There was a time when a person’s word used to mean something; a time when children validated agreements with a simple “pinky swear.” There was a time when a spit and a handshake was as iron clad as a signed contract and a brand promise was exactly that. Nowadays,it seems those promises are simply buzzwords used to fill social media bios.
There is a term for those who fail to uphold their end of a spoken or written word: “LLPOF”.
LLPOF
[noun] Liar Liar Pants on Fire: A word used traditionally by children to describe someone who is not being fully truthful with another.
[plural] LLPOFs
Quick Guide to Understanding LLPOFs:
LLPOFs like to spice up their social media profiles with phrases that read like a Bryan Adams song: “Everything We Do, We Do It For You!”
LLPOFs say: “How can we help your small business kick ass online? Available 5AM to Midnight MST.” And then ignore you because you’re not conveying a request for immediate increase in revenue for them. They have priorities after all.
LLPOFs value perceived honesty, transparency and follow-through above actual honesty, transparency and follow-through.
How can you help my small business kick ass online? Start by engaging with timely responses to the paying and potential customers reaching out to you.
And actions like these are an epidemic. According to a recent 2015 study from Brandwatch, “Under two-thirds (64.6%) of the retail brands we tweeted targeted @questions to managed to respond within the five day period of the study (none responded after that window either).” 35% of tweets were ignored.
In other words: Brands are creating social accounts, promising availability to customers, yet vastly under-delivering on their promises. That’s NOT honesty.
Brands who don’t respond are missing a HUGE opportunity to connect, resolve, save, surprise and delight, and build valuable trust and brand loyalty — aka “social currency.”
Being honest doesn't mean being perfect. It simply means being truthful and transparent, taking ownership, explaining any obstacles, committing to addressing challenges and following through to make certain your brand promise is upheld.
In a world of online tactics and misdirection used to sell products or manage a PR crisis, honesty is refreshing and people are smart enough to understand intent and appreciate effort.
In short: If you convey a promise, see it through, don’t try to hide;
and always let your conscience be your guide.
After all, as your nose grows, your audience shrinks and the future response will be crickets.
*IMPORTANT* Side effects of honesty and fulfilling your brand promise digitally include: Increased Sales, Positive Word-of-Mouth-Advertising, Increased Brand Awareness, Earned Media Opportunities, New Business, Increased Engagement, Customer Satisfaction and Advocacy, Likes, Re-tweets, Shares and more.
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