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I’ve been fortunate enough to hear some of the leaders in the social media game speak about what has made their companies successful in the digital space. One thing is clear, the way customers use social media to share opinions has created a business opportunity for gathering more insight than ever from the public.

A little more than a week ago, I attended Future Midwest, a technology and knowledge conference in Royal Oak. Among the amazing lineup of speakers were two in particular that focused on listening as a key step in successful use of social media in business. Scott Monty, head of social media at Ford Motor Company is widely regarded as a leader in using the social web to share information about products, the Ford brand and engage with customers. In his presentation, he shared some advice that stood out to me: “You have one mouth and two ears. Use them in that order.”

We’ve heard it from our mothers, and it most certainly applies to everyday life. But a good social media strategy should work this way, too. People are already talking, sharing, complaining, being brand evangelists, really doing all kinds of PR for companies via the social web. Part of Ford’s success has come because Scott and his team decided to listen first and talk later. When they talk, they educate. They share useful information, the kind of information the community is asking for (which, naturally, was discovered by listening).

Ford communicates how its products and services can solve a problem or meet a customer need. Sometimes customers are seeking features that already exist in Ford products, but just haven’t been discovered by that customer.

There are a few big things Scott said Ford does in the digital space.

1. Targeted reach. The idea is to get to a person, not a website. Transparency is so important with social media and part of doing that is giving someone the opportunity to talk to a human being and feel like they’re being heard. No one wants to talk at a logo.
2. Impact experience. Companies need to create good, interesting, sharable content. Giving a user a positive experience and an opportunity to share that experience is key. Happy customers will tell others about the brands they love.

Later that day, Chris Barger, head of social media at General Motors shared a similar notion. In his presentation, he talked about what GM’s corporate communications staff values when dealing with the “haters” online. His first point: listen to your audience. Next: once you’ve listened to the concerns of your critics, then engage by reaching out to have a personal conversation and see what information you can share to help resolve the problem. If you can have a conversation, you can learn from each other.

When you open up your ears and listen to what the customer has to say, the customers will help you point out issues with your product and service offerings. Then they will help drive the image of the brand by sharing what they learn with their networks. This is much better than broadcasting a message, something many people are resistant to.

Chris said marketers and communicators need to build relationships with the influencers. They need to be transparent, and be willing to fail publicly. At least that way, the customer can see the process of the company trying to learn from its mistakes, willing to take risks, willing to go out on a limb for the people that will be buying its products.

By listening first and understanding what needs to be communicated, communicators have the opportunity to share relevant and useful information. And that’s what it’s all about, right?

Scott and Chris are expert communicators, leading the social media teams of two major auto companies. These guys are smart, and we’d be wise to follow their advice.

So, listen first, then talk.

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