While money-saving promotions are effective for increasing fans or followers on social networking sites, many companies don’t go beyond this. They offer promotions to increase their number of fans, see their numbers growing, and throw a massive party. Unfortunately, by the time their hangover wears off, they realize their ‘fans’ aren’t really fans at all, but rather coupon zombies with a singular goal: to save money on stuff they would buy anyway.
So how do you build a social networking presence which goes beyond coupons? Curious asked members of its research community, ShopTalk, why they were fans of companies and we found they liked companies that acted as ‘brand butlers’. A brand butler is a Trendwatching term for companies that assist consumers in making the most out of their lives, rather than try to sell them a lifestyle. When it comes to social networking sites, it’s all about providing value to your fans/followers through content that is unique, relevant, and useful. To become an effective brand butler on social networking websites, consider the following traits: Personality, Share-ability, Brevity, Channel Integration, Responsiveness.
Personality
Although it’s important to be as useful as your classic English butler, it’s not always a good idea to act like one. Consumers on social networking sites like brands that address them in human rather than corporate speak and display their personality. Consider Geoffrey Butler from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Geoffrey is quick-witted, sarcastic, and talks to the Banks informally. Similarly, consumers like it when brands address them in a direct, personal way and when they can interact with some of their employees. Kraft’s Facebook moderators have their own profile, which includes their real name and a profile photo, so fans can see who is actually answering their question. Whether you do that or interact with fans/followers through the brand’s “official” profile depends on your brand’s personality and what your audience prefers. But displaying that personality and being human in your interactions is always a plus.
Share-ability
To get exposure on social networking sites, it is necessary to provide content that consumers not only personally like and find useful, but are also inclined to share with their friends, in the same way a rich kid would want to share the services of his butler with his friends. Consider Coke Zero as an example: they launched the “Coke Zero Facial Profiler” Facebook app, which scans photographs of faces and attempts to find a matching face from a database of its users. The app spread virally because Coke knew that fans couldn’t resist sharing their matches with their friends. Coke Zero’s app was not only a fun app conducive to sharing, but it also conveyed a brand message: you can’t tell the difference between Coke Zero and regular Coke.
Brevity
Look to Lurch from The Addams Family for a lesson in brevity. Whenever Lurch spoke, he was to the point and concise, only ever uttering “You rang?” Consumers want nearly this level of brevity on social networking sites. ShopTalk members told us they are often annoyed by companies posting messages that are too long or posted too frequently, cluttering up their newsfeed and pushing down more useful information. They told us the very reason they use social networking sites to research products and stay up to date is to get concise information in an easy-to-digest format. That means keeping posts short and to the point. If you need to provide more detailed information, post a link to your website – this is where consumers expect to find the details anyway.
Channel integration
A master butler is as capable outside of the household as in. Look at Alfred Pennyworth, butler to Batman, and you’ll see that he does a lot of work outside of the house, including espionage, intelligence-gathering, and medical assistance. Similarly, a brands’ offering should be consistent across all its customer touch points: website, mobile, in-store, social networking sites, etc. Once it’s integrated with other channels, your social networking page can serve as an e-commerce tool, driving fans to your website or store. Levi’s has taken advantage of Facebook’s social plug-ins and placed a “Like” button on their website’s product page, which has led to Facebook becoming the number one site referrer for levi.com. By integrating social into their website, Levi’s was able to increase site traffic and generate social comments on its product pages.
Responsiveness
A capable butler is always standing by the door waiting for the bell to ring. At least, that’s what television and movies have taught me. Similarly it is important to be ready to react and respond to messages on social networking sites. This is especially true when dealing with a complaint, as Kohl’s recently had to do. A woman posted on Kohl’s Facebook page about an order being cancelled and telling Kohl’s that they ‘suck’. Within an hour, Kohl’s responded to her complaint, privately dealt with her issue, and the woman posted back thanking Kohl’s for the help. By being responsive, Kohl’s was able to show their fans that they care and turned a negative situation into positive goodwill.
By incorporating these aspects, you can create a social networking presence that will engage your current fans and help you obtain new ones, promote your brand and even increase sales. Whatever content you provide, be sure to observe the number one butlering rule: provide value for your audience. Oh, and the salad fork goes on the outside.
Ian is an Associate Consumer Researcher in the Curious group, out of our Calgary office.
