Loading ...Social media has had a tremendous impact on traditional business standards. We are now even seeing retailers embrace social media trends. But as Vib Prasad of 1-800-Flowers tells WPN, there are several factors retailers must consider as they embark on social media efforts.
He says, “The key really is to integrate social media into your overall marketing campaigns.”
Retailers need to connect with their customers, listen to what they are talking about, and strive to meet their needs. Prasad explains how 1-800-Flowers integrated social media into their Mother’s Day campaigns and created all sorts of buzz through Facebook, Twitter, and mommy bloggers.
As retailers connect with their audience, they must remember to speak with a “conversational voice” and not a “corporate voice.” Consumers control the purchase process now and expect the merchants to come down to their level.
It’s a really good help for me. I am running a site for Online Shopping in UK, Europe with Price Comparison, Reviews and Ratings of products.
***I GIVE THIS VIDEO and ARTICLE 5 STARS!***
Consumers are very intelligent about how to spot an
advertisement from a mile away. It is more important
TODAY than ever before for businesses to NOT sound like
an advertisement in their marketing.
Consumers will respond more to marketing and advertising when
businesses can engage themselves in conversation with their
consumers by providing content for their consumers to read
that is written to inform, educate, problem solve,
and empower their consumers.
This approach places marketing at a more personal level
with consumers by bridging the gap between businesses and
consumers with a more peronal approach.
Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and blogs are 4 exceptional
places where businesses can reach their consumers by using
a more personal approach which can reap great rewards!
Thank you so much for posting this. =)
Sincerely yours,
Tonya
“I am a Certified eBay Stores
and Website Designer specializing
in Custom Designs and Social Media Marketing.”
Our website is based on Sustainable sewage treatment in the UK. It is a very niche market and Twitter etc. does not work for such businesses.
All businesses that strive to be active members of their community have always met with more success than those who don’t. “Putting a human face” on your business by being responsive to your clientele – in whatever media you choose to participate in – makes all the difference in the world.
The exciting part is that the internet is redefining the concept of “community,” with countless new online “communities” (social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc) popping up all the time.
By first researching, and then developing a positive presence in those online communities, you begin to create the bonds of trust that must be established long before asking anyone to reach for their wallet.
As to the commenter from the sewage treatment company in the UK: Yours is a very atypical circumstance in that your type of business probably requires very focused marketing (if marketing is involved in your business at all).
Which social media sites to participate in depends to a large extent on who you’re trying to market to – who is most likely to want what you have to offer. That will require a little research, such as joining a social network and “lurking” (reading information, viewing videos & profiles) for a while to get a “feel” for the community. Browse the forums and read profile comments of a good number of other members. Often you’ll recognize a common theme somewhere in the process.
And in the case of social networks, try to be selective about your “friend requests,” limiting the number of requests you make to just two or three per day – and then ONLY to people who you believe would have an interest in your offerings. Cultivate positive relationships with those people (which may take some time), and you’ll begin to build “top of mind presence” with them when they DO have a need or desire for what you offer.
And then there are the benefits of having a presence on multiple social media sites for the purposes of increasing the ranking of your business website in the search engines (through cross-linking).
The marketplace is gravitating back to demanding more personalized service. Most retailers don’t really understand the dynamics of the internet, or how to PROPERLY exploit current online trends, and many fall victim to (well-meaning) webmasters who may have excellent technical skills when it comes to the internet, but don’t know squat about your business or marketing in general!
I want to clarify that I don’t consider Tonya as one of those “well-meaning” webmasters I slighted in my comment. She obviously DOES understand the dynamics involved, as is witnessed by HER comment. (BRAVO!)
Good article but there is so more much to learn about this that its hard to keep up. http://bit.ly/learning-software <<<< This site helped me a lot – Great info .. Its almost like going to school.