Social media can be a powerful tool for engagement. It can also feel like a total waste of time if you’re using it the wrong way. Let’s take a look at three companies who are rocking social media to see what you could be doing differently so that you can begin to speak your customers’ language.
GoPro
Mountable, action camera makers GoPro are a prime example of social media engagement done well. They’re in the right places, sharing the right things with the right people. They excel by staying in tune to the type of content that works best on each platform.
GoPro Social Media Manager Andrew Shipp explains that he sees Facebook as the right place for video sharing, while photos perform better on other platforms. GoPro uses Instagram and YouTube to share powerful visuals. They use Twitter and Facebook to amplify their reach while interacting directly with customers.
They even run an enviable Pinterest account packed with tutorials, accessories, GoPro video, and user hacks.
Sharing videos shot by customers is a powerful engagement tool for GoPro. Potential customers get to see real video shot with the cameras by regular people.
GoPro users get a bump in viewers of their video from the sharing power. And GoPro gets to advertise product capability in a more natural way than paid advertisements.
Starbucks
Stunning images, fun campaigns, and dedication to communication are the three ingredients that make Starbucks’ social media win. The brand boasts 7.23 million Twitter followers, more than 38 million Facebook likes, 3.7 million Instagram fans, and a strong presence on Pinterest and YouTube, too, proving that it’s possible to speak your customers’ language.
Across nearly all of those channels, Starbucks spends most of its time engaging directly with followers rather than creating new content or posting ads. New content includes wildly popular, gorgeous photographs of coffee and other store products.
Starbucks’ most recent campaign was essentially a date for delicious treats. The campaign was a combined effort with Match.com, which encouraged users to go to Starbucks on their first date. Couples could show up at Starbucks between 2 p.m. and closing the day before Valentine’s Day, February 13, to enjoy special #starbucksdate food and drink pairings for two.
Target
With half a million Instagram fans, 1.57 million Twitter followers, and 23.7 million Facebook likes, Target is just as popular on social media as you would expect from a mega retailer.
However, they’re one example where numbers aren’t really the important part. Even though the sheer number of followers would seem prohibitive to engagement, Target manages to talk directly to customers through its social media accounts, responding to 99 percent of comments within one day. Again, this is the power of learning to speak your customers’ language.
In order to manage all those customer interactions, they maintain several accounts across social media platforms that address specific customer interests. “Target Style” has more than 3 million Facebook likes and 164,000 Twitter followers. Those accounts focus on sharing new lines and fashionable products in the store, including sneak peeks of new products just for fans.
Your Business
How can small and medium-sized businesses replicate this kind of social media success without spending too much precious time managing it?
First, know your audience and where they are. It will help to implement a customer relationship management (CRM) with custom fields and filters to pull all your contacts’ social media profiles attached to their email addresses into customer records. Once you know which platforms most of your customers prefer, you’ll know where to focus your efforts.
When you start engaging, measure the engagement of your posts to learn what your customers like seeing. The three brands above all pay particular attention to customers by replying directly to them and sharing their posts.
Don’t be shy about sharing the great content your customers create and avoid spamming them with advertising.
Do give your followers fun perks, like Target’s sneak peeks, and respond to customers as quickly and respectfully as possible.
The most important takeaway from GoPro, Starbucks, and Target is to treat your customers like the valuable people they are in all social media interactions. Your campaigns should never feel like you’re yelling into a crowded room. Be genuine with your customers, learn to speak your customers’ language — and they’ll happily share their love for your brand.
Image: GoPro
Thank you. A very helpful and timely post.