Big Social Media Initiatives for Not-So-Big Brands – Part I
By Gabby Cox, Intern (@omgitsgabz)
As if I weren’t already addicted to the Internet, I recently bought a Droid phone and now my eyes are glued to my mobile browser during any free minute I have. For the past few weeks, I’ve been constantly perusing through my news feed, updating my Twitter more consistently, and even started an account on Foursquare (and I’m proud to announce that I’m the mayor of the café downstairs).
Even with my rejuvenated passion for online browsing, I most frequently keep in touch with the people I trust the most and am already closest with. If social media, at least in my case, is mainly utilized to strengthen the relationships I am most comfortable with, what does this mean for brands that use social media platforms to build new relationships with consumers?
The thing is – huge brands don’t always have to worry about building new relationships, because their fans go looking for them online to friend them, follow them, like them, etc. Let’s say I’ve been a fan of Coca Cola soda my whole life. That would mean I’m in a 22-year-long relationship with the company (and we’re going strong). I’d definitely be more inclined to engage with the brand through social media over a competing company because they’ve earned my trust over the years.
Most brands don’t have the luxury of being a household name, so I should focus my question on how new and up-and-coming companies can build lasting relationships with consumers through social media.
Social media is about being in-the-moment, and it can often feel overwhelming to dive into a sea of fast-paced updates. In order to keep afloat, I’m drafting timelines for our social media summer initiatives. We’ve already executed a few ideas and I’m really enjoying the way people actively engage in the online communities we’ve created for our clients. By keeping our initiatives completely organized, we’re able to clearly see where we had successes, bringing us one step closer to figuring out the complexities of social media.
There’s still a learning curve with these relatively new platforms, and it’s a little too early for me to completely answer my own question, but I’m excited to continue exploring these online tools and to hopefully provide a more detailed conclusion in my next blog entry!
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