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Building an online community is all about making people feel special
24th February 2011. Posted by Ruth Pipkin. Trackback
It’s great to get out-and-about every now and then, and this month I decided to head down to #thatlondon for the Reputation Online ‘Retail & Digital PR’ seminar. We handle elements of online PR and Marketing for most of our clients so we’re always looking out for interesting and innovative approaches to make sure that what we’re doing online has the maximum effect.
During the session we heard from four great panellists about their approach to social media. They included:
Lewis Webb, Senior Account Director, Ketchum
Catherine Flynn, Account Director, We Are Social
Zoe Macerlean, Social Media Manager, Tesco
Oli Ingham, Marketing Manager, Wahaca
There was a lot to take in from the day so I’ve split this into two blog posts and here is part one.
Have a personality
Perhaps one of the most obvious points, but make sure that your online presence has a personality. The online audience wants to feel like there is a person at the other end of the internet connection so respond to questions and start/take part in conversations. This can sometimes mean de-centralising ownership so that several people are in control, and if this is the case, ensure that you have a succinct plan in place so everyone knows what they’re talking about and when.
This is equally important when developing new social media accounts and making sure that they are always representative of the brand. One of the world’s most prestigious and glamorous champagne brands, Moet & Chandon, launched their Facebook page but, have arguably, failed to make it representative of the overall brand perception, which could in turn have a negative impact on the brand.
Use fun and engaging content
It’s safe to say that you can never expect people to come to you; you have to get out to them. Websites and social media accounts give businesses the opportunity to attract the right audiences when using the right content. A great example of this is Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, whose quirky brand allows them to be fun and creative online. They have created some fantastic content; from launching a search to become their next chilli expert and a Dragons Den-style wine tasting, to a satirical viral filmed at Canary Wharf to launch their new restaurant. For Wahaca, it’s all about identifying audiences and creating content that will interest them.
Create a community in an innovative way
Oli from Wahaca also talked about some of the ways that they have tried to create a community around the brand. When opening a new restaurant they tend to launch a new campaign; for Soho this involved a competition to design the staff uniforms and a search for a talented graffiti artist to work their magic on the restaurant’s interior walls… Soho is full of creative-designer types! They have also led culinary tweet-alongs, getting fans to cook together and tweet about it; and have started educating customers on subjects like how to drink tequila the authentic way.
Look out for some more top tips next week…