Likeable Social Media

When was the last time a brand truly listened to you — not through a survey or generic email, but in real time, on the platforms where you actually spend your day? In Likeable Social Media, Dave Kerpen argues that the world of marketing has shifted forever. The megaphone-style approach of the past is dead. The companies that will thrive now are those that listen to their customers, respond authentically, tell compelling stories, and create communities that people genuinely want to be part of. In other words, they must become likeable.

Kerpen, the CEO of Likeable Media, contends that social media is the world’s largest cocktail party — a place where brands can either shine like natural conversationalists or fumble like awkward salespeople. In this digital party, being likeable isn’t just polite; it’s profitable. Customers have megaphones of their own, and their posts, comments, and reviews can make or break reputations overnight. To succeed in this environment, organizations must shift from broadcasting to conversing, from controlling the message to fostering meaningful dialogue.

The Rise of the Empowered Consumer

Kerpen opens the book with a defining story: a frustrating wait at a Las Vegas hotel. After tweeting about the long line, he receives no response from the Aria Hotel — but within minutes, a competing property, the Rio, offers a simple message of empathy: “Sorry about the bad experience, hope the rest of your stay goes well.” That single tweet results in thousands of dollars of future business. This simple gesture illustrates the core truth of the digital age: listening and humanity are the new advantage.

In the era of Facebook likes, tweets, and online reviews, Kerpen notes, a brand’s reputation no longer lives in boardrooms or ad agencies. It lives in the hands of customers who can share their unfiltered experiences with thousands of people instantly. The traditional wisdom that “a happy customer tells three friends, but an unhappy customer tells ten” no longer applies. Today’s customers can tell thousands.

Why Likeability Matters More Than Ever

The “Like Revolution,” as Kerpen calls it, radically democratized marketing. Now, anyone can amplify their voice online. What once required massive ad budgets can now be achieved through genuine relationships and remarkable service. “Likeable” companies — those that listen, respond, and engage with customers as people — are able to build enduring loyalty that no amount of advertising dollars can buy. Disney may have imagined being “the happiest place on earth,” but in the digital age, happiness is built one like, one comment, one authentic response at a time.

Kerpen emphasizes that social media is not a fad, nor is it free. It demands time, empathy, and consistent effort across an entire organization. Social platforms are not broadcast media but engagement platforms. Brands must think like guests at the party — curious, attentive, and value-adding — instead of barging in to sell something immediately. The most successful social media users understand that trust precedes transactions.

The New Marketing Playbook

Each of Kerpen’s eighteen chapters expands on a distinct yet interconnected principle — a blueprint for building a brand that customers love. It begins with Listening First: before speaking, companies must tune in to conversations already happening about their brand, industry, or customer pain points. Next comes Targeting Smarter, where Kerpen replaces the outdated “Women 25 to 54” demographic model with hypertargeting — using social profiles to reach exactly the right people. In Think and Act Like Your Customer, he reminds marketers to create content that audiences would actually want to receive, not interruptive “Look at me” ads.

Kerpen then explores how to turn early clients and employees into a loyal fan base and why responsiveness — to both good and bad feedback — is non-negotiable. Subsequent chapters expand on authenticity, transparency, storytelling, asking questions, providing free value, and integrating social media into every corner of the customer experience. The book culminates with lessons on handling mistakes gracefully, creating moments of “surprise and delight,” and making buying so effortless that selling becomes unnecessary.

“Just be likeable,” Kerpen writes in the book’s conclusion. “Treat your customers the way you’d like to be treated, and share online as if you were at a dinner party, not a trade show.”

From Selling to Storytelling

Kerpen’s approach aligns with a broader transformation in marketing thinking championed by experts like Seth Godin and Simon Sinek. It’s no longer enough to compete on price or product; now, connection and purpose define success. In a world overflowing with noise, the brands that stand out are those that tell compelling stories, invite participation, and act with integrity. As Kerpen shows through examples from his clients — from Verizon responding empathetically to customer complaints to Omaha Steaks engaging fans with “Table Talk” conversations — social media isn’t about shouting the loudest. It’s about being the most human.

Ultimately, Likeable Social Media isn’t a book about technology; it’s a manifesto about behavior. The digital transformation of communication has made conversations public and permanent. Every post, comment, and share is an opportunity to either elevate trust or erode it. The old marketing question — “How do we get people to talk about us?” — is replaced by a far more powerful one: “How can we make them want to?”

Kerpen’s answer is deceptively simple: Listen carefully. Respond generously. Share authentically. Tell great stories. And never stop being likeable. In doing so, your brand becomes more than a product — it becomes a friend worth keeping in people’s digital lives.

Kerpen’s first commandment is deceptively simple: before you talk, listen. For decades, companies have invested millions in marketing campaigns while spending barely a fraction to actually hear what people were saying. Social media changes that. It’s the first communication channel that allows you to eavesdrop — ethically — on real conversations about your brand, competitors, and industry in real time.

The Power of Being Heard

Humans crave acknowledgment, and Kerpen insists that “everybody loves to feel heard.” He opens with relatable frustration: being put on hold by an insurance company, waiting endlessly, and then posting your anger online — only to find the company actually responding. Even a quick, empathetic message like “We hear you, and we’ll fix it” can turn rage into relief. The moment someone realizes they’re being listened to, loyalty begins.

To illustrate, Kerpen points to Neutrogena skinID, a skincare brand operating in a heavily regulated industry where it can’t legally dispense medical advice online. Instead, it built a robust social listening program. The team monitors thousands of comments, looks for recurring patterns, and acknowledges feedback even when they can’t comment directly. By doing so, Neutrogena increases trust and discovers valuable insights to improve its messaging and products.

Listening vs. Monitoring

Kerpen makes an important distinction: monitoring sounds clinical, but listening is human. Monitoring evokes surveillance; listening evokes empathy. Tools like Google Alerts, Twitter Search, YouTube Search, and Radian6 (a now-classic enterprise listening platform) can help you track what’s being said — but only your team can interpret the emotion behind the words.

IBM provides a striking case study. Its “Listening for Leads” program deploys employees known as “seekers” to scour online conversations for potential customers. When someone posts, “I’m looking for a new server,” an IBM representative reaches out to help. This seemingly soft practice translated into millions of dollars in new sales. Listening, it turns out, is not passive; it’s profitable.

The Cost of Silence

By contrast, failing to listen can have devastating effects. When brands ignore online conversations, they not only lose opportunities but risk long-term reputational damage. Customers will simply turn to companies that acknowledge them. In an era of instant communication, “not listening” signals indifference — and indifference is the opposite of likeable.

“Listening should always be 50 percent of the conversation,” Kerpen reminds. “Even after you start talking, never stop listening.”

Turning Noise into Insight

Kerpen encourages readers to transform customer chatter into actionable intelligence. What are people praising? What frustrates them? What do competitors’ customers wish they had? Each comment is “free market research” — a perpetual focus group available 24/7. Instead of guessing which features customers want, brands can simply observe conversations and respond.

Ultimately, listening isn’t a phase — it’s a mindset. Whether you’re a massive enterprise like IBM or a small business owner checking Twitter, listening shows respect. It tells people you value their voice. And as Kerpen’s clients discovered, when you listen authentically, your audience talks back in the most valuable language of all: loyalty.

Nobody enjoys being interrupted. Kerpen challenges marketers with a hard truth: most traditional advertising is just that — an interruption. Instead of forcing your message into people’s lives, he urges you to step into theirs. To think and act like your consumer is to ask not, “What do we want to say?” but, “What do they want to hear?”

From Broadcasting to Engaging

Just as you wouldn’t corner someone at a party and pitch your product for 20 minutes, you shouldn’t dominate social feeds with promotions. Facebook’s News Feed algorithm (known as EdgeRank) rewards engagement, not volume. The more likes, comments, and shares your content gets, the more visible it becomes. Thus, the goal isn’t to talk more — it’s to talk better.

Kerpen uses the example of Omaha Steaks, historically a brand focused on direct sales. When the company embraced social media, it stopped blasting out product-heavy posts and started conversing about topics its customers actually enjoyed — sports, holidays, recipes. The result was “Table Talk,” a feature that invited fans to discuss anything from favorite football teams to grilling tips. Engagement soared, as did sales, proving that relevance beats repetition.

Creating Content That’s Actually Likeable

To create likeable content, Kerpen recommends asking two questions before posting anything: Would I want to receive this? Does it add value? If your answer is no, revise or delete. Content should inform, entertain, or inspire. He cites The Pampered Chef, a company that transformed its Facebook page by sharing recipes, cooking tips, and fan-generated photos. Instead of “selling cookware,” it celebrated the joy of cooking — and fans responded by sharing posts organically.

This concept mirrors Seth Godin’s idea of permission marketing: customers grant you access to their attention only when you consistently deliver value. On social media, every post is an opportunity to either earn or lose that permission.

It’s About Them, Not You

Kerpen warns that many companies still act like “the sales guy who won’t shut up.” The solution? Shift focus entirely to the customer’s interests and emotions. The most magnetic brands aren’t talking about themselves; they’re talking to people about what matters to them. As soon as your posts become conversations rather than broadcasts, you transform from nuisance to neighbor.

By thinking and acting like your consumer, you no longer market at people—you connect with them. And in the long run, as Omaha Steaks learned, customers don’t just buy from companies they know. They buy from companies they like.

Kerpen devotes two chapters to a basic but often neglected truth: customers are talking about you, whether or not you respond. Choosing silence is still a response — and usually the worst one. Instead, he teaches companies to respond quickly, consistently, and personally to all kinds of feedback: complaints, praise, and everything in between.

Handling Complaints Gracefully

A CEO once asked Kerpen’s team, “Can we delete negative comments on our Facebook page?” His answer: only if they’re obscene or genuinely harmful. Otherwise, leave them up and engage. Deleting criticism is like ripping up a comment card in front of a customer — it amplifies anger and erodes trust. Instead, respond within 24 hours, publicly acknowledge the issue, apologize sincerely, and move the conversation to a private channel.

He recounts Verizon FiOS, where a customer named Ray vented about a billing problem by calling the company “crooks.” Rather than deleting the post, a representative replied: “So sorry you’ve had an issue, Ray. We’ve sent you a private message and someone will be in touch.” Within days, the issue was resolved, and Ray posted again to thank Verizon — turning from critic to advocate. His final words? “No more Crookcast for us.”

Celebrating Praise

Responding to positive feedback matters just as much. A simple “Thank you, you rule!” can make customers feel valued and deepen loyalty. VistaPrint has built its reputation on this principle. Every post on its wall, good or bad, gets a reply. Happy clients are thanked publicly, while complaints receive prompt solutions. Other satisfied customers often chime in, defending the brand themselves. When fans become first responders, you’ve achieved social media nirvana.

The Power of Personality

In these interactions, tone matters. Kerpen calls this your “brand personality.” A fun, youthful company might say, “Thanks, man, you rock!” whereas a law firm might use “We appreciate your feedback.” Either way, the response must feel human, not automated. Social platforms reward authenticity; canned PR-speak is a fast way to lose attention — and respect.

By answering every comment, not just the problems, you create a living signal that your brand listens and cares. Over time, this builds a virtuous cycle: engagement begets loyalty, loyalty begets advocacy, and advocacy begets new customers. The lesson is universal: If someone takes a moment to talk to you, take a moment to talk back.

In a world where every action is public and permanent, Kerpen insists that authenticity is non-negotiable. “Your customers can tell when you’re faking it,” he warns. Authenticity, honesty, and transparency aren’t just moral choices — they’re strategic imperatives.

Authenticity Over Performance

Kerpen contrasts the old advertising musical — big, rehearsed, dazzling — with the improv show, where performers co-create with the audience. Social media is improv. It’s unscripted, responsive, and human. The companies that thrive are those that empower real voices rather than hide behind corporate scripts. Omaha Steaks, for example, went as far as having team members sign their tweets so customers knew exactly who they were talking to.

At Boston’s “B1Example,” a violence-prevention project, authenticity meant handing over control to its teenage audience. Local teens managed the organization’s Facebook page, speaking in their own voice. Grammar mistakes and all, their posts resonated with peers far more than polished PR language could. The result: thousands of youth engaging about positive change — because they trusted who was talking.

Truth as a Transparency Strategy

Transparency, Kerpen says, is simply “honesty in public.” Once, companies could afford secrecy. Now, concealment invites scandal. Instead of hiding flaws, share them — and show your willingness to improve. When a staffer accidentally posts a wrong link or a customer complains, own it quickly. This makes you appear not weak but trustworthy.

Kerpen cites Mayor Cory Booker of Newark as a master of transparent leadership. He personally uses Twitter to connect with citizens, from answering service complaints to literally shoveling snow from a resident’s driveway. His authenticity transformed a mayor into a movement — and showed that openness can make even politicians likeable.

Authenticity can’t be delegated; it must be lived. When customers feel they’re interacting with genuine people, not faceless logos, they return the favor with something even more valuable than money: trust.

Kerpen believes stories are the currency of social media. People don’t share facts — they share feelings, and stories produce emotions that data cannot. Good storytelling turns abstract brands into relatable humans and passive customers into advocates.

Why Stories Stick

Kerpen proves this by sharing his own origin story: marrying his wife at a sponsored baseball game in front of 5,000 spectators. The event, which raised money for charity and generated massive press, later inspired Likeable Media’s founding. The story was quirky, emotional, and purpose-driven — everything a consumer remembers. As marketing psychologist Paul Zak notes, emotions drive decisions; logic justifies them later.

He also profiles attorney Matthew Weiss, whose blog “Confessions of a Traffic Lawyer” transformed dull legal topics into humorous anecdotes. One client bragged he wasn’t going 140 mph — he was going 160! These stories, funny yet real, humanized Weiss and grew his business by 22% annually.

Inspiring Others to Tell Their Stories

The second half of storytelling is inspiration. Kerpen highlights the viral success of TweetsGiving, a Thanksgiving-themed campaign that invited people worldwide to tweet what they were thankful for. In just 48 hours, thousands participated, raising $11,000 for a school in Tanzania. The magic wasn’t Epic Change’s story — it was the audience’s own. When you help customers tell their stories, you multiply your impact.

Companies like Uno Chicago Grill and Cumberland Farms applied this principle by spotlighting “Fans of the Week” and contests where users uploaded videos, photos, or memories. Recognition triggered pride, pride triggered sharing, and sharing built community — a virtuous narrative loop.

In the end, storytelling is not a marketing tactic; it’s your most human act. People want to feel inspired, engaged, and understood. The more authentic, emotional, and participatory your stories become, the more your audience will make them their own — and tell them for you.

If listening builds relationships and storytelling deepens them, surprise keeps them alive. Kerpen calls it the science of “Wow!” — small, thoughtful actions that exceed expectations and create lifelong fans.

The Little Things

Kerpen shares a personal story: tweeting about a book recommendation and receiving an offer from a stranger, Jesse Landry, to overnight him a copy — at no charge. That simple act impressed Kerpen so much that months later, when he needed HR consulting, he hired Landry’s firm. The lesson is clear: unexpected generosity isn’t just nice; it’s strategic. Small gestures ripple outward, especially when shared online.

Brands like Best Buy operationalized this principle with its “Twelpforce,” a thousand-employee initiative to answer customer questions on Twitter. They didn’t just sell electronics; they solved problems wherever people asked them — even about competitors’ products. This generosity built both loyalty and credibility.

The Big Gestures

Surprise doesn’t always require budgets, but when used well, large-scale gestures amplify excitement. Franklin Sports grew its fan base fivefold by promising MLB playoff tickets if it reached 10,000 likes in two weeks. Fans shared the challenge furiously, achieving the goal early. Similarly, Cumberland Farms created “Free Chill Zone Day,” where an entire community could win free drinks once a milestone was hit. When everyone wins a little, the brand wins big.

Ultimately, “Wow moments” are contagious. They travel faster than ads and linger longer than discounts. The takeaway is simple: in a noisy digital world, don’t just meet expectations — delight people. Do it once, they’ll smile. Do it consistently, they’ll tell the world.

The final stage of likeability is making it easy for customers to say yes. Kerpen reminds us that selling isn’t evil — but pushiness is. The goal isn’t to pressure your audience into buying, but to remove friction so that buying feels natural and rewarding.

The Social Sales Funnel

Traditional sales funnels move from awareness to purchase. In social media, the process starts earlier and lasts longer: awareness -> like -> engagement -> trust -> buying -> advocacy. Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest create endless touchpoints where customers can interact and decide when they’re ready to purchase. Your job is to make that moment seamless.

Kerpen points to 1-800-Flowers.com, which built one of the first complete Facebook stores. Customers could browse, purchase, and share their purchases with friends without leaving Facebook. Their focus wasn’t on shouting deals but on making transactions easy and social — the result was higher conversion and massive brand exposure.

Trust Before Transaction

Today’s consumers can sniff out insincerity. Discounts and coupons help, but genuine trust helps more. Kerpen warns that a 5% coupon doesn’t add value — it’s insulting. Instead, aim for tangible generosity: offer free advice, free tools, or meaningful experiences. This aligns with the “Groupon effect,” where collective buying leverages excitement and community rather than sales pressure. When people feel you’re helping them win, they’ll help you win too.

From Selling to Serving

Kerpen sums it up succinctly: “Don’t sell — just make it easy and compelling for customers to buy.” When you teach rather than pitch, assist rather than demand, and give rather than grab, you turn customers into advocates. The new bottom line is empathy. Be likeable, and profits follow naturally — because in today’s marketplace, friendliness is the most persuasive sales tactic of all.