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If an object is transparent, it is described by dictionary.com as, “some translucent substance, made visible by light shining through from behind.” Shining a giant “spot light”, like a television commercial, on your business great, but these days there are other ways to be just as effective with zero the cost. When a business practices transparency it is open, honest, and accountable to its customers. This allows customers to gain a deeper understanding of the company as a whole as well as getting to know the individuals who provide these services and products. And given our country’s current economic state, this understanding is a sure fire way to help build a trusting relationship with customers. However, boundaries exist…but not too many.

Choosing topics to facilitate discussions and increase traffic on social media networks is sometimes tricky. Knowing the company’s social media philosophy is important, as well as knowing who the audience is. So in essence, anyone can bring up any kind of topic as long as they are willing to take the good with the bad feedback. For example, if a company, like MS, decided to discuss a political topic, the best approach would be to lay out the underlying story and then leave the topic open for discussion by asking for opinions. Our previous blog posts have not touched on such topics, but you never know what the future holds. However, for some, taking a certain side on topics is in the nature of their business. Common sense and just being smart are the keys to not offending readers and keeping people happy.

How many times when you were a kid did you get in trouble because you failed to tell your parents the truth in the first place? My guess is probably more than once. The same applies to a business. It is better to tell the truth, good or bad, from the get go, then to wait until it affects everyone instead of just a few. When change comes, introduce it gradually so everyone isn’t thrown off their rocker and can adjust to the new practices. This helps to avoid unnecessary conflict and gives you more credibility.

In previous weeks we have emphasized how quickly messages reach the public through social media. Keeping this in mind, the promptness of responses should be just as immediate. If they aren’t, then joining the social networking community is worthless. It is just as important to respond immediately to negative feedback and/or concerns about a product or service. Just announcing that the company is aware of the situation is better than not addressing it or ignoring it.

Business transparency is always sending a message to customers. That message must interest customers and it never hurts to link it back to the company. Creativity is the best way to capture people’s attention. Videos, pod casts, blogs, facebook, twitter, and my space (to name a few) are creative portals to reach customers. But, so many businesses are already using them that everyone must find new ways to separate themselves. Creativity means, looking at all aspects of a company, and making connections with what is popular, fun, interesting, personal, newsworthy, etc., so customer can connect with the business on a higher level.

Let us know what your company has done to become more transparent!