Facebook Feedback Forum

As part of my internship, I am responsible for maintaining the Facebook page for one of our clients that hosts a free summer concert series.

I was slightly dismayed when I noticed that some users had posted what I considered to be negative comments on some of our past concerts. For example, one person had complained that the band who played during the Independence Day concert talked too much during the fireworks. Another person had commented that one of the groups we'd recently hosted - who we had referred to as a "blockbuster" in our promotional material - was more of a fizzle than a sizzle.

While these comments were legitimate and relatively tactful, I worried that these negative comments might detract from the overall image we are trying to portray. I asked my boss for her opinion as to how we should deal with these comments.

To my surprise, instead of asking me to remove the comments she sent an e-mail to our client drawing their attention to the criticism. "This Facebook page is serving a great purpose for us here," she said. She explained that up until now (this year being the first year the client is on Facebook), the client's board of directors was very removed from its patrons. She encouraged me to leave the comments on the page, explaining how the site is serving as a great forum for the board to engage with and get feedback from its followers.

I got to thinking, and she is completely right. This is the co-creational perspective at it's finest, allowing the patrons to shape the client in addition to the client trying to shape the opinions of the patrons. The Facebook page has given the board a more human persona while enabling it to engage with its patrons on a more personal and interactive level. Plus, the feedback we receive can help us make the concert series better in the future, thus pleasing our patrons and ensuring future success.

Therein lies the value of social media.