A comprehensive Social Marketing and should not only aim to promote your organization's services and products, but should also be utilized to monitor negative feedback and improve areas of concern.  As an organization or individual utilizing a social marketing strategy, you should first and foremost be ready to carry-through with whatever promises you commit too.

During the holiday season, nearly every retailer makes one promise to the general public:  "Guaranteed Christmas Delivery".  I've always been skeptical of such promises for two reasons.  First, how do such
 retailers assure that a third-party (i.e. UPS, FedEx or USPS) will be able to deliver your order without delay?  Secondly, what do I, as the consumer, receive if that guarantee is not met?

Last year, I placed two late orders for gifts from online retailers.  The first package arrived on several days before Christmas, just as expected.  However, the second order seemed to be moving at a snail's pace as it traversed the nation.  Two days before Christmas, I was concerned and naturally logged onto the retailer's website with one question in mind: What do I receive if the package does not arrive on time?  After an hour of wading through the large retailer's website, I could not find an answer.  Simply put, this major retailer's guarantee was nothing more than an empty promise. 

The package did arrive on Christmas Eve, but I was reminded of the valuable lesson about the potential damage that an empty promise creates.  This year, as I made a late purchase, I did not even visit that retailer's website; they had lost my trust during the holiday season.

Yesterday, a friend posted on Facebook that she had ordered a gift from another major retailer, with guaranteed Christmas delivery.  After a week of waiting, she learned that not only would the gift not arrive before Christmas, but that the product would not even be shipped for 2-3 weeks.  Naturally, she contacted the company; after all, the guaranteed delivery.  Upon reaching customer service, they informed her that they could not cancel the transaction; she would still be charged and would have to return the item when it arrived in 2-3 weeks.  This absurd experience teaches us the importance of insuring that corporate policy matches marketing policy.

My friend posted about her bad experience, her 200-300 friends read the post, dozens commented and this company has certainly lost future business.  Now imagine if just 100 individuals had similar experiences; that would amount to 20-30 thousand negative perceptions of your company.  What if 1,000 people posted similar negative feedback, imagine the damage that could occur.  Social marketing is a blessing to companies that focus upon service and maintain a positive perception; however, companies that utilize Social Marketing to make empty promises, best be prepared when the social marketing monster turns against them.