The Body Shop and Social Media

looking under the skin

Some thoughts & ideas from a communicator By Charlotte Grahn

Communication is like skin care... superficial treatment will not provide long-term results.

Perfect skin comes from the inside.

Communication in Social Media should not only be skin deep:

It all starts with a skin analysis ‒ The Body Shop Sverige right now

Twitter account – 152 followers

•  Used for product information and tips, and causes

•  Information on upcoming offers and special events is great but perhaps joining in and engaging in more conversations could leverage the Twitter efforts and provide more reasons for followers and other consumers to engage with the brand online.

Facebook page – over 1600 likes

•  Also used for information on products, special offers and causes

•  The postings by The Body Shop Sverige start conversations between members of the community but it could be rewarding for the brand to listen more actively and take part in the conversations. Brand ambassadors can be rewarded and empowered by being seen by and having an active conversation with the brand.

Figures as at 26th of September 2010

Better skin through various efforts:

•  Opening a two-way dialogue on Twitter & Facebook

•  Challenging & motivating consumers to get involved in causes

•  Finding and empowering brand advocates

•  Using the community to identify business opportunities, ideas & customer insights

Planning the skin treatment: Facebook & Twitter reach different audiences:

•  Facebook has higher reach and is extremely visible (more space)

•  The Twitter audience is niche & their interactions with brands are often more direct & responsive

•  Consumers will follow a brand on either platform dependent on what they expect from the brand or what they want out of it

Therefore each platform should be used in different ways, to be relevant to the audiences & interaction ’rules’ in each community.

One product cannot do it all ‒ but together they make up the daily routine

All platforms contribute to awareness of the brand website and the brand’s SEO.

The different media provide platforms for dynamic interactions & communications in environments relevant to the consumers.

WebsiteSEO

Facebook

Twi2er

Blogs

Gowalla/Foursquare

THE routine involves consideration of some key principles:

Tell, don’t sell It’s about building relationships with customers – for instance

through storytelling around the brand, products and causes

Create value Provide a reason to engage, follow on Facebook or Twitter or to read

blogposts

Listen actively Show that you care, not only about direct comments but about

related issues eg. sensitive skin, human rights

Empower brand advocates Seek out advocates and give them additional value – create loyalty

SO WHO DOES THIS SKIN BELONG TO?

Females looking for high-quality natural products who care about the environment and animal testing and are interested in social justice.

How do they use social media? Facebook is without a doubt the most important platform, but Twitter and various blogs can also be important. They use Facebook to stay in contact and share information with friends but also to find out about the latest news and products relevant to them. ”Liking” a brand on Facebook is a way of making a statement about themselves but they also follow brands to get exclusive information on products or offers, and to actively engage with the brand.

Twitter is used to connect with a wider range of people, usually around a shared interest or to get feedback or tips around brands and brand experiences. People also follow brands to get sneak previews, to actively engage with it with feedback, tips and ideas, to get information on special offers, or just to display loyalty to the brand.

Once our skin treatment is applied, we can add some touches of make-up, like these tactical ideas:

Create foot-traffic drivers for on the go consumers with offers & information in location based services such as Foursquare/Gowalla or the upcoming Facebook Places

Add ’Like’ buttons for products, not just for the site, for consumers to be able to point out their favourite products.

Creating Twibbons & Badges for consumers to show their support for causes in their social networks.

Developing embedded widgets for bloggers to link to Bodyshop causes within their sites, increasing awareness in non-intrusive ways.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

Please feel free to contact me here on LinkedIn, via e-mail at charlottegrahn@hotmail.com

over the phone on 070-5977566 or on Twitter @lottisg

I would love to chat with you over a coffee or lunch one day and discuss any

opportunities you may have for a driven & proactive communicator.

PictureCredits:h2p://www.flickr.com/photos/jordandavidsmall