney at gmail dot com. I'll be happy to address them.