Control Freaks Stay Home: Letting Go is Part of the Web Process

Companies that are successful online realize that today, the audience has a greater influence over what marketers do than ever before, says Brian Reich, director of interactive services at Boston-based Cone Inc.

That means giving up some of the control you’ve enjoyed in other media. “If you think you can’t give up control,” says Reich, “you should stop now.”

Reich spoke on building online communities at the recent New England Direct Marketing Association annual conference at Bentley College in Waltham, MA.

Of course, loosening the reins a bit doesn’t mean you have to give up control you’re your message or activities, he says. It just means you can’t always control what happens with the information you put out there.

For direction in your online efforts, Reich advice was listen to your audience. “They will tell you where to go.”

Those who succeed have a clear idea of what they want to accomplish, he notes. Marketers shouldn’t ignore their normal business processes when planning an online strategy—goals should still be considered.

There is a tremendous opportunity right now online for both people who create content and those who can successfully manage conversations in a particular topic area.

“Content rules,” he says. “Right now, there are a lot of platforms but not a lot of substance.”

Marketers looking to invest in online communities and social media need to be sincere, he cautioned. Many organizations make the mistake of sending send one or two on-topic e-mails, and then going right for the ask.

“People see through it if a marketer really isn’t interested in the conversation,” he says.

Of course, the wonderful thing about the online world is that if you fail you’ll be forgiven—if you do the right thing.

He cited as an example a recent snafu on Wired.com. When a misplaced ad obscured the home page for eight hours, the editor of Wired News quickly owned up to the mistake and blogged an apology under the headline “Ads Behaving Badly.”