Employees are the best source of buzz…

Finally…someone who gets it! I’m not surprised it’s Chris Anderson (author of Long Tail). In this post, Anderson explores the idea that employees are the best source of trusted information in this “brave new world” of authentic online media.

It’ll be great once the majority of executives believe this too.

The concept is this: Consumers want information they feel they can trust. Many people are disillisioned with traditional media outlets. Many of these people are looking to new sources of information: enter, blogosphere, YouTube, etc.

While big companies see this, and are trying to get in on the social media frenzy, this PR is often viewed as co-opting an otherwise “pure medium of truth”.  So what to do? Social media is great at generating buzz, it’s word-of-mouth stuff, believable….how to get in?

Answer: Let your employees do the work for you!

Presumably (most) employees like what they do. Believe in the tech they’re creating. Want to talk about it. Let them! Work with employees to delineate boundaries…what can be talked about, what should be avoided (to stay out of court and such). Be clear. Then trust them.

Employees are the best source of free marketing…the best source of buzz!