Four Different Ways to Engage the Consumer Through Social Media

On a daily basis the media is constantly buzzing with stories about the major social media networking sites, Twitter and Facebook, but they might not be the right fit for your company. Or they may only be just the beginning of your social media communications strategy. Exploring the wide variety of options can help you gain a better understanding the tools available to deliver your message. The wide variety of new social media sites can provide many opportunities to engage potential consumers in an online conversation. Examine the options closely and establish which sites might best suit your company’s needs and how they fit into your overall strategic plan. Social media, though it moves faster than tradition public relations tactics and is less controllable, still should work to achieve your overall strategic goals.

Here are four other social networking sites which Marshall Fenn recommends you consider monitoring and possibly utilizing:

Ning (http://www.ning.com/) – A platform which allows people to create their own social media networks, Ning offers a range of opportunities. Opening a public or private group about a topic such as a product or issue can lead to some interesting discussions with potential customers and current customers. While this might not work for low-price consumer items like a pencil or a widget, big-ticket items are more likely to create a dialogue potential or current customers. Here are a few examples of active networks for cars (http://volvotrucksspotlight.ning.com/) or technology (http://iphonedev.ning.com/)

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki) – No Wikipedia page on your company? Why not set one-up and ensure accuracy? Like it or not, people look at the collaborative Wikipedia as an accurate online source for information. What better way to ensure your messaging is consistent and clear by contributing to your own Wikipedia page? It will also provide an excellent opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about your company. Be forewarned, however, that if page reads a brochure you will be challenged on its validity and neutrality, so just stick to the facts.

Yelp – (http://www.yelp.ca/) – A more traditional social media site in the vein of tripadvisor.com which is gaining in popularity in the Canadian market. More than 22 million people in North America are looking up all kinds of businesses on Yelp. Is there any better way to deal with an upset customer then by engaging them head on? Remember, the squeaky wheel is the one that gets the attention. By attempting to satisfy and contact an irate customer, you might significantly lessen the chance of that consumer damaging your reputation. From events to restaurants to attractions, yelp has the potential to grow into a larger information exchange. Just have a quick look at the amount of Toronto restaurant reviews already posted: http://www.yelp.ca/c/toronto/restaurants

Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/) – Had some positive media coverage on your company? Spread the word around on Reddit. This social media news site provides contributors the opportunity to vote on the interest of the story causing the story to appear more or less prominently on the home page. On a daily basis, thousands of stories are discussed and voted upon in numerous categories. For example, the technology feed on Reddit has more than 100,000 subscribers logging in on a daily basis, so by submitting an interesting story you may be able to get more eyeballs reading about your company.

These are just a few of the social media options available. Remember the key to successful online communications is no different than successful face-to-face communications. Successful interaction is achieved by intersecting with the customer at the right time in the right place with the appropriate message.

Next blog we will take a look at successfully engaging consumers on Twitter.

- Trell Huether, Account Director, trellh@marshell-fenn.com