Again, he points to Dell and other names, such as Starbucks, which actively solicits product suggestions from customers. Among US pension funds, he points to BestBuy which has 12,500 followers on its Twitter education service, which discusses 401(k) retirement plans. For funds that are baffled as to how to venture into the social media maelstrom, Pride has a few suggestions. First, start small and decide on your aims. Is the purpose of your presence to engage members, to educate them, to smooth investor relations or provide customer support? Or is it something else? Be prepared for the slow burn. It may take six to 18 months to pay dividends and there are no short-cuts. Abandoned sites are like unanswered phones – if you don’t pick up the phone, people become very unhappy. Second, listen. Superannuation is being mentioned every six minutes on Twitter. Third, build. And remember that you can afford to experiment if you engage followers effectively. Fourth, engage. It’s not a public relations channel. It’s two-way, and you have to earn the right to promote what you offer. Fifth, be authentic – develop your own voice. “You don’t have to be original,” says Pride, “but you must be authentic.” Create fans and put them first. These communities are selforganising. Sixth: monitor and adjust – most people don’t get it right the first time. Pride says: “We’re seeing the rise of true consumer sovereignty. ”