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Welcome friends! Lovely to have you here. So where exactly is "here"? And what on earth is a ThinkerBelle? "Here" is a blog space on all things that interest this little strategist, namely design, social media and technology. I like to think that "ThinkerBelle" (my strategist persona) lives at the intersection of these three domains. I hope you enjoy this space, please comment and don't be a stranger. I appreciate you being here. Follow me in the tweetverse if you like @thaz7.
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Get Social.
Reading through the latest article from Fast Company on winning social media strategies (Best Promotion of Social Media Strategy) and while no real surprise seeing Nike in the top three (I’ve talked about the awesome NikeWomen campaign before…), but the other two: non-profit the Humane Society and taking top honors, Whole Foods, were more than a little surprising.
Why? Because of their unwavering simplicity. There isn’t need for glitzy images and gimmick laden promotions. It’s taking basic consumer needs, give them a fair voice, let them speak how they please, have a great product/service and you’re on your way to a “social media strategy”.
OK. Agreed-that’s overly simplistic. If it was that easy, I wouldn’t have a job either. But fundamentally, there needs to be a few basics to “live effectively” in the social space as a brand.
1) Have a voice. It doesn’t necessarily have to be funny or quirky to be noticed. But you must have a well-defined point of view. It can (and should) develop and evolve over time.
2) Have interesting things to say. This should go without saying, but some of the biggest companies (who shall remain nameless for this exercise) are shockingly uninteresting.
3) Be prepared to listen. If someone says something bad about you, fight the knee-jerk reflex to run and erase the comment. It’s a fabulous opportunity for you as a brand to step up. You can’t put yourself out there only hoping to hear the good. Sorry, but this is the hard part about the “two-way conversation”. The bright side? Consider this real-time focus groups running 24/7 at little to no cost to you. Rejoice.
4) Use social media as a real tool. It’s not just a box to check off when presenting a marketing plan; it has legs that no other “medium” to date has possessed. If you do it right, there is such outstanding potential to grow more than just consumers, but a whole sphere of truly engaged loyalists. Yes, I said those two favorite words advertising friends. Take heed.
