Transparency is a Benefit

My Social Media course is currently discussing the importance of “transparency” and why it is important for organizations to develop this into their social media policy. As transparency is defined in the blog by Marqui's Web Marketing http://www.marqui.com/blog/authenticity-and-transparency-in-social-media-getting-it-right.aspx it is possible to be open and honest without divulging all your trade secrets and possibly ruining your own business. This is especially important for organizations that are including a grassroots campaign within their marketing strategy. For example, one of my past entrepreneurial ventures was an organic food delivery company. Incredibly, no less than 75% of new customers were a result of our website (and word of mouth). Our company's website did not have a shopping cart, like the competition; instead it had a newsletter which I would update weekly. When we began the website in 1999, facebook was not on the radar, and even by 2004 it was not as popular as it is today. That newsletter became our company’s facebook equivalent.

I wrote seasonal crop stories, health stories, and organics in the news stories. We listed what would be in the bin next week. It included photos and clipart, and portrayed a “personality” that reflected the ideals of our company. Because it was the most tangible focus of our brand, it had to be “authentic” and “transparent.” But it was also available for anyone to download from our website, so it would not go so far as to divulge all of the company's boardroom strategies. We continued to use that newsletter for 10 years. Today, we would have converted the newsletter to a social media format because it is best suited for a grassroots audience. As a “newbie” in this technology, I found a lot of helpful tips about transparency at this blog http://blog.search-mojo.com/2011/09/22/social-media-week-transparency-thursday/