In a recent article in Online Media Daily, Tuesday was ranked the highest click through day for Facebook Brand pages. The study was conducted by ViTrue and posts some interesting data in the article. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lead the charge with average click through rates at 9.4%, 9.89% and 9.87% respectively. The lowest click through rates were for Friday’s at 2.67%. These are of course averages of a variety of sites and it would be important to evaluate a site’s demographics and behaviors before determining which day would be the best to launch a campaign but interesting data as a departure point

In the rapidly evolving digital world that we live in, we have witnessed the rise of user participation and user generated content as well as the increased power customers have in defining and evolving a brand.  As consultants we share with our clients that their customers are their brand stewards and that they need to engage in the dialog with them. I have witnessed many different responses to this but still the most common response is “what if our customers say something negative?” Boiled down, it is fear and not necessarily a surprising response. Many companies are still heading down this path with trepidation, cautiousness, and insecurity. After watching the 2007 World Series I now have 4 simple things I want to say about this: 

1. BE COURAGEOUS
2. LISTEN
3. RESPOND
4. REPEAT

Ok, sounds a little trite right? Well not really. Let’s talk about the final games of the 2007 World Series. With the glorious back drop of the Colorado Rockies, Chevy continued the dialog with their customers that started back in 2006. It was a dialog that they were probably not prepared for back then. Let me quickly remind you…Chevy allowed customers to generate their own Chevy Tahoe commercial.  It had many great responses as well as some negative responses including a spot that quickly circulated around YouTube and the world. It was a parody, highlighting the Tahoe as an eco-disaster vehicle and your own padded cell for the end of the world. You can still see it here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4oNedC3j0e4 It was a great example of two things. 1. How people can and will participate in the dialog and  2. You don’t have control over what they will say. To some marketers this was a cautionary tale or at best a reason to consider that “Any PR (even bad) is good PR”. Chevy had a few of choices, they could have chosen to ignore, hide or attack the spot or acknowledge it and listen to their customers. They chose the latter and a year later at every commercial slot they could buy at the 2007 World Series unveiled the new Tahoe-America’s first Full-Size Hybrid SUV and a line of other eco-friendly cars that range from gas friendly to gas free. http://www.chevrolet.com/fuelsolutions/ I give kudos to Chevy for responding positively to what they heard. My recommendation for companies who are considering initiating their own dialog but still have some trepidation, is to be prepared that the conversation may not go they way you would like it to. If it happens, It is ok, you may just learn something from your customers, about their needs and wants and how they feel about your brand or product and isn’t that really what it is all about? Be COURAGEOUS and let the dialog begin! Listen, Respond and Repeat.  YAY RED SOX!