Topic: Engaging Customers and Prosumers
The first article in this week is called Tweet Me, Friend Me, Make Me Buy. From the article we know that understand and engage in today’s business environment is the key to the success for corporations. In the new channels, sales represent don’t need to start the conversation, but let everyone participate in the conversation and try to build harmony relationship with users. Additionally, social media marketing is an innovation way to do marketing. Nevertheless, policies and regulations are still loose and problems could not be controlled. Therefore, policies and laws should be soon to be established, in order to minimize the privacy risks and avoid cutthroat competitions.
The second article talks about twitter channels. It talks about both advantages and disadvantages of tweet channels. However, in my opinion, new online platforms have more advantages than disadvantages. They do help companies improve their services. Especially in Twitter and Facebook pages, users could get closer to the companies. And consumers could express their opinions and questions to companies directly and rapidly. On another hand, companies can respond to users quickly when users meet problems on their products or services. Comparing to old ways, telephone call and email always waste time and money. What’s more, massive online promotions are the easiest way to establish brand image, which helps consumers to increase brand awareness.
From the related articles, there have ideas on how to solve the negative comments on social media. First, listen to your customers patiently and attentively is important. Second, companies should ask customers plenty of open questions in order to clearly understand their problems. And employs should learn skills on how to ask questions appropriately. Third, to be an open-mind attitude to your customers is necessary. Sometimes their questions are harsh. Conversely, it’s a chance for you to improve your products. Fourth, to be honest and to be a person is a good way to be success. Customers would be trust you more, if you treat them like friends instead of strangers. Last but not least, commit yourself is the key on how to start a good conversation. Assure your customers that his or her input will be used, and enhancing customers’ loyalty. To sum up, social media helps company to achieve mission and objectives, while at the same time, companies should be careful to deal with these strategies.
Reference
Barry, C., Markey, R., Almquist, E. and Brahm, C. (2011). Putting social media to work. A white paper, Bain & Co.
Giamanco, B., and Gregoire, K. 2012. Tweet me, friend me, make me buy. Harvard Business Review.
Li, T., Berens, G., and de Maertelaere, M. 2014. Corporate Twitter channels: The impact of engagement and informedness on corporate reputation . International Journal of Electronic Commerce, forthcoming.
Li, T. and Soonius, G. 2012. Is your social media strategy effective? An empirical study of the factors influencing the success of Facebook campaigns. Proceedings of the Workshop on Electronic Business, Orlando, FL, December.
