"Does a Brand Become Big Brother when it Monitors Social Media?"

I ran across this post on iMedia Connections Blog.

With SalesForce.com announcing Twitter integration (twitter again!), "Some are enthusiastic, suggesting that the tool will be useful for lead generation. It also has some fearing a Big Brother backlash – customers reacting negatively to brands as Big Brother. "

The author goes on: "If a greater number of brands jump into their conversations on social media, consumers might be more likely to feel that they are being watched. When advertising via interactive media that is highly personal, like social media and mobile, marketers have to be careful not to deliver too much advertising or risk turning people off. Monitoring conversations and butting in might have the same affect."

Now, all I have to point out is... if the consumer does not want to watched, listened to, and monitored, then stop yapping, stop blogging, stop twittering. Once you post your opinions on the web, it's a free for all. That should be lesson #1 for all social media activists. Me included.

"... At what point do brands cross the line and become seen as Big Brother? Will marketing on social media sites force customers to other platforms? Time will tell, but as monitoring tools become more advanced and integrate with market analysis and CRM systems, brands should pay close attention to what level of interruption is appropriate."

All right, so here's the line: Monitoring vs Marketing.

If you are a brand, monitor as much as you can. Go nuts. It's actually your job to listen to the chatter.

Marketing via social media? Be smart. Figure out what your objectives and goals are before you start. It could be a waste of money. And if you spam, you will get slammed. Nothing new here...