Engage: The Final Chapter

Actually I'll be covering more of the final part - Part Six - not just Chapter 25.
I found it interesting that with the change to Web 2.0 and thus CRM 2.0, there was much more focus put on customer relations management. There was, however, another shift and this time from CRM to sCRM (social customer relations management) and ultimately to just SRM (social relations management). I can completely see and understand how sCRM is important because it shows that it's necessary for all parts of the company to be involved in promoting the company's brand identity, answer questions and build relationships and loyalty.
With the change to just SRM, this relates to managing your social relations with customers, vendors, employees, experts and partners. Though it will obviously take more work to maintain and manage all of these relationships, you and the company will benefit from the additional attention to others' needs and wants. For SRM you'll need more collaboration than just conversation, really listening instead of intermittent researching, action and resolutions over just monitoring, and personalization, not just automation, is key.
I like this because realistically it applies to everything - any company and any person. Yes, your customers must be happy and have expected service provided, but relationships with friends and the people that may be able to help now or in the future must be maintained to keep everything running smoothly. Contact should be kept consistently and should be mutually advantageous to benefit both parties and keep everyone happy and happy to help.

Getting the Dirt on Groundswell

I really liked the idea in Groundswell that said to pay more attention to the relationship than the technology. I mean of course the technology is changing and though the medium may not change right away, the tools being used are sure to change relatively quickly. As long as you are engaging and really connecting with your audience and target public, then which methods you use are arbitrary.
I would say that this word of advice not only goes towards businesses trying to relate to their audience, but even for people and their everyday relationships too. Being in college and away from my friends from back home who are off at other colleges, sometimes it's hard keeping our up on our friendships. Even though I've all got classes, work , meetings and plans with my friends here, it's still important to connect with the important people in my live, no matter how it's done. Regardless of how the contact is being made, whether it's by sending an e-mail, calling, texting, facebooking them, or following them on twitter, the important thing is that the connection is being made and that I am able to get through to them.

This the message that was bring sent in chapter two because there are so many different ways for companies to communicate with their markets, as long as you can make that connection and maintain it, then how you do it is less important.