This is a reprint of an article I wrote that was first published in PublicAffairsAsia magazine June 2009.
Throughout Chinese history, the source of a corporation’s reputation has been relationships. Brand building, rather than originating in a typical business setting like the boardroom, has always started in a social setting such as the teahouse.
Perhaps instinctively, Chinese stakeholders are increasingly making social media—blogs, BBS, social-networking sites and more – the modern-day teahouse in which corporate reputations are constructed (and destructed). However, popular internet applications like Facebook and YouTube (and their Chinese equivalents Xiaonei and Youku) are more often than now positioned as consumer products. How then can social media be put to work for corporations?
First, corporations in China should use social media to listen. Social media’s interactivity has made the Information Superhighway a two-way street. It’s not necessary for every C-level exec to start his or her own blog, but there’s no excuse to not start reading the blogs of competitors or other industry players.
Switched on public relations and public affairs firms now offer social-media monitoring capabilities, which can pick up on what people are saying about your business across blogs, BBS and social networks. This is the modern-day equivalent of the newspaper clipping. Weber Shandwick, for example, has a partnership with social-media monitoring firm Radian6 to provide clients real-time monitoring and analysis of online content – in English and Chinese.
Next, join the conversation. In the West, the blogosphere is sometimes perceived as the domain of a geeky blogging elite. However, a report by the Boston Consulting Group, “China’s Digital Generations,” found that over half of urban Chinese internet users read or write blogs. That means that no matter how non-consumer your business may be, chances are there is a blog or BBS discussion group dedicated to your industry.
Even if you operate in a niche B2B field that is too boring to warrant its own blog, try searching for issues related to your industry. NGOs and non-profits are titans of the internet. Getting such bloggers and groups on your press release distribution is easy, too easy. So it’s crucial to consult the experts on developing a social-media strategy that will not backfire.
Importantly, respond quickly and act decisively. Rumours spread swiftly through social media sites and reputational momentum can deteriorate with little notice. If an organisation sees something that is factually inaccurate, it should have the confidence and presence to correct it without fear of retribution. That means ignoring the temptation to hide behind a pseudonym (you’ll be found out anyway), skipping corporate-speak and telling it the way it is. You may find people disagree, but you’ll win credibility points in the process and diminish the likelihood of bloggers randomly attacking you in future.
Finally, corporations should look carefully at opportunities to socialize their web presence. Virtual newsrooms will become obsolete. Instead, interactive social-media sites allow readers to leave their own comments and, in the process, interact with the organisation. News releases can be tied to social-bookmarking sites such as del.icou.us and Digg, giving readers the ability to drive up search results of news releases they consider truly newsworthy. And multimedia download sections equip readers with the tools they need to become advocates of an organisation.
For businesses, the rules of the tearoom still apply. Listening, participating, correcting and being relevant remain at the hub of forging relationships and building reputation. While the old and the new may sometimes feel very much at odds in China, the fact is that, for business reputations, the rules of the tearoom still apply.
