Social Networking: Ford Gets It!

You’ve likely been hearing a lot about the power of social marketing lately. The fact is that many of the Fortune 500 companies are going online and participating on social sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Ford has just launched a social media campaign around the Ford Feista.

This type of strategy is sadly under-used by most small businesses. Some are afraid to open themselves to the responses and comments of people on these social sites, but what you may not have stopped to think about is; because you’re not there, does that mean they’re not talking about you?

I invite you to read the following from Wired.com about the Ford campaign.  Then think about how you can make social networking work for your business.

Ford Bets the Fiesta on Social Networking
It’s a smart move, Shafer said, because it plays into consumer demand for unofficial — read, unbiased — information about a new car. By turning the marketing over to social networking sites, Ford provides its target audience with content generated by people within that audience. Ford is taking a hands-off approach and telling participants not to hold back their opinions, bolstering the campaign’s credibility.

“We’ve told them to be completely honest — that’s the only way it’s going to work,” Monty told us. “We won’t tell them what to say, nor will we censor or edit any of their content.”

So far, it’s working in Ford’s favor. The tweets on the FordFiesta Twitter page are generally favorable, if a bit dry, as are the posts over at The Fiesta Movement Facebook page. None of the 80 pictures on the Fiesta Movement Flickr page show broken down cars. There are a few hundred videos on the FiestaMovement YouTube account if anyone’s got a few hours to kill.

There’s always a chance it could blow up in Ford’s face. But the risk may not be as great as one might think. The Fiesta has been wildly successful in Europe — Ford says it’s the second-best seller on the continent — and in Asia. Monty’s confident the “agents” will give Ford a fair shake before posting a rant should something go wrong.

“As far as mechanical difficulties, let’s let common sense prevail,” he said. “If you were driving one of our cars as part of this program, wouldn’t you call for assistance first, rather than writing a blog post?”

Still, even a breakdown or two could be good for Ford, just so long as the company handles any problems quickly and courteously, Shafer said. “They could really look like a hero if they come through,” he said.

Monty says Ford is ready for the challenge.

“We’ve done a lot of war gaming and we’re prepared for a number of scenarios,” Monty told Wired.com. “Again, we’re looking for their feedback and input on the vehicle — they’re testing the vehicle as much as they’re building buzz about it, and we want to know how to make it the best possible car.”