2. Social Media for Brands
Social media is online content that users can easily participate in and contribute to in order
to interact with each other in online conversations. It’s people who are the keys to social
media, and it’s people who can parlay that participation, interaction and influence into
something that can do a world of good for you and your brand. This white paper will discuss
the basics of branding using social media as well as why it’s so important and how to best
implement a social media strategy to ensure optimal customer relationship management
(CRM) success in the long run.
3 Branding 101
3 Social Media by the Numbers
5 The Evolution
6 Why Brands Use Social Media
7 Ground Rules for Brands Using Social Media
8 How to Take Advantage of Social Media
11 Where to Start
3. Branding 101
A brand has a personality, and it’s the job of marketers to share that personality through
advertising, packaging, public relations, customer service and, ideally, every conceivable
consumer touchpoint available to them. But with the rise of social media, customers
can suddenly interact on a one-on-one basis with their favorite products and services.
The impact this interaction has on the way brands are perceived by other consumers is
tremendous.
Due to this phenomenon, brands have become like people. They’re experts, peers, even
friends to consumers. And just like people, brands have adopted social media. Brands
have blogs, Facebook pages, YouTube channels and Twitter accounts. Because social
media are unlike any other marketing interaction, they must be used and treated differently.
The proper handling of your brand’s social media management should be a part of a
successful customer relationship management (CRM) strategy. The experience customers
have in their interactions with your brand can mean the difference between hearing the
cash register ring and silence.
Social Media by the Numbers
One look at the numbers will prove it: Now is the time to be a trailblazer or risk being
last to the party. It is estimated that in 2009, the total number of social network users
will be more than 85 billion. A balance and combination of different types of social media
are ideal for a rich experience for a brand’s audience.
4. Specifically, Twitter
In April of this year, it was reported that Twitter’s growth was 1,382%, but Twitter’s
actual numbers may be far less than that, considering over half its users engage only
once a month or less often. But at the same time, according to Nielsen, users’ total
minutes spent on Twitter rose by a staggering 3,712% from April 2008 to April 2009.
This means that the number of people simply counted as users is decreasing, and the
number of people actively using the sites is increasing steadily. Even though Twitter
has been seen as “trendy,” trends in technology today operate differently than trends
in design or fashion. With social media, the steeper the rise in popularity, the longer
the staying power will be. So it’s not likely that Twitter will go away just as quickly
as it came to be.
Specifically, YouTube
Every minute, 10 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube.1 That’s a striking statistic,
considering the growth potential of user-generated content in the coming years.
The more users generate, the more connected to the media they become. Once you
can grab that loyal audience, you can interact with them on an almost daily basis if
you give them a reason to become loyal to your brand. Become a trusted source of
content for your audience, and you’ve got a strong tie that could be very rewarding.
Specifically, Facebook
The time users spend on Facebook increased 699% from April 2008 to April 2009.
Although Facebook users dial up and down their participation pretty regularly, it’s
clear from its 200 million active users that the site isn’t going away anytime soon. By
now, companies are well aware of the site’s broadening popularity, and they’re using
that to their advantage. For example, if a company selling cell phone service touts the
ability for the phone to interface with Facebook, they’re telling their audience that
they understand their needs, which in turn helps Facebook grow as well.2
Specifically, LinkedIn
LinkedIn.com is a professional social networking site where usage grew by 69%
from April 2008 to April 2009. For LinkedIn, the increase in unique visits can largely
be attributed to the corresponding increase in national unemployment. LinkedIn’s
site experience is somewhat limited to networking and job searches although new
applications are being added to the site. Overall, its simplicity is appealing to a
segment of users who value credible, to-the-point interactions.
http://www.youtube.com/t/fact_sheet
1
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/facebooks-very-long-path-to-oblivion/?emc=eta1
2
5. Specifically, MySpace
According to Compete.com, MySpace’s numbers of unique visitors have flattened
and declined, while Facebook’s have more than doubled in the past year. This
decline in comparison to the other social media heavy hitters is due in most part
to the site’s current less-than-exemplary record for being home to less-than-
exemplary characters. Many of its users have jumped to Facebook, though the
site is still a place for the music industry’s new and untapped musicians and
artists to get discovered.
The Evolution
One of the most interesting phenomena about social media is how quickly the technology
changes in ways their creators never imagined. This is especially true of Twitter. Twitter,
which was created as a micro-blogging service, is evolving based largely on user-generated
demands and third-party innovations to meet those demands. This creates a unique situation
in which the connections felt by users are even stronger. For example, the @reply function
came about via user demand. According to the Twitter blog, “@replies were not originally
part of Twitter. They were embraced by the community first, and then we built them into the
system.”3 Users wanted to be able to do more than just tell people what they were eating for
dinner. They wanted to talk to each other, and thus the @reply function was born. As users
gain more and more control and connection, they feel a greater sense of ownership, which
in turn leads to loyalty.
http://blog.twitter.com/2008/05/how-replies-work-on-twitter-and-how.html
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6. Why Brands Use Social Media
Social media and its technology tend to create evangelists. These users have spheres of
influence that have the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people. The concept
isn’t new and in fact is pretty simple: Give your customer something to rave about and they
might tell a few of their friends about your brand. But employ this model on a social medial
platform like Twitter and the opportunity to spread that positive experience to thousands
or even hundreds of thousands of people is right there at their fingertips. Thus, the effort
on the part of the customer is minimal — and it quite literally pays off.
Case in point: @DellOutlet4 — New Revenue Models
In one of the first public examples of a company making actual profit from the social
networking site, Dell has reported that they attribute $3 million in sales to customers
clicking through their @DellOutlet Twitter account to one of their sales sites. Over
$1 million of those sales were in the past six months alone. Dell has about 600,000
followers and “is one of the top 100 most-followed accounts on Twitter, according
to private trackers TwitterCounter and Twitterholic.” The account @DellOutlet has
achieved this success in only six to 10 posts per week — quite a substantial return-
on-investment.
Case in point: Coca-Cola on Facebook5 — Brand Engagement
It’s not entirely surprising that a huge brand like Coke has the second-largest group
on the wildly popular social networking site Facebook. What is surprising, however,
is how it got there. A search on Facebook for fan pages named “Coke” yields 425
pages full of results, with everything from kosher Coke to Coke with bacon. But the
largest fan page, called simply “Coca-Cola,” has over 3.4 million fans and was started
by two real Coke fans named Dusty and Michael J. — another great example of how
the most popular social media inroads are often user-driven. And when that occurs,
the users’ ties to the technology and product are stronger.
“ strong brand community increases customer loyalty,
A
decreases marketing spend, authenticates brand
meaning and yields an influx of ideas to grow business.”
— Harvard Business Review
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061201160.html?wpisrc=newsletteramp;wpisrc=newsletter%22%3EDell%20link%3C/a%3E:
4
http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=135238
5
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/coca-cola?ref=s
7. Case in point: Vitamin Shoppe Social Network6 — Brand Communities
An example of an exterior, company-created social media network, the Vitamin
Shoppe site was created with social media solutions partner company Mzinga.
The site integrated its social media function, thereby performing much more than
just an everyday ecommerce function for its users. Instead, it became a social
network in and of itself, giving customers the ability to register, set up avatars,
review, share and comment on products, and more. This resulted in increased
credibility of the site, increased word-of-mouth discussion and networking among
customers, increased site traffic, a better user experience and of course, increased
online sales. They gave their audience value, which continues to keep them engaged
with the Vitamin Shoppe brand.
Ground Rules for Brands Using Social Media
The costs associated with participating in social media are relatively small and can pay off
big time, but it’s important to have the right approach to yield results.
Give and you shall receive
“ llow your consumers to help drive your approach to
A
social media. Replace one-way dialogue and false brand
control with a mixture of structure and flexibility where
both parties are rewarded from good online experiences.”
— Harvard Business Review
Users aren’t instantly going to become fans of your brand, love it and tell all their
friends without getting something in return. There needs to be a reason for them
to become a fan, join your community, chat about or rate your products, or
comment about you. If you’re using Twitter or Facebook, offer your followers or
fans a discount, or let them be first to know about the latest product launch. If
you have a blog, contests are great ways to get people to spread the word about
you. Basically, do things for your fans and you’ll make them even bigger fans.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com
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http://www.mzinga.com/en/community_customers/spotlights/newsletteramp;wpisrc=newsletter%22%3EDell%20link%3C/a%3E:
8. Be transparent, authentic and honest
The top 10–15% of users, the highly involved and experienced users on any social
media platform, will be your best influencers, but they can also be your worst enemy
if they smell a rat. In the realm of social media, a rat is an obvious push to make
money off the system. That’s why the proper and transparent use of social media
by brands is crucial.
How to Take Advantage of Social Media
There are many ways to use social media to positively affect your brand’s online presence.
But it’s the manner in which you create the perfect mix of these that will create your
strategy for success in the social media world.
“ncreasingly we are seeing companies who aren’t just
I
gently participating in user-generated content, or dipping
their toes tentatively into the social networking pool,
instead, they are investing full-throttle in a multi-faceted
social media strategy.” — Jeremy Jameson via hotelmarketing.com
9. • wareness7
A
This is the simplest reason to have a brand presence on social networking sites.
It goes all the way back to Branding 101 — social networking sites are just another
touchpoint for your customers and potential customers. They’re yet another
opportunity to reinforce or spread the reach of your brand personality, whether
you drive people there via mass or viral efforts. Your brand must be consistent
and have integrity and honesty.
• ngagement
E
It’s pretty much a guarantee these days that there already is a conversation on
social networking sites about your brand. And it’s no longer an option to ignore
it. The best-managed brands engage their customers and potential customers in
that conversation — good and bad — for the purposes of correcting perceptions,
explaining their actions, acting as public relations representatives, and just being
a brand that consumers can connect with. Those connections range from simple
interaction, to involvement, intimacy and influence. According to Forrester
Research, 42% of adults and 55% of youths want to interact with brands.
• nnovation and market research
I
Social media allow brands to have their finger on the pulse of their customers 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. A quick search engine query can deliver reasonably
telling results with little effort, a Twitter search can yield answers in real time, and
with a little more effort, you can get a grasp of your audience’s opinions using a
quick poll on a blog or on Facebook. For very little cost, you can quickly get a
feel for how your product is being received, what your customers would like to
see in the future, how they feel about your customer service or practically any
other topic. The focus group is out there; You just have to engage them.
• roduct launches and events
P
An inexpensive and quick way to generate interest in your upcoming launch or
event is to employ your brand’s social media reach. Communicating and getting
feedback can make your first launch or event great and your next go-around
even better.
• hought leadership and education
T
“ nline consumers trust the opinions of other blog reviews
O
and ratings 12–20% more than print, TV, direct mail, email
and radio advertisements.” — Harvard Business Review
Adapted from Marketing Communications in a Social Media World, a webinar by Mzinga.
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10. When you use social media to educate customers and potential customers, you
have a platform in which they can interact with your brand, ask questions and get
the specific answers they seek. They’re not just told what you think they need to
know or want to hear. And when you give them what they want and need, they’ll
appreciate it.
According to Forrester Research, social media users are divided into six categories
of involvement: Inactives, Spectators, Joiners, Collectors, Critics and Creators.
They all interact with your brand in different ways, but those in the highest-
involvement categories have the largest and strongest spheres of influence.
They are the thought leaders, and they can help your brand. They create
enhanced credibility for other users.
• ustomer service and support
C
“ hen you have a problem, your first instinct is not to call
W
the customer service because it’s going to be painful.
People are sharing their problems on Twitter before
contacting the call center.” — Alex Dayon, Senior VP, Salesforce.com
Today’s consumers expect help to be available to them whenever and wherever
they want it. They often prefer instantaneous answers to their questions as well
as support from their brands and other customers. That’s what social media
11. can bring together. Users can communicate, answer other users’ questions, write
reviews, comment, rant, rave and be sources of information regarding brands. And
that’s all before the brand itself gets involved. Add a way for the brand to get into
the into the conversation and it’s an even better source for the customers. The
brands that are paying attention and the brands with the best customer service in
the realm of social media are getting a lot of positive attention right now, and that
in and of itself is one of the best reasons to jump in and start using social media
to its fullest potential.
• commerce
E
Lastly, it’s important to make that cash register ring. While slightly more difficult
to prove, social media are generating some numbers that should not be ignored.
For one, Twitter is a proven traffic driver8, and that traffic can lead to sales if
you can sell them something once they get there. And there’s that bottom line.
Where to Start?
Once you’ve made the decision to create a social media plan, lay out your objectives and
be sure to follow through. Research what other companies are doing to satisfy goals similar
to yours and improve upon their tactics for the best results. Below are some social media
marketing tactics used by the world’s best-in-class companies, which again prove that
now is the time to be an early adopter.
Don’t wait. Join the conversation
today, and start improving the reach
and image of your brand.
!
Written by Rachel Pinn (@javelin_rach).
Other contributors: Michael Radigan (@mradigan), Rachel DeFriend (@javelin_rdef), Rondo Estrello (@javelin_rondo)
http://www.mediabistro.com/baynewser/on/techcrunch_twitter_is_a_powerful_traffic_driver_118955.asp
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