Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

February 16, 2010

Will Your Brand Survive the Culture Shock and Thrive on the Social Web?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 10:50 am

New Tribes, New Rules

cooltext443809437_relationships

It seems like every day now I meet someone who is trying to make sense of the social web. Most folks seem to understand that something important is happening, but just can’t connect to the value of what they’re seeing.

The social web is a vibrant new culture. Corporations, small business, and individuals are bringing their best to be a part of what’s happening.

47 million websites were added in 2009.
The web is a new culture occurring in a new virtual space.
Talking through a computer or smart phone doesn’t return the same results as talking in person does.

It helps to start out knowing that.

We Have the Problem of Speaking the Same Language

1055107_stop_spam_sign

Anyone who’s been a military brat or moved around for their professional life knows that every new location meant learning the rules of the new school and the new community. Somehow that cultural difference is easier to see when we go to a foreign land, where the language has different sounds and a different alphabet. With such obviously linguistic differences we’re more likely to expect differences in values, traditions and how how people choose to connect into business and social groups and tribes.

When I traveled internationally, it took me about three years to identify those same cultural differences in the English speaking countries. We had the disadvantage of speaking the same language. So we often thought we were saying or doing the appropriate thing — We thought the same words meant the same things. We thought we were doing what worked in one place … but found it didn’t work in another.

I once signed a contract with an Australian friend. I thought it described a partnership. As things progressed I realized she thought she had engaged a channel of distribution. Each of us behaved according the premise we believed. Until we figured that out, we were constantly wondering why the other didn’t behave.

Will Your Brand Survive the Culture Shock of the Social Web?

Whenever we meet a new culture, we have the problem of figuring out what’s the same to all humans, what’s just our individuality, and what’s the culture. It’s no wonder that wise folks approach the social web with varying degrees of caution, suspicion, or confusion, fearing missteps or problems. It’s still a bit foreign that people connect via computers and smart phones. For others, it’s a problem of learning a new set of social rules and words that have different meanings in different contexts.

Until we sort those, we can be in a bit of a culture shock. After studying the tradtional symptoms of culture shock, I find that online, culture shock shares these common characteristics. The ones I list here are those that apply to both individuals and brands. With each I’ve added some ways to help you survive the culture shock to thrive on the social web.

Culture shock is a lot less when you find a friend who can translate what’s happening and introduce you to others who live the culture every day. Don’t let the tools decide how you act, lead with the relationships you make.

As my friend, Chris Brogan says … “it’s always about the people.”

Great countries and great companies have been built by ideas and innovations that develop when two cultures connect. The key is being aware that VALUES ARE THE KEY TO BUILDING VALUE.
Listen, engage, interact, learn, and meet up at the core of the matter where our values align well.

What are the keys to integrating into this new culture of the social web?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz to learn the culture of the social web!!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.

I’m a proud affiliate of

Teaching Sells

Isn’t it time you registered for

SOBCon?

Develop strategies and tactics with the best of the Social Web for an entire weekend.





Filed under Business Life, Marketing, Successful Blog |




C'mon. Let's talk!

4 Comments to “Will Your Brand Survive the Culture Shock and Thrive on the Social Web?”

  1. February 16th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
    No One is Immune to Marketing Blunders :: Online Marketing | Small Business Marketing said

    [...] Will Your Brand Survive the Culture Shock and Thrive on the Social Web? (successful-blog.com) [...]

  2. February 16th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
    Jeff Hurt said

    Liz:

    I love this analogy.

    I’ll add another one from my own personal experience. After spending several months in Germany and adjusting to culture shock, I had a harder time adjusting back to my normal culture when I returned to the states. I had integrated so many of the views and thoughts of my German friends that when I arrived back in the U.S., I was conflicted and felt disturbed. It took me a while to get back into my pace as an American and adjust to this culture. Those of us that move seamlessly from the Social Web to face-to-face environments always have to be aware of our actions and use the right etiquette in each space. It takes some practice and can be done.

  3. February 17th, 2010 at 5:28 am
    Free Powerful Affirmations Audio - Claus D Jensen said

    Hi Liz, interesting subject. I’m from Denmark, and mostly working with people from USA. I can feel that I have to act differently to people from Denmark than people from the States. We are more reserved in Denmark… I try to find somewhere in the middle.. :-D

    Best regards,
    Claus D Jensen

  4. February 17th, 2010 at 8:13 am
    Beth Robinson said

    One is to remember that the social web is split into sub-cultures just like those English speaking countries. In the world of using the internet as a business building tool, for example, there’s a huge gap between spending your time at MarketingProfs or the Warrior Forum.

    This idea plays into finding a community where your message makes sense and finding where your particular audience is. Just as you expand or change audiences, or even just platforms where the same people gather, you can’t expect exactly the same unspoken rules to be in play.

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

C'mon Let's Talk!