All fans and supporters are usually welcome in business. This tends to be an indication that you are doing something right and encourages you to keep going. How vocal your supporters are doesn’t really matter as long as you know they are on your side right? Well, in an increasingly social world where more and more people are empowered to voice their opinions, having supporters who are not willing to voice their approval can actually have a negative impact on your business.

I personally have never been one to jump into conversations or rush to show my public approval of businesses. This introverted nature has however been challenged as I began to understand the impact of adding an honest voice to support a cause, artist or company. A simple like or comment online can help a company or individual get the desired message across. Here are some of the dangers of being a silent supporter of things you care about:

1. Reduces engagement

Engagement is the way that interaction is measured. This can be a comment on a post online or a “like” on Facebook. Engagement in real world situations could be a customer commending your service or leaving a suggestion in the suggestion box. Obviously engagement can be positive or negative but even negative interactions give you a chance to make an impression on a potential customer based on your response. People are attracted to activity  and engagement shows that you have an active audience interested in your business, activity or cause.

2. Reduces reach

Silent supporters don’t really help brands and companies to build a buzz. Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful marketing tools and people trust the opinions of fellow customers more than business owners and marketers. Would you be more willing to try a restaurant advertised as “the best” or recommended to you by a friend as “awesome”? The more people sharing your message the more people it can reach. Even the recommendation of a complete stranger may trump a marketing message.

3. Does not encourage continuity

Without acknowledgement of what is being done right and what needs to be changed the business owner has little guidance as to what adjustments should be made to the business for it to be successful. Encouragement is also essential for the difficult times when business owners may be in doubt or thinking of quitting. Imagine the business owner with 3 vocal detractors and 10 silent supporters. Though the supporters are in the majority the detractors are making the most noise and therefore having the greater impact. This can be very discouraging and challenge the conviction of the business owner, budding artist or entrepreneur.

While all supporters are important whether they are silent or not, vocal supporters tend   to make a bigger impact on a business (with the exception of silent investors of course). It is therefore beneficial to encourage your fans and supporters to express themselves freely. Both negative and positive feedback are useful, but supporters who choose to be silent should not be discriminated against either. It is okay, however, to encourage interaction and even use incentives as a promotional tool. If you are a silent supporter of nathvibe feel free to break your silence in the comments below.