July 29th, 2010 
Jeff Niems 
If you doubt the growing power of online society, consider the “2011 Ford Explorer Reveal” on the Ford Explorer Facebook page.
Normally a big reveal like this takes place at a Detroit auto show. But Ford is using Explorer’s Facebook page to give users an interactive, multimedia tour with live video of the “reveal” in New York City. The live events are hosted by Mike Rowe, the host of Discovery’s “Dirty Jobs,” who looks around the new 2011 Ford Explorer with Ford CEO Alan Mulally.
Involving the guy responsible for the new model as well as other actual executives shows that Ford understands something about the Social World we live in: merely asking for clicks just doesn’t work.
As Chris Cunningham of appssavvy says, “Traditional advertising is about as social as screaming into a crowd to get attention.”
Brands like Ford understand that to be Social requires a conversation.
According to Emily Post, Ideal Conversation should be a matter of equal give and take.
Every time you engage in a conversation online with potential customers and clients you might want to consider some of Ms. Post’s guidelines:
- Think before you speak.
- Try not to repeat yourself.
- Be careful not to let amiable discussion turn into contradiction and argument.
- The joy of joys is the person of light but unmalicious humor.
- Talk about things which you think will be agreeable to your hearer. Don’t focus on ills, misfortune, or other unpleasantnesses.
- Don’t pretend to know more than you do.
- Above all, stop and think what you are saying!
Can you imagine how much more pleasant your online persona would be if you were to follow these simple rules of etiquette.
Who knows? You might even get invited to a few more parties!
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