Scott Monty is the Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager at Ford Motor Company. He is an expert in the corporate use of social media and was named one of the Top 25 Internet Marketing Leaders & Innovators by iMedia. He is serving as a Judge of the SAMMY Awards this year and the author of The Social Media Marketing Blog.
1. How did you become involved in social media?
I attended some marketing industry events and began reading some blogs about the changing communications culture, and eventually started writing my own (the Social Media Marketing Blog) in 2006. While I was working for a B2B marketing agency in Boston, I tried building a social media practice there, based on what I was learning; but B2B typically lags B2C in most trends, and social media was barely even on the B2C radar at the time. I left and joined Crayon, focusing on strategic social media consulting to large companies; and then Ford picked me up.
2. What do you do as the Digital Communications Manager of Ford Motor Company?
I'm in charge of leading our social media efforts globally, as well as leading a team of web publishers that handle a number of internal and external sites, and our broadcast team that is responsible for placements on TV and radio. The role is both internally and externally facing, as we gear up our employees to become digital representatives of Ford, and as we continue to build awareness and improve the perception of Ford Motor Company with the public.
As you can imagine, the job is multifaceted and involves not only engaging with customers in real time over a number of social networks, but it also involves providing leadership to the The Ford Story team as we evolve it into our social media hub, and interaction and coaching with a number of internal departments as they gain interest in using social media for their teams.
3. You have worked in a variety of industries: Are there limitations to the effectiveness of social media marketing depending on the industry?
I think the limitations depend on the customers - if they're not involved on the social web, then it doesn't make sense for a business to try to reach them that way. But as far as industries trying to get a foothold, in my experience, the more highly regulated industries are the ones that are dragging their feet the most. And in terms of effectiveness, it goes back to how social media addresses the business goals that companies have set out. If the goal is to drive sales of Acme Company's widget, and people don't respond to direct marketing attempts on Twitter or Facebook, then maybe the goal is not at parity with the tool.
4. If you are a small business, is it better to host an online community on your own website or to participate on other online communities and reach people that way?
Yes. :-)
People will always congregate where they feel the most comfortable. Companies that will succeed in this place will participate in those external places as well as that provide a hub that can act as a center of conversation. And the ones that are really thinking ahead are the ones that provide an aggregation of external chatter on their very own hub.
5. You claimed that "people trust people like themselves the most" in the article, "What Matters in Most Word-of-Mouth Marketing?," what ways can a marketer or business owner be universally "trustworthy," or like the entire audience, to build an online community's trust?
I don't think there's such a thing as "universally trustworthy." However, I do believe that consistency is important, as well as the need to show people -- rather than tell them -- what you're doing. In addition, if employees are trained well and can speak on behalf of companies in an informed way, their own networks will become more aware of what the companies are doing. What this equates to over time is a spirit of trustworthiness.
6. With the volume of social media available and the various channels in which to participate online, what tactics can smaller companies use to get people to stick and be loyal to their sites?
The only thing that matters is good content. Provide what your customers want and they'll keep coming back. Create it in every form, test it out, pull what doesn't work, and don't be afraid to experiment.
7. Business bloggers are encouraged to produce valuable content to increase user engagement with their site, how can businesses benchmark their social media communications against their competitors?
Interesting question. Personally, I don't think it's terribly valuable to dwell on. It's kind of like trying to determine which parent a child loves more based on how they interact with each parent. My advice would be that businesses should focus on how well their customers are engaging with them, not with someone else. Naturally, it pays to observe what competitors are doing, but ultimately, if you know your customers and are listening to them, it shouldn't matter what the competition is doing
8. Given that you deal with both complaints and praise about Ford online, what is your advice on negative comment management on the internet?
Know when it's appropriate to jump in; not every comment requires a response. In Ford's case, 9 times out of 10, the community will take care of it for us. In other cases, it may not rise to the level of urgency or importance to need a reply.
9. What is the best viral marketing campaign you have seen in 2009?
Honestly, I don't have time to keep up with everything. I'm doing all I can to focus on the job at hand at Ford. I'm sure your readers will forgive me if I plead ignorance on this one.
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