Creating conversations is hard, despite all the knowledge and tools at our disposal today. It should be easier than ever, right? Not quite. As is all too often the case, fear can get in the way. More specifically, fear of the social media unknown.

For many marketers, that includes the biggest “what if” of all: What if someone talks badly about your brand? The simple fact is consumers are already talking. Therefore, learning how to spark and manage conversations isn't only essential on today’s social internet, but it might just save your job or, better yet, get you promoted.

To do it right, marketers must abandon their comfort zone of hiding behind their marketing efforts, including crafting and delivering messages, measuring sales, and then hitting the rinse and repeat button. Instead, they must be open, transparent, adventurous and unafraid. So what’s the formula for sparking and facilitating a great conversation? Here are a few suggestions from my recent blog on eM+C. More. 

I’ve got a new gig. A blog on the newly designed eM+C website called Conversations. Why Conversations? Well, I’ve been in the communications business for over 10 years now -- first in email marketing and now in social media -- and the one thing that has stayed true over all those years – a marketer’s desire to build an ongoing dialogue with prospects and customers. The power of building a true conversation cannot be underestimated. When done well, conversations have the ability to not only drive engagement and sales – but create a whole new army of advocates for your brand. That is why I believe conversations will be the single most powerful word in marketing for the next generation. It’s also why I’ve named my new company Conversa Marketing.

Conversa Marketing’s mission is to help marketers build marketing programs that ignite conversations, cultivate relationships and drive commerce on the social internet. The meteoric rise of the social web for many marketers is new ground. Consequently, the thought of engaging customers and the fear that those conversations may not go as intended often causes the most experienced marketers to cling to the traditional marketing channels they’ve become most dependent upon. So, how to break free of old habits – to build a conversation in this new error of marketing? Like any good rehab, it starts with a solid 12-step program – the topic of my first eM+C column. Click here to read the blog and start your recovery.