Solution: look at brands which have used social media to engage with consumers and find inspiration in the potential of the future.

Challenge: you’re not sure how to leverage social media to benefit your business.

Opportunity: your company/ brand could be engaging with potential customers right now!

Bridging the Social Media Divide

S. Trunnell

Connect. Collaborate. Innovate. Starbuck’s provides a space for people build relationships with each other and the brand—a space to share ideas and engage in learning experiences.

Lesson from Starbuck’s: the customer experience is happening outside the store on topics other than coffee. Engage with individuals and their interests.

Dell’s approach to social media falls into what the Harvard Business Review coins the “predictive practitioner” in its July-August 2011 issue. This strategy is the most

conservative type according to the authors, which named four based on the risk involved and reaction sought. When Dell’s products were creating a brand image

disaster, a social media strategy emerged to manage customer unrest. @DellCares listens and responds to complaints on Twitter and reacts with a Tweet that usually

apologizes and provides the steps to a forthcoming solution. By addressing problems in real time, Dell improves their credibility and brand equity. So, what the customer hears from Dell is “I get you” and “I can help.” When executed properly, social media

may become your best retention tool.

Lesson from Dell: commit to solving problems and improving brand experiences using social media.

Disaster Control

brought to you by real-time

communication

Tangible, real life rewards for fans on Facebook. Immeasurable buzz.

Best practice: Benefit from

your knowledge of human behavior

Lesson from IKEA: use an existing SNS function and create a unique experience (in this case, gamification).

If live events are inherently social, why not create a check-out experience that focuses on the fun of gathering with friends, thus improving the transaction? Like we’ve seen in

other examples, tagging friends is an ever popular online activity—why not leverage that behavior to encourage more sales volume and a happier sales experience? By granting concert goers and their friends control over where they sit, ENGAGEMENT

starts at the ticket buying experience rather than the show. Ticketmaster has distinguished itself from the competition by tapping into human behavior, and is likely

to see new and returning customers as a result.

Best Practice: Using Social

Media to Create a Better Transaction for

Customers

Lesson from Ticketmaster: when dealing with humans, you must act like a human. Integrate into people’s lives in a way that shows caring.

Lesson from Gatorade: listening to online conversations and learning from user generated content will yield insights necessary for communication and innovation.

To engage is to participate. Best practice: Listen to what

people are saying about your brand.

Lessons from Brands participating in Social Media Engagement

Listen to Conversation/

Know Thy People

Exercise Transparency

Sharing is Caring: Fix Problems,

Improve Lives, Build

Relationships

Provide a Communal Space for People to

Gather and Connect

Define Your Objectives/K

now Thy Purpose/Hav

e a Plan

Create your rules—a

strategy to keep your approach consistent

Social Media: Rules of Engagement

Listening will always be your first step in communicating online. Search your brand on Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube, etc. What are people saying? Get to know

who you’re talking to and take time to dig below the surface. Listening doesn’t only improve communication in real life (and it may aid innovation).

Transparency means showing compassion. Openness and honesty is rewarded and expected on social media networking sites. Attach a name to a Tweet like Dell or

share pictures of your baristas at work. You’ll get what you give.

Remaining relevant in an always-on-the-go, information-inundation culture isn’t easy. Your best bet is to customize solutions to individuals and make a

commitment to constantly improving and innovating. Don’t forget to update your definition of success as you achieve milestones.

Decide which social media network(s) are the right space for what you need to achieve (i.e. Facebook for loyalty, Twitter for acquisitions or retention).

Have a plan. Ask yourself what you want to get from engaging online. Whether it’s awareness, customer service, sales, SEO, define what success looks like and then

decide how you will get there.

Maintain a consistent strategy and tone. Update. Improve. Evaluate. Repeat.

So what’s the story?

Now that we all can SEE each other, we actually give a damn!

Alone. Selfish. Me. Competitive. Narrow.

Fastest. Best. Always On. Always On the Go.

Fewer pauses.Less fulfillment.

More actions.Fewer connections.

Connecting. Sharing. Trusting. Learning.

Access. Democracy. Community. Curiosity.

Collaboration. User generated content.

Localism. Benevolence. Peace of mind.

Social MediaCultur

al

Phenomeno

n

Befo

reAfter

Participating brands

ONLINE BEHAVIOR IMITATES

REAL LIFE BEHAVIORYour challenge is to behave

humanely

The Social Media Landscape: 2011

Real Life Behavior Social Media Behavior

Making friends Friending, Following, Connecting

Sharing thoughts, feelings, ideas, experiences

Posting status updates, links, photos, tagging

Talking, listening, asking, laughing, debating, loving

Reviewing products/services; joining common interest communities, forums, groups

Competing, challenging, learning, teamwork

Gaming; group buying; collaboration; crowdsourcing

Gifting, donating, volunteering, advocating

Tweet/Like to donate or join movement

Forming tribes Forming tribes