Indelibuzz

It doesn’t take a lot of salient observation to see that the entire world is becoming more connected. What used to be mobile phones, are now essentially mobile computers – with the ability to connect to the web from just about anywhere. Which means people have access to the most current information 24/7.

Thanks to Twitter and dozens of other online sources, news has become instantaneous. It’s no wonder newspapers and magazines are rapidly becoming irrelevant. Why should I wait until the next day (or week) to find out about what’s going on in the world right now? All I have to do is look online. This is why the SF Chronicle just offered me 52 weeks of Wednesday through Sunday home delivery – for $20. Call me a Luddite; I took it.

As the world turns to the web for information, community, research, shopping and more – brands are discovering that customers bring new expectations with them. At the core is this precept: if they have a question, they don’t expect to have to wait for an answer.

That means when someone posts a query on your brand’s Facebook or Twitter page, they expect a reply in very short order. The younger someone is, the more accustomed they are to instant response. So if you want to build a community including younger brand evangelists, you need to live in the same world they do.

Leading consumer brands have adapted to this brave new world quickly. They’ve created teams dedicated to social media that are very adept at posting ‘consumer friendly’ content, and rapid responses. They also understand that the line between marketing and customer service has blurred. Most brands, however, are still on the uphill side of the learning curve.

One thing’s for certain: The notion of getting back to a potential customer in a few days now means the customer won’t be there waiting.