Social media is becoming increasingly important to retailers and brands. With the meteoritic rise of Twitter, finding the right approach to successfully engaging an audience is key.
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In the session “Twitter and Social Media All-Stars” the panel of experts discussed the best ways to leverage Twitter.
Kevin Ranford
Director, Web Marketing
1-800-Flowers.com
Denise Zimmerman, President & CSO, NetPlus Marketing, offered some guiding principles for using Twitter. Plan with a purpose in mind by engaging and adding value to conversations. Monitor feedback and expect the unexpected. Every business needs to determine their own guidelines and determine what works best.
Tracy Benson, Sr. Director, Best Buy Interactive Marketing & Emerging Media, said social media is not organized. Best Buy looks at goals and then involves other parts of the company.
Kevin Ranford, Director, Web Marketing, 1-800-Flowers.com, said when getting started in planning for social media marketing to figure out what customers want.
Alison Jeske
Senior Director,
Product Management
Drugstore.com
Alison Jeske, Senior Director, Product Management, Drugstore.com, said they start small but must involve all channels of business. Manage your campaign and learn how you can expand it.
When defining a purpose, Ranford said they mainly listened to their customers and let them define it. The key is to listen and apply. 1-800-Flowers.com is now on Facebook and customers can order directly from there, which will help with the holiday season. He said by responding to customers via social media helped to tie their efforts together.
Benson said one of the lessons learned using social media is you “have to realize you can’t control the conversation, you can only host it.” This sometimes means taking a step back and not overdoing it. Be ready to respond to a crisis and know when to ask for help.
Murdok Reporter/Anchor Abby Johnson contributed to this report.
