Guest Post by Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Labs and Author of The Facebook Era.
Three Ways to Extend Your Marketing with Facebook and Twitter
Social networking sites are helping people connect on a massive scale, which changes not only how people interact with each other but how they interact with your brand. And that means marketing opportunities for you.
Companies need to be where customers are and communicate through the channels they like — and increasingly they’re on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Here are a few ideas from real companies who are successfully engaging with audiences on social networking sites.
1. Connect and listen.
Social network profiles and Twitter handles provide an ideal medium for persona marketing. Whether it’s Frank from Comcast tweeting a mix of personal anecdotes and solutions to customer issues, Jack Box inviting poems from his 130,000 friends on MySpace, or the Travelocity Roaming Gnome on Facebook, putting a human (or made-up character) face can help corporations seem more approachable. The occasional customer complaint is a normal part of doing business – that said, it’s a lot harder for a frustrated customer to feel hatred for a person or persona than for a faceless company.
Where there is customer frustration, companies like Comcast and Jack in the Box are discovering that other customers are stepping up to defend the brand and products – which is far more credible than if the company were to respond in its own defense. Connecting with customers on public forums like Twitter and Facebook can help companies tap into a community of experts for free customer support, product ideas, and testimonials while building loyalty.
Example: The Travelocity Roaming Gnome’s Facebook community has thousands of loyal fans who share travel photos, discuss different holiday destinations, and leave messages for the gnome.
2. Reach and empower.
Companies like Dell and Zappos are expanding their traditional audience base with Twitter and Facebook business profiles, which they update daily with product news, special offers, and responses to comments from the community. The ability to easily create separate Twitter handles or Facebook profile pages allows these companies to create targeted experiences for their different product lines and audience segments.
By following the companies on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook, individuals are able to choose the products for which they are interested in receiving information and offers. When that interest wears off (say, they are no longer in the market for a Dell laptop because they purchased one), they can just as easily “unfan” or “unfollow.” By giving customers greater control over communications from the company, the company’s messages are more likely to actually be heard and appreciated, building customer loyalty and trust.
Example: Dell has found an eager audience on Twitter for its line of refurbished computers and electronics. The @DellOutlet Twitter handle has over 800,000 followers who have collectively helped move millions of dollars of merchandise from the company.
3. Promote and get them talking! Almost by design, social networking sites facilitate word of mouth. Of course, connecting with customers and reaching new audiences won’t matter unless you have something interesting and valuable to say. Ultimately, you’ll want to convince them to buy your product and tell their friends.
Entertaining content, such as a funny video or quirky persona (check out the Nesquik bunny’s musings on happiness), is one way. The other way is special offers. Starbucks recently launched a Facebook application which allows users to claim free coupons for the new Starbucks Ice Cream for themselves or for friends. When you offer a good deal, it’s a good bet that people will tell their friends, especially if it’s easy to tweet out or share on Facebook – which gives marketers more bang for their buck.
Example: Starbucks has a new promotion on Facebook to get the word out about and give away 20,000 coupons for its new ice cream. Facebook users who are able to claim one of the coupons can choose to redeem it themselves or share with a friend.
Facebook and Twitter can be a powerful complement to traditional online marketing like search advertising and email campaigns. More than anything, be prepared to be surprised, learn, and iterate. It’s like the early days of the Internet. No one has the new possibilities around social media completely figured out quite yet, and there is no “one size fits all” approach. Good luck, and see you on Facebook and Twitter!
Learn more
To learn more about growing your business on social networking sites, check out Clara’s new book, The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff which has been featured twice in the New York Times and is being used as a textbook at Harvard Business School. Follow Clara on Twitter @clarashih!
