With so much being said–good and bad–about social media lately, I wanted to share with you one of the biggest social media “wins” I’ve ever seen.  It happened to my little brother, a mechanic in Buckner, KY and a huge NASCAR fan.  In mid-December NASCAR changed some sort of dress code rules for those in pit row. The VP of NASCAR tweeted out a question about the new policy to fans, and my brother responded with a joke. What happened next is simply stunning.

I’ve been on social media for a long time and I’ve been around the block a few times with brands. But what NASCAR did is absolutely jaw-dropping. They took an average fan, who isn’t some big-deal blogger or able to make any big media waves, and made him ecstatic. That, my friends, is a social-media DO.  My brother spends all day every day listening to NASCAR radio, watching the races, and talking about NASCAR with other fans. He isn’t able to make some big impact for NASCAR.  There is no added benefit for them, no you-scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours going on here. No, they simply responded in a very generous manner and made a loyal fan very happy!

That my friends, is what social media is all about!  Too many businesses think social media is another form of the newsletter or email.  It isn’t. Social media is a conversation. It isn’t one-way.  It is a multi-directional conversation often covering multiple platforms and discussions all at once.

Good job NASCAR.  I’ve never been much of a racing fan, but you just made me a NASCAR fan.