I recently read the results of a survey that measured the responsiveness of 20 of the nation’s top retailers to their customers’ questions via their official Facebook page. The study found that there were grave inconsistencies in how quickly a company responded to questions posed on their environments, or if the company responded at all.

Some of the study’s highlights:

- 25% of brands monitored did not respond to a customer service question posted on their Facebook wall.
- Of those that did respond, the rate of response was greatly varied.
- The fastest response time was 2 minutes, by B&H Photo.
- The next fastest time was approximately 30 minutes, as demonstrated by Bed Bath & Beyond, Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma and Footlocker.
- Five companies did not respond to a post within two days. These companies included Victoria’s Secret, J. Crew, One Kings Lane, Rue La La, and Radio Shack.
- Seven companies deleted questions that were posted on their walls.
- Six of the twenty companies listed a phone number or email address in which consumers could contact them.

The results of this study were shocking to me. It is hard to imagine that 25% of some of the nation’s top retailers would not respond to a question on their Facebook page, let alone the 35% who deleted the question in its entirety. There are countless tools that are designed to alert you that there has been a comment posted on your social media environments, many of which are free. I would certainly assume that many of these retailers have the resources available for moderation, especially when considering an environment such as Facebook in which the company has the ability to control their own presence.

Therefore, I have to wonder – where is the breakdown? Are there too many compliance procedures to overcome which prevents the delay or prompts the deletion of a question? Or is customer service via social media simply not a priority for some brands? If it is the latter, this is of grave concern to me. After all, social media is about the connections and conversations held. By failing to engage online, these retailers are simply using Facebook as yet another medium to utilize unidirectional marketing tactics. There is no way that can be scaled to achieve long term engagement or success online.

Corporate brands on Facebook: please do not underestimate the importance of responding to your audience on social media in a timely manner. With the many Social Media Management Systems (SMMS) available today, combined with the easy access to social via mobile, the process itself has become relatively easy to conduct. What’s more, the simple act of responding to your audience online demonstrates not only that your brand is listening to your prospects and customers, but also cares about what they are saying. These small acts work together to build trust and transparency, and ultimately, life –long brand advocates and customers for your company.

Whether you were happy about it or not, Facebook mandated that all brand pages transitioned to their Timeline format this past Friday. While Facebook gave companies plenty of notice regarding the changes that were yet to come, we’ve noticed that many pages still were not prepared for the switch. We found countless small or middle sized businesses whose pages were moved to timeline before they optimized their environment.

Do you fall into that bucket? If you’re still scratching your head wondering how to most effectively leverage this new design for your company, I have compiled the top ten things you need to know – and what you should implement today in order to catch up.

1. Upload your cover photo. Facebook now allows you to upload a custom image that acts as a banner on the top of your page. While they did take away the option to use a default landing tab, you can use your cover photo to explain to visitors who you are and what you do with the use of vibrant colors and images. A word of caution: Facebook’s guidelines state that you are not allowed to include purchase information or promotions, or ask users to like or share items on your page. Cover image dimensions: 851px x 315px.

2. Repurpose your profile picture, if necessary. Although your cover photo is front and center, your profile picture will appear slightly overlapping the cover image. Therefore, make sure that your fonts, colors and overall design of your profile picture are complementary to your cover image as well.

3. Update your page tabs to applications. Instead of having tabs and applications appear vertically on the left of your screen, all tabs are now applications and will appear beneath your cover image. You are also given much more real estate to explain what the application is to your viewers via a custom image. Make sure that you upload a thumbnail image for your apps that are 111px x 74px and also extend the branding of your cover image and profile picture as well. Don’t forget that you can also determine the order of your apps. Since there is only space for four apps to appear before a user has to click a “down” arrow for more, be sure to put your most engaging apps front and center.

4. Tell your company’s story, from its establishment to present day. Your company’s timeline will begin with the year your company was founded. While odds are that your company was founded many decades before your Facebook page was created, Timeline allows you to add stories that happened long ago, and pre-date them accordingly. Have an old, black and white photo of your first company location? Upload it and then simply change the date to 1945. Timeline will automatically place that post farther down your page according to that date. Upload photos of your flagship products and create posts about other milestones throughout your company’s history so that your timeline doesn’t have large gaps without content.

5. Increase your use of imagery. Facebook Timeline places a high priority on the use of images. You will find that a standard status update appears as normal, however if you upload an image along with a status update, that post will appear much larger than normal. Therefore, rethink your content strategy to incorporate many more engaging photos to help your page’s appearance.

6. Add company milestones. Milestones can be added for your company to note important events such as new branch openings, awards and more. To add a milestone, click “milestone” from your status update bar, and add the appropriate information and image. Also note that milestone images are 843px x 403px.

7. Highlight specific updates. To add extra attention to certain updates, you can “highlight” them, which means that the update will expand to take up both columns of your page rather than just one. To highlight any specific post, click the “star” icon at the top right corner when you hover over the update itself.

8. Pin important updates to the top of your page. Facebook Timeline now allows you to choose important updates to remain at the top of your page so they don’t get lost among many others. You can now “pin” these status updates to the top of your page for up to seven days at a time. To pin an update, click on the pencil icon at the top right of the specific update you want to pin, and then click “pin to top”.

9. Pay attention to your messages. Individuals now have the option to send a message to your brand page. Although as the brand, you cannot initiate messages to fans, don’t forget to pay close attention should you now receive a message from someone who has liked your page so that you can respond in a timely manner.

10. Familiarize yourself with the new Admin panel. As an admin, at the top of your page you will see a much larger area to edit and control your page’s back end administration. Among the information stored here includes your messages (discussed in step 9), new likes, notifications and also a snapshot of your Facebook Insights. Be sure to regularly access this admin panel to stay up to date on the overall engagement and interaction on your page and refine and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Above all, embrace these changes. Use Timeline’s new features to help your company tell your story and provide fresh, engaging and valuable content to your audience. After all, social media is about the conversations and connections created, no matter how your page is laid out.

Kristen Galli, Senior Social Strategist at The Targeted Group, was recently published in the National Sporting Goods Association magazine.  Check out her full article below.  

Social Media Accomplishing Business Objectives for Many Companies

Social media’s power of influence is having a resounding impact on corporate marketing.  A recent report that surveyed 3,300 marketers found that 93% were actively using social media for business marketing. This proliferation has led to a drastic change in the way companies market themselves and conduct business online.

Small and large companies alike have embraced social media’s powerful way of communication in an effort to increase their market share, connect with customers online, and increase sales. However, it is not enough for companies to simply set up a Facebook page or Twitter account to start seeing results.

In today’s competitive landscape there is an increasing need for companies to develop innovative, creative ways to engage with customers online. What’s more, social media campaigns will only be successful if they are an extension of a company’s overall business objectives. The challenge of how to most effectively tackle this strategic approach can be quite daunting. Therefore, I have compiled a collection of innovative ways companies have leveraged social media to successfully achieve five of the most common business objectives today:

1. Increase Brand Reputation

2. Improve Customer Service

3. Promote Industry Thought Leadership and Trust

4. Generate Sales

5. Increase Brand Awareness

Note: These campaigns include commonalities that can be replicated across industries.

Business Objective #1 - Increase Brand Reputation

Company: Interflora

Online flower delivery service Interflora monitored social media sites such as Twitter for messages posted by users who needed to be cheered up. An Interflora representative then reached out to the user with a message stating they are sorry the user is having a bad day and offered to send them a bouquet of flowers in hopes to help make their day better. Adam Hart, online marketing manager at Interflora, said, “At Interflora we are focused on exceeding people’s expectations and delivering a personal, trusted service that will brighten up their day.” Interflora’s gestures were not only well-received, but the social nature of Twitter allowed their random acts of kindness to be passed along via mentions and retweets. This allowed for the viral spread of Interflora’s actions, thus increasing their brand reputation online.

Takeaway: Interflora effectively leveraged social media to amplify and extend their marketing efforts online. First and foremost, Interflora understood the importance of listening to their audience. Successful social media campaigns utilize tools such as Social media management Systems (SmmS) to track brand mentions online, allowing companies to gain incredible insight into their target market.  As Interflora demonstrated, social monitoring also helps companies identify new prospects and arm them with the tools to begin a conversation that resonates with their audience in the most powerful way.

Business Objective #2 - Improve Customer Service

Company: Zappos.com

Online shoe retailer Zappos.com believes that “social media is an opportunity to build relationships with customers.” (Thomas Knoll, community architect at Zappos.com). The Zappos.com service team on Twitter recognizes this most of all, as they are engaged with users 24/7. Their dedicated team is quick to respond to questions or comments, and is generous with various perks (like free shipping) to reward users for their loyalty. Furthermore, messages from customers with product or service complaints are quickly answered and the user is promptly directed to instant messaging with the brand for private support.

Takeaway: A common misconception companies have is that negative comments on social media sites should go unanswered.  Many companies hope that by ignoring the comments, the post will just “go away.” However, as a result, customers often feel that they are being ignored – or worse, that the company doesn’t care. Zappos.com’s committed support efforts demonstrate that they not only value each of their customers’ opinions, but are also committed to keeping them as happy, loyal customers. The power of social media lies in its ability to empower connections and relationships online, and Zappos.com’s dedication to online support is one of the many reasons the company has been successful.

Business Objective #3 - Promote Industry Thought Leadership and Trust

Company: Netlink IT

Richard Tubb committed to writing an “educational” blog post once a week for his readers. His posts did not promote his company’s products but were focused on discussing industry-related items that appealed to his readers. One reader saw information about an upcoming event Richard was hosting and on the basis of his “helpful” blog posts, attended the event. That person eventually became Richard’s client, a connection Richard attributes to the fact that his trust was first gained online. “I’ve met a lot of people thanks to blogging. As I attended user groups, trade shows and conferences, people used to walk up to me and say, ‘I read your blog.’ They spoke to me in such a friendly manner – as though they knew me well, even though it was the first time we’d met.” 

Takeaway: Blogs are a powerful way of communication in today’s online world. Written effectively, they create the opportunity for an individual to become established as a thought leader in their market. In all social media communications there is a delicate balance between how much emphasis should be placed on promoting a company’s products and services. However, it is important to remember that the end goal should be to provide content that your audience will find valuable. As shown here, Richard’s value-driven blog posts first helped him gain the trust of his network, which then earned him the right to begin conversations with them about his services.

Business Objective #4 - Generate Sales

Company: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe launched their “Real or Fake” campaign (a game that presented users with a series of images and asked whether the photograph was real or if it was edited using adobe products) on Facebook. After the user guessed, answer screens for the photoshopped images appeared, included links to tutorials which showed users how the effect was achieved using adobe’s product. At the end, users were presented with a promotion for Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 and a button to “Buy Now,” as well as options to “Play again” and “Share” the game with their friends. As a result, the game was played more than 14,000 times in one month, and 6 percent of those people who played bought the product. The Facebook page also received 5,500 new fans and more than 100,000 page views that week, compared with an average of 5,057 views per week prior to the campaign. “We wanted to engage [users] where they are, and in a way they like to be talked to, not just push the product out to them,” said Elisa Haidt, senior marketing manager for adobe.

Takeaway: Today’s consumers are exposed to hundreds of marketing messages every day. Finding a way to break through the clutter is exceedingly important in today’s fast-paced world. One reason that the Adobe “Real or Fake” campaign was successful was because it was an innovative, yet indirect way to showcase their product’s feature set. Their marketing message was folded into an engaging game environment that appealed to their demographic. Then, only after the positive experience of playing the game had concluded did adobe present the call to action, prompting a business transaction.

Business Objective #5 - Increase Brand Awareness

Company: Blendtec

Blender-manufacturer  Blendtec was a relatively unknown company in 2006 when they first launched their “Will It blend” campaign. The video campaign featured their Ceo, Tom Dickson, in a white lab coat demonstrating whether common items would blend in a Blendtec blender. The videos quickly became viral – they were viewed more than six million times within five days of being posted on youTube and Blendtec’s website, and have been viewed more than 180 million times since. What’s more, Blendtec stated that their retail sales increased by over 700% in just four years. As Dickson stated, “It just goes to show the power of the Internet and the way it has transformed how people are entertained and receive information.”

Takeaway: The “Will It blend” campaign was successful for a number of reasons. Not only did the campaign humanize the Blendtec brand by presenting their CEO in a fun and relaxed environment, but the campaign also allowed the company to showcase their products at the same time. Furthermore, the campaign was interactive;  Blendtec allowed users to suggest items to be blended and then produced new videos based on popular responses. Finally, the social campaign was integrated and promoted across multiple marketing environments. “Will It blend” accounts on Twitter, Facebook, youTube, a microsite and blog allowed Blendtec to achieve maximum reach online.

There are countless ways in which companies can leverage social media to enhance their marketing efforts online. The key is to first define your business goals and devise a strategy that supports each specific initiative. Whether your objective is to increase brand awareness, improve customer service or drive actual sales, a well thought-out and creative social media campaign can help any company achieve real results.

As social media strategies continue to mature in the marketplace, it is increasingly important for brands to have control over their online presence. However, that task has become quite daunting, especially when considering the sheer number of accounts large companies manage. According to a briefing by Jeremiah Owyang and Altimeter Group, global companies have upwards of 170 social media accounts in their corporation. While at first this number might seem shocking, it quickly makes sense when you consider a global enterprise company with multiple divisions and hundreds of satellite offices worldwide. Each of those offices likely have accounts on the big 4 (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube) many have their own blog environments and some are active on other social sites as well.

With so many accounts, how does a company effectively manage them all? According to the report, not very well. “Less than half of all companies report having a coordinated approach to social media deployments across the company”1. An uncoordinated effort can lead to a host of problems with compliance, brand reputation, and not to mention an overall lack of consistent marketing. Compounded over a global scale, this can have devastating effects on a company if the problems are not addressed and remedied accordingly.

In his report, Owyang lists 30 vendors that offer ways to help remedy this ever-growing problem. These companies each offer a proprietary Social Media Management System (SMMS) which are becoming indispensable for businesses leveraging social media. SMMS are defined as a “collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a disparate social media environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based and enable the manager to listen, aggregate, publish, and manage multiple social media channels from one tool”. SMMS systems are certainly needed in a majority of enterprise companies, but it is critical to remember one important caveat:

No matter how good or advanced the technology, it is simply not enough.

While it is important to utilize a system to manage social media communications across all networks, in the long run, the product alone won’t promote continued success. You have to empower your employees, your distributors, and your vendors to extend your corporate message and build their own knowledge and skills in social media as well.

As today’s marketers know, social media is about creating personal connections and conversations with your audience. Every market is unique, and every prospect should be communicated with on a personal level, rather through blanket, mass-distributed content that is the same for every Facebook page or Twitter account around the nation or even around the world. Some SMMS platforms only allow corporate to go in and post content for their hundreds of accounts worldwide. This is not a scalable solution.

Therefore, don’t discount the importance of empowerment when dealing with those actively participating in your social media communications. While it is true that it takes time to teach your company’s representatives “how to fish”, when faced with marketing via social media channels, the opportunity in doing so will pay off in volumes. Done in parallel with implementing a SMMS, you will arm your representatives with the tools to market on your behalf, all while maintaining compliance through a consistent and focused initiative. Together, that’s what makes a company’s social media strategy truly successful.

1 “A Strategy for Managing Social Media Proliferation”, page 8