| Johnson and Johnson published an ad campaign earlier | | | | getting into the social networking game, and |
| this year that they tried to promote through various | | | | outperforming the competition. |
| social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. | | | | But more than mastering the channels, what to share |
| The hygienic giant hoped to join a growing number of | | | | and where to use discretion, companies need to |
| businesses tapping into the millions of social media | | | | refine their message to be more shareable. A new |
| users, starting a conversation and getting eyes on | | | | form of message for companies looking to connect |
| their ad campaign. What they didn't realize is that | | | | with their clients on a more personal level is Emotional |
| many of their interested connections found their ad | | | | Engineering, a way of effectively communicating in a |
| campaign to be offensive and demeaning to young | | | | positive manner. |
| mothers. Viewers expressed their distaste for the ad | | | | In business communication, emotions are not |
| across these social media channels, commenting, | | | | considered currency. In fact, many business minds |
| messaging and sharing their views with potential new | | | | believe that in order to be successful in business, you |
| visitors. Johnson and Johnson's social media | | | | have to take emotion out of your decision-making, |
| experiment had completely backfired. | | | | focusing only on the bottom line. But businesses |
| While online social networking is relatively new to the | | | | cannot connect with their customers in this way. |
| business world, a startling number of businesses still | | | | Because consumers are emotional by nature, it is |
| don't understand how to navigate the social media | | | | natural that these emotions will enter their |
| minefield. This confusion has spawned a new industry | | | | decision-making. Learning to manage your emotions |
| of social media "experts" who offer to teach your | | | | and react to them in a positive way will make you a |
| company how to effectively access millions of social | | | | more effective decision-maker. |
| media users without getting egg on your Facebook. | | | | Nowhere is this concept more prevalent than in social |
| But choosing a social media expert can be tough as | | | | media efforts, where your company is directly |
| these consultants come from all corners of the | | | | communicating with customers in real time. If your |
| business world. There are former salesmen who have | | | | company can access the emotions of your |
| written books about the Twitterverse, there are | | | | customers by learning how to manage emotions, |
| web consultants who can teach the technology of | | | | these efforts will be more successful for it. |
| networking. But social media is not necessarily about | | | | Social media is meant to help people connect and |
| how many hits you can get. Like any form of | | | | exchange ideas. Maybe that's why companies have |
| outreach, it's not the number of people you reach | | | | been so receptive to these new entrants into the |
| but the impact these messages have. So it should | | | | consultancy market. It is not enough to change your |
| come as no surprise that motivational speakers are | | | | tools, you must change your message. |