Usually when we think of social media communities we think of associations or non-profits creating communities to rally around a cause, to market their issues and build a grassroots base. At least this is the DC mindset, inspired by campaigns like that of Barack Obama and even as far back as the Howard Dean campaign in 2004.
However, social media has clearly become a tool for small businesses to market their products as well. Sunday in the Annapolis Capitol, for example, there was a great article on how small businesses in the quaint Maryland capital are using social media tools to reach out to their customers and market their products. One small business even reported having more than 11,000 followers on Twitter.
It’s fascinating to watch how different retail stores—including large companies like lululemon, who has built a massive community through their use of social media, or Gap, who recruited bloggers as ambassadors to show off new product launches—are using social media to build a community that is passionate about their products.
Most of the businesses interviewed are partial towards use of Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube as marketing tools, using them to show off new products, answer questions from customers, and advertise sales and discounts. Occasionally, you’ll even see special promotions to those customers who are active on these social networks. In addition, one merchant commissioned production of a video for questions asked by twitter followers, a great way for merchants to engage customers.
Do you have a favorite merchant that uses social media? What are some best practices you’ve seen from retail companies using social media tools to build and engage their consumer base?
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Food truck business has bloomed because of social media. It’s amazing the give and take between food trucks and twitter; how they feed off each other. Social media for mobile businesses is a pretty cool idea.