 For Retailers Only - January 2010  |
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On Board With Social Media Proving to be more than just a fad, companies are using social media networks as a marketing tool As a breakout year for social media companies, in 2009 Facebook and Twitter have caught on not only for personal use, but also for business purposes. The Global Language Monitor, a Texas based group that tracks and studies linguistics trends, found “Twitter” was the top word in the English language for 2009. Consumers are looking to these sites for news and information more than ever. The greatest benefit from these sites for business is being where people are looking. Social media outlets have become dominant business channels and make it easy to build your store brand by sharing details about special promotions and events. According to research by Nielsen, the fastest growing Internet audience is the 35-49-year-old age group, which corresponds with the same age group as many retailers’ primary customers. Getting Started Steve Halsey, vice-president at Gibbs & Soell Public Relations, stresses the importance of having a clear strategy before getting started with social media and making sure your company is able to create the appropriate online personality. Three questions he believes you should ask yourself beforehand are: Where do I find potential customers? What information am I willing to share? How committed am I? The answers will determine what social media venue will work best for your company. If you are extremely committed, Halsey suggests Twitter and posting several times a day. If you are looking to connect with business professionals, give LinkedIn a spin. If you want to build a fan base and have the time to post three times a week, Facebook might be the right fit. “The overall communications strategy,” Halsey believes, “should drive the appropriate integration of digital media into your programs—not the other way around.” Get Customers Involved Trisha Schultz, director of marketing at The Chicago Market, has been actively engaging with social media for almost a year and has found success in reaching a younger audience and smaller boutiques. She says, “Social networking is new to the gift market, but it can be an industry tool. We can let them know that we are there for them in a more personal, less businesslike way.” Schultz has found Twitter to be easy and effective. With 1,700 followers currently it is easy to post relevant market information that will reach attendees and exhibitors in a timely manner. During market, The Chicago Market will actively tweet about show specials and market events and during the downtime someone in the marketing department will try and tweet at least three to five times a day. But, Twitter isn’t all about business. Schultz is adamant about being less promotional and more of a friend to her Twitter followers. During this January’s Living and Giving show, The Chicago Market and Twitter will team up for a giveaway. Whoever tweets the most about the show will win either a video Flip or a TV. The Chicago Market will have conveniently placed computers throughout the building to allow for easy access to Twitter. 7W has learned from The Chicago Market’s success and started its Facebook and Twitter pages in July of 2008. With more than 100 Facebook friends, 7W hopes to double that by the end of 2010, as well as doubling its 300 Twitter followers. While they are finding it hard to gauge if they are getting a return on their investment (the staff hours they put into it), they are still confident that social media is a great way for them to distinguish themselves from others. Hidden Costs Though it’s free to use Twitter and Facebook, there are hidden costs that companies must think about before starting their own Facebook page or Twitter—both of these media take staff time and energy to set up and sustain. Someone on your team must be committed to posting and creating a social media strategy that works for your company. Resources
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