Strategy

I got some great comments from a variety of people to my recent post, Social Media is Failing Retailers, and I wanted to share a couple.

It is not so much that social media is failing retailers, but that retailers are failing in social media. you can’t have instant pudding in social media, it takes time to get personally involved, to learn how the platforms function, and to understand what is really going on. Retailers that want to show up and just broadcast or advertise and want to skip the social part will not be as successful. Retailers have the key to social media success – content. They should be consistently contributing valuable content to social sites and then trying to engage conversation around that content. If they would do that, the power of social networking would kick in and others would spread the word for them. Got to break out of the interruption marketing paradigm.

That came from Bret Simmons, and this next comment came from Ari Herzog -

The retailers that “get it” are those who don’t merely broadcast but also engage with their customers and critics in the true spirit of the word: reputation management and blogosphere monitoring, and contributing to off-site conversations.

When I shared a case study of how Comcast, Walmart, Whole Foods, and the Los Angeles Times used Twitter, I watched for and noticed which companies added a comment and how long after the post was published. I also noticed who responded with a blog comment or via a tweet; in the end, everyone responded one way or the other. That boosts Bret’s point that retailers are failing social media — but some are getting it and those are who others ought to emulate.

I completely agree with Bret and Ari – some retailers have gone out with the same old “here’s information on our latest sale and a coupon for % off” while others got a little more strategic and creative by focusing on what their audience wants and needs.  They offer content that explains the features and benefits of new products or offer suggestions on how  to use and enjoy your past purchases.

Personally, I love it when the retailer explains the new product so I can quickly understand why I need it – not a hard sell, but a benefit rich description that lets me realize how much better my life will be once I own it.

Here’s to experience, trying and learning.  I think we will see better results and more valuable interaction in the near future.

(Note: Bret, I wasn’t able to positively identify you due to a broken link for your profile – if  you see this, let me know how I can reach you and I will gladly add your link so others can follow you.)