Why Best Buy Uses Social Media
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post (below), Best Buy CMO Barry Judge offers some of the more compelling reasons why an organization would choose to use social media.
Our Key Takeaways:
“Transparency is one of the most powerful societal trends that is coming our way.”
“The brands that figure this out. The brands that are on this. I think are the brands that will succeed in the future.”
To Be or Not To Be (on Social Media)
Don't Overthink This One
Amidst the enormous amount of hype surrounding facebook and twitter, many organizations still wonder whether using social media makes sense for their goals. We get it. From the most practical perspectives, social media might seem more like a distraction than an aide. The fact is, if you want your business, non-profit, alumni-base, etc. to grow in the future, you need to embrace social media now while it still is mainly twitter and facebook.
Yesterday, The New York Times ran an article examining the tentative steps many small businesses are taking toward social media marketing. It reported that approximately 260,000 small businesses are already on social media and 51 percent believe they acquired or retained customers as a result of their social media outreach. What will happen to the other small businesses who aren’t adopting social media into their marketing strategies? Rob King, VP of Strategic Marketing at Sage North America puts it bluntly: “I hate to say it, but if they don’t, they’ll get left in the dust.”
Rob might be overstating the situation. Does the nail salon down the street really need to be on social media? Maybe. Given the fact that it’s free and quickly becoming a dominant source of information, I think a better question is why shouldn’t your organization use it? That’s a much more challenging one to answer. Feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Sincerely, SocialHerder
Posted by Will in Community Management Values, Rules of Engagement on May 18th, 2009
Your Customers Know the Difference
An increasing number of companies rightfully see social media and online communities as an opportunity to grow their brand, name and bottom-line. The question is, “how?” and the answer is surprisingly simple:
Listen, engage and (please) be sincere.
Companies that listen to, engage and show a sincere desire to connect grab headlines. It’s not rocket science. It’s how we hope people socially interact with us throughout the day, whether we’re in line at the grocery store or online checking status updates.
The beauty of social media and online communities is that they give companies the unique chance to listen, engage and provide a sincere voice to the world every second of the day. It’s an amazing opportunity. Whereas Coca-Cola always had a brand, they now have a potential voice in the conversation. Coca-Cola, Comcast or Southwest can all talk with their customers and they all have a chance to leave those customers feeling good about their company. Does anyone doubt that Zappos is a stronger company due to the wildly engaging, witty and sincere voice their CEO, Tony Hsieh, gives them on Twitter?
For those companies trying to navigate the confusing world of “social media strategy,” we at SocialHerder would argue that the easiest part is knowing how to do it. The challenge comes in finding the right people with the skills to listen, engage and (yes) be sincere.
A Welcome Surprise
SocialHerder received an email this afternoon from someone we’ve never met in person, but connected with several months ago over threaded comments at change.org. At the time, we exchanged brief, but interested conversation. Having learned about SocialHerder, they came out of the woodwork today and offered to connect us with a potential client looking for online community management. That’s a lucky break for a lot of companies. For us, it’s an important reminder that each person you meet – online or offline – is a substantive opportunity to connect, learn and grow. That understanding is a basic tenant for any online community manager.
In the busy world of online communities it can be a challenge to stop, listen and make a genuine connection. Do it every chance you get. Your community will strengthen and you never know when one of your members will pop up, surprise and connect you.
SocialHerder Emerges
In our offices here at SocialHerder there’s a quote on the wall that reads, “You can always tell how smart a person is by their willingness to ask questions.” We live by that philosophy, so when we started SocialHerder – a company focused on providing high-impact online community management – we started with questions: Why does SocialHerder exist? To put it another way, does the world need SocialHerder? In short, yes – and so does your organization.
In 2007, William Azaroff (head of Web Engagement & Banking at Canada’s largest credit union, Vancity) described for NetBanker.com the importance of hiring a community manager for social media projects. Azaroff dispelled the myth that an organization’s marketing department can activate various social media channels and then sit back and reap the rewards. Instead, he explains that, “If you’re going to invite the public to play, make sure you have someone who can help create the kind of community you want.” He goes on to emphasize that, “Whether or not hard dollars are spent launching a social media project, someone needs to manage the initiative and ensure that it achieves its goals.” We couldn’t agree more.
SocialHerder exists to provide organizations of any shape and size the ability to capitalize on opportunities that social media tools can offer. With backgrounds, experiences and skills in an array of industries, we’re here to help you make the most out of your initiatives and achieve your goals. In the coming days, weeks, months, and years, we plan to do just that. Think we can help you? Just shoot us an email and ask.
Lindsay, My Love
Posted by Will in Uncategorized on June 26th, 2004
If you’re finding this it is clear that you are a social media maven of the rarest form. You are so loved and appreciated. Always, Will
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