Transparency

One of the seemingly more exciting benefits promised by social media is transparency.  How titillating! Going behind closed doors, and effectively closing the gap between the informational haves and have-nots.   But, if the early rounds of this social media experiment have taught us anything, it’s that transparency and TMI are intimate dance partners.  Like anything that’s inherently good, transparency has the ability to turn bad (then good again - like Luke from General Hospital).  But just because you get a stomach ache it doesn’t mean you stop eating chocolate bunnies!  Transparency is of serious value to your brand when done right.  Hence, we’ve established our list of six rules for making transparency work.

Rule 1:  Be honest – This might sound crazy – “of course we’ll be honest, that’s what transparency means.”  Not so fast hot shot.  Sure, transparency starts out as an honest play, but next thing you know, you’re manipulating the entire process to show how great you are “behind closed doors.”  It’s not you, it’s human nature, but if you really want this thing to work, commit to giving away some honest trade secrets and maybe even answering some difficult questions publicly.  

Rule 2:  Use sparingly – Transparency is like brining a turkey.  Just because it works doesn’t mean that you should start brining everything (you know, there’s a strong link between sodium and hypertension).  This brings up the TMI element.  Quality transparency is appreciated more when it’s provided in proper frequency.  Less is more.  If you post pictures of your conference room meeting every day, it’s boring.  If you show a picture of your conference room being used for Friday afternoon cocktails, that’s interesting.

Rule 3:  Break some news – Hired!  Promoted!  Fired! (careful with this one) New! Better!  Smells Great!!!  You get the idea.  

Rule 4:  Promote – Who say’s that transparency can’t be honest and also self-serving?  Received the new customer reward cards – show it to your online community first.  It’s letting them in on something new and also spreading the word.  A win-win!  Popular inventory items go on sale – give your online fans first crack.  That’s “behind the scenes” and we all love to see it first.

Rule 5:  Put it to a vote – Take a chance.  Give your online community a say in creating a new policy.  Give them options to vote on and be okay with each choice.  Gain big points on being real, honest and transparent.  It’s also a good way to promote and get buy-in. 

Rule 6:  Make time for “real time” – Most people understand that while social media creates the ability for real time exchange, schedules often do not make such allowances.  While there’s nothing wrong with communicating in “near time,” having periodic exchanges in real time can be powerful, as transparency is built in to the timely engagement.  Schedule a twitter chat or host a conversation on the company’s facebook page to create a simple event designed to engage the audience.

When done right, transparency creates engagement and empowers an online community.  It’s also great for getting the word out.  Like everything else, doing it right takes commitment and thoughtfulness. Have we made ourselves clear?