Week 4

The main message of the Webcast is social media is important and possible. By working with the six key objectives marketers can use social media without becoming too overwhelmed. These six objectives are; building brand awareness, making customer service personal, event marketing, product launching, building sales pipeline, and community activism.

                Some major take-a-ways from the presentation; business to business can be effective, the value of making customer service “personal” and, the many benefits of promoting a new product in a social environment.

                Business to Business social media is very effective when the businesses are able to position themselves as leaders in social content, showing themselves as experts in their specific field. One way to establish this position is through posting links on FaceBook of white papers for material or found specifications.

                Another way to make customer service personal using social media is by having the ability to provide immediate and helpful solutions to clients and prospective clients needs or problems. While providing this immediate service it will also provide leads to new customers and develop personal relationships. 

                Social media is also a great place to promote events. By promoting the events through social media it can create buzz by engaging audience participation. Companies can also set-up reminders and notification through social media thus ensuring a better opportunity for community participation. By sharing content on the event through social media gives consumers a place to go for questions and answers.

                The Spredfast webinar provided Toms shoes as an example of how the use of social media can position a company. Toms was established as a company with a cause by matching each pair of shoes sold to a pair given away to child who is in need.   On www.toms.com you find links for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube and their Blog. Each link shows consumers how their purchase will affect someone they will never meet, essentially creating a way for the consumer to develop a personal connection with the company. Customers may not totally be in love with the actual designs of Toms shoes, but they are in love with the idea of how Toms shoes are attempting to help those in need.

                Here is a video that is one example of how Toms has really utilized social media tools to meet their company’s goals. (http://youtu.be/aKhV9kpGM-k)

                Here is screen shot from Toms website that is another example of how they are utilizing social media to help the world and create social activism.

                There is no argument that social media is the fastest way to involve, find, and maintain loyal customers. It has become clear that to become an industry leader a company must move into the new way of thinking. The question of “how?” is still what is on everyone’s mind. The key is to get involved and fast because whether the company likes it or not they are being talked about somewhere on a social media website and they can either let it happen or make it happen the choice is up to them.

Team- Yuck Fu II