Starbucks has moved to the top of the “most popular brand” position ahead of Coca-Cola on Facebook – 3.8 million fans total. Brandweek recently did a great interview with Starbucks’ digital strategy director outlining how they gained their success and how they are using the information they receive to build a brand following. Taking from this and applying to your own brand is (of course) more difficult – but I think there are some real key items to take away from Starbucks’ success.
1) Not Limited to Just Facebook
While Facebook has proved to be a great tool for Starbucks, their social media strategy doesn’t end there. They have a blog that incorporates ideas from customers, encourages voting, and actually shows how they are listening and changing the way they do things. Social marketing is only as effective if you actually take the time to listen to what your customers are saying. Pushing out a message and doing it because it’s the next big thing doesn’t cut it. Listen. Engage with your customers. Change you way of thinking.
2) Meaningful Content is Key
It’s been said over and over but meaningful content is key with social marketing. Don’t just tell your consumers things because it’s scheduled and it makes you look like you’re engaging – give them key tips and information they can actually use. Promoting yourself constantly will not only make them weary, but might even be more hurtful than helpful. Use your blog to share news with your customers, use Facebook to offer deals and promotions, use Twitter for customer service or to answer questions. Social marketing is making your brand accessible to the public – it should make your customers feel as if they have a voice and that you, as the company, are listening.
3) Twitter is a Great Q&A Tool
We all know and are aware of the Twitter explosion that happened this year. From my personal point of view, the best use of Twitter for companies is customer service. I’m a consumer and I have a question – instead of trying to search through billions of FAQs on a corporate site, wouldn’t it be great to type my question in 140 characters and receive an answer back? Let’s be honest – there are always going to be complainers in the world of customer service. Why not show them you’re listening and take an active approach to converting complainers into customers? Best Buy has a great example of this. It’s innovative, direct, and to its core is the best use of social “marketing” on Twitter.
4) Address the Public Perception
There is a vast public perception about every brand you can think of. While some companies don’t necessarily like to address the public perception, I think it’s a good talking point in your social media efforts. For example, public perception of Starbucks is that their coffee is way too expensive and they don’t give their coffee farmers enough compensation per cup. What does Starbucks do to change this way of thinking? They use social media platforms to share their story about AIDS research in their coffee origin locations and post tips and tricks on how to save a buck at your local store. Addressing the public perception shows consumers first, you know what it is and second, you acknowledge and listen to what they have to say and may even do something about it.
