Is Social Media Fundamentally Changing How We Communicate?

I’ve been busy digging into different ways to utilize social media for a while now.  This exercise has been driven by a couple different factors:  1) we are working on a product to help the public safety community better utilize social media and 2) we are searching for a director of marketing with some experience in social media.  This research sure hasn’t made me an expert on social media, but it has forced me to think about its impact.  As I really think about social media, I keep coming back to the same question… is it really a fundamental shift in the way we communicate or just another mode of communication.

This really cool infographic (http://assistedlivingtoday.com/p/resources/social-media-is-ruining-our-minds-infographic/ ) highlights some scary data on how social media is effecting the way we process information.  For example, 10 years ago the average attention span was 12 minutes… it’s now 5 seconds.  Is that true?  I’m not sure where the data came from, but it passes my “sniff” test.  I find myself looking at my phone for messages and wanting someone to “get to the point” at an increasingly frequent rate.  Don’t know if my attention span is 5 seconds, but it surely isn’t measured in minutes.  But again, is this a factor of the mode of communication where my phone is constantly receiving messages that expect a response or a fundamental shift in how we communicate?  

1)      Social media feeds a need to be recognized.  At its core, social media taps into a desire to be heard and recognized.  While some social media usage is much more directed in nature (e.g. a brand launching a facebook campaign or a subject matter expert building a following to monetize in some manner), much of it is information sharing and recommendations by individuals that are professing knowledge about something.  Social media provides many with an outlet for a fundamental human need for recognition. 

2)      Social media provides a broad audience in a socially acceptable “opt-in” manner.  Prior to “web 2.0” type technologies, we were limited in the audience we could share with.  Sure, you could email your friends about a great book you read, or about your thoughts on Newt Gingrich but the reach was limited to those that probably already knew you well.  What in the email world would once have been thought of as unsolicited spam is now socially acceptable and in fact encouraged through the use of hashtags and other social mechanisms.  

3)      Social media forces targeted comments and brief summarization.  Traditional forms of communication involve building up a case or argument and then hitting the punch line.  Social media often forces the punch line to come first.  Even in mediums that allow more than 140 characters, we have to grab the reader’s attention to get them to click thru, share or like.  Our feedback isn’t on the depth of analysis and building of a strong argument, but on the ability to quickly grab attention.  While we used to worry about coherent arguments, grammar, and spelling, it’s now about condensing the content into a pithy short statement.  It should be noted, however, that the most shared and impactful social media usually has some deeper underlying content and analysis that is being referenced.

What do you think?  Is a technology fundamentally driving a change in the way we communicate across all different communication modes, or are the changes only relevant to the use of that specific social media tool?

A Contrast in Two Customer Experiences

Ok... So this really isn't related to technology, public safety or social media, but I've been thinking a lot about customer experiences lately.  As the year draws down and we start our planning for next year, one of the key financial metrics we look at is customer retention.  I'm extremely proud of our team for continuing on our near 100% customer renewal rate.  Getting that level of customer satisfaction in a competitive market requires a corporate culture dedicated to the customer experience.  Do we have hiccups?  Sure.  Occasionally a customer has a different expectation for how something works or simply wishes another feature were available.  However, when the company is dedicated to finding a way to meet the customers need, that cultural emphasis shines through and clients recognize the level of support they receive as a genuine interest in the customers well being.

Today I had two wildly different customer experiences that highlight how different cultures can  effect the long term value of a company and its brand.

A while back I used a service called RocketLawyer to get some example templates for some legal contracts.  I didn't realize or forgot that I was on a short term trial account that after 60 days converted to a paid account.  Now, I gave my credit card during the sign up process so in all likelihood I just forgot to close out the account until I saw the charge hit my credit card.  I called up RocketLawyer (admittedly a bit disappointed that I couldn't just cancel my account online) and eventually got to a customer service representative.  The rep respectfully explained the value of continuing my service but in short order went through the process of moving my account back to a "free" level of service.  He then unexpectedly also offered to refund my monthly fee, saying "it looks like your account just converted and since you really haven't used the service actively I'll go ahead and credit you that monthly charge."  Wow.  Really?  I mean, I was just dumb and forgot to cancel.  Thanks.  The result was that I will think of this service first next time I'm digging around for documents and will surely consider a paid plan if I end up needing that level of service.

My second experience today was far less rewarding.  13 months ago I decided to beat the Christmas rush to getting a Gym membership and got a great deal on a 1-year prepaid membership at a local club called Evolve Fitness.  At the end of that period, the account would convert to a month-to-month contract.  Much to my wife's chagrin I wasn't very faithful about using the Gym, but I clearly remembered the date which marked the end of my pre-paid contract.  2 weeks prior to the date at which I was to convert to a month-to-month I trekked my way to the Gym to cancel the membership (I was lucky to remember where it was located).  After getting a manager I was told that I could only cancel my account by calling their third party billing company.  "But I signed up right here", I said.  Ugh.  Fast forward a couple calls going through a horrible IVR system only to get tired of waiting online and I get hit with a monthly credit card fee.  Double Ugh.  After finally getting through to the billing partner I discover that I am required to send a written notice with 30 days notice.  Oh, by the way... within that 30 day window there happens to also be another "yearly fee assessment".  Wow.  So I have to basically pay 3 months of fees to cancel?  Yes sir.  Needless to say, I won't be recommending this Gym and will make sure to spread my dissatisfaction widely.  To be fair, the contract I signed surely laid out the need to send a 30 day written notice and it probably also covered an additional yearly fee assessment somewhere in the small print.  However, I'm sure I was not made aware of the fact how difficult it would be to stop them from continuing to take my money long after I no longer desired the service and am equally positive that no one I interacted with had providing me with a positive experience at the top of their priority list.

What's the morale of the story?  There are two approaches to customers - one where you put the customer first and think about the lifetime value of a relationship, and the second where you try to squeak out an extra monthly fee at the expense of your brand.  I know which path I'll continue to march down.

P.S.  If someone from Evolve Fitness reads this, please feel free to comment.  I can't seem to get a hold of anyone in authority :).  On the good news side, the Gym was clean and the equipment was great on my few visits over the past year.