Many companies are scared off by Web 2.0. The catchword ‘loss of control’ is permanently luring in the background menacingly. Others generally prefer to keep their distance to the medium Internet which has become a global forum for an open exchange of opinions. And a third group sees some advantages which are outweighed by disadvantages. However, the contrary is the case! There is only one precondition: you have to know how to use services like Facebook and Twitter appropriately.

Monitoring as a basis of every strategy
But what is ‘appropriately’? First of all, this means to be able to evaluate the risks and chances realistically. This starts with the technical equipment: if you understand the subtle differences and characteristics of each service provider, you will be able to use them safely and without running unnecessary risks. The question whether social media monitoring ought to be an additional measure to gain a broader overview of the big picture may be answered with ‘Yes’ by some less experienced users. Well, actually, it should be nothing out of the ordinary but rather a matter of course and the basis of every communication strategy.

If you want to know what is said about your company you have to sit down to listen carefully first. And this is best done via individual monitoring using gratis feeds by Google or Twitter or services offered by providers like ‘Meltwater‘ or ‘ethority‘ on payment of a fee. There are many opportunities to keep track of forums, blogs, and wikis – even on a small budget. However, there is one thing that these services have in common: monitoring, maintenance, and configuration are very time-consuming. And machines are not able yet to manage the task of evaluating the results on their own.

Strengthening the company and cultivating the image
A proverb says: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This can be applied to continuous monitoring and avoiding critical situations in communication, too. If you are up to date, you will be able to recognize potentially dangerous situation and steer clear of pitfalls instead of relying on the help of a spin doctor. There is only one essential condition when it comes to expressing one’s views on unpleasant opinions uttered by others in the web: honesty! Fake behaviour is debunked right away and can be extremely damaging to the reputation of a brand.

However, social media monitoring cannot be considered a comprehensive insurance for crises in general. The Internet is just too large for even the most attentive observer to be able to stay on top of everything. And especially in social networks like Facebook, technical configurations do not allow outsiders to view the contributions of members anyway. And still: ideas and opinions which would have gone undetected in the analogue epoch can be revealed easily today. In many cases they can even help to strengthen one’s own company and cultivate its image. So obviously, there is no reason to be afraid of the web.
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