Is face-to-face interaction becoming less important to the consumer?

Yes, and no. Judging a company through its social media persona is no different than agreeing to a date based on an online profile.  Life is a series of important first impressions. Why else would we buy an overpriced suit to interview for a job we may never get offered? 

However critical initial impressions are, relationships are built on an individual’s character, or in this case, a company’s customer service. Social media outlets allow a business to build a brand and drive consumers through the doors. The difficult part remains turning fans into customers. This is where business owners who preach dialogue between the employee and customer, quality customer relations and continual follow-up with the customer will emerge victorious.

Social media allows businesses to market themselves within their niche by learning what their customers want and need. This is especially easy for those brands with a tangible product. These companies can utilize their social media channels to launch new products, provide discounts and host giveaways making it easy to reach the desired audience.

However, for companies lacking a “product” to promote, this can prove more difficult. An oil company, for example, can’t host countless giveaways, or online launch parties. However, they can use social media to reach their consumers and gauge their receptiveness to company changes like green initiatives and how that positively affects customers. Companies can also use social media to educate their consumers on important or interesting behind-the-scenes issues.  Additionally, social media is a great way to receive customer feedback via polls, comment sections and message boards.

Social media will never completely replace the need for outstanding customer service and human interaction.  One company effectively using social media to reach their client base, while exhibiting exceptional customer relations, is Nordstrom, a high-end department store founded on the principles of outrageous customer service. While adapting to the times with social media, Nordstrom uses Twitter and Facebook to promote in-store events, sales and new merchandise, but never comprising their customer service in the least. Their employees are eager to assist and, should a problem arise, solve it immediately. The comfort of knowing all concerns are being quickly addressed surpasses any issues related to social media’s perceived faceless interaction.  In fact, this way Nordstrom uses social media to show how excellent their service remains.

As exhibited through Nordstrom, social media is an opportunity for your company to expand its contact with the customer through problem solving. Today, customers will check online ratings and comments before stepping foot into a business, or signing a contract. Customers are educated on their available options. Despite a company’s best attempts, businesses will inevitably receive a sub-par comment or review, but how it handles the dissatisfied customer is what matters. Rather than shrink from bad publicity, the best companies use the public forum to show other customers how it deals with adversity.

Social media can assist in building a business. However, without the customers’ ability to interact in a personal manner with employees, it will inevitably harm a business by leaving the customer feeling disconnected from your business while leaving the impression your company is cold and disengaged. Ensuring a social media plan for employees to follow is the best way to engage both employees and customers.  Effectively training your social media manager on how to address both positive and negative feedback will keep a business ahead of those competitors who whitewash their message boards.  Excellent customer service begins and ends with the customer in mind.

For information on how best to utilize social media while maintaining customer relations, contact us at Bellagurl.

A study conducted by Wildfire Social Media found companies wanting to look beyond the impact of general interaction with the customer. With 97% of companies believing social media is benefiting their business and 75% increasing their social media budget in 2012, they are pleased to see their interaction with their target audience increase. However, in the coming year, more emphasis will be placed on transforming these relationships from dialogue to attributable sales.

That being said, until businesses find a plausible manner in which to track the benefits from social media, they have two objectives: increase brand awareness and engage in dialogue directly with their customer. Currently, the success of social media is being measured by the number of fans or followers a business has, as well as site traffic.

While the potential for a new customer increases through social media visibility, a survey conducted by Marketing Sherpa found the value in company blogs. A majority of companies benefited greatly from content posted directly to the company blog. This was particularly beneficial when integrated with social sharing buttons. Company blogs have also proven to be beneficial internally. Google, one of the top companies to work for, regularly opts to use its own blog network rather than press releases.

Experts have placed emphasis on being creative, and doing what best suits the individual customer base. Social media is a relatively new phenomenon, especially in the business realm, so take this opportunity to customize your content to meet the needs of your customer. Many successful companies are finding unique ways to involve their audience. Marriott International, Inc., another top company to work for, created an interactive game, My Marriott Hotel, to generate interest in the hospitality industry by allowing people to manage their own virtual hotel.

This year will also see an emphasis on localization as businesses push to reach their local audience through mobile marketing, as well as making use of the ever-growing number of tablets and smartphones. San Chez Bistro, a restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan is reaching local customers by allowing them to reserve a table via Twitter. Calling this method “Tweet-Ahead Seating,” the customer tweets their interest in making a reservation and the online hostess sends an @reply tweet confirming their request. After beginning their dining experience, the customer may also utilize Foursquare, a leading location-based service that allows people to check-in on their mobile device, allowing friends to see their physical location. Additionally, many businesses offer incentives for checking-in, such as free appetizers, drinks or a discount on merchandise. These tools are beneficial in driving local business and increasing exposure within the community.

All-in-all, social media is an evolving entity with its biggest advantage being its ability to nourish creativity. Use this freedom to reach your customer in a way that will make an impact on both them and your business.

1. Keep It Real

When people connect on social media, they want a real person, not automatic generators that send tweets and direct messages.  Some even use auto responders that require people to verify they are in fact a real person before you’re allowed to follow or see their tweets. When asked to go through this verification process, it can turn people off from following you.

2. Be Yourself

Don’t hide behind your brand or business name. Use your photo and include some personal facts about yourself in your bio. Sure, mention that you’re the owner of (insert your business name here), but social media represents an insider’s view on what’s happening while allowing others to build a relationship with you- and the brand.

3. Mind Your Manners

Twitter-quette would make your grandmother proud! If someone replies to you, acknowledge them by replying back (if they were standing right in front of you, you’d reply, so do the same here). If someone retweets something you put out there, thank them for sharing. It increases the chances that people will continue to follow you and will continue to share what you have to offer.

4. Share Freely

Those who only tweet about their latest products and blog posts quickly lose followers. Be sure to tweet all kinds of things related to your industry, and even great blog posts written by others- even if they could be viewed as a competitor. Retweeting is similar to liking on Facebook.

5. Avoid the Bait and Switch

It’s OK to have both a Twitter and a Facebook account. But some people put Twitter on auto-pilot and have all of their Facebook posts cross over to Twitter, leaving little to no interaction with those on Twitter. Then, when someone follows them, they send them a direct message asking them to switch over to Facebook to interact with them.

6. Be a “Groupie”

As you follow others, group them into “lists.” You can group those in your field together, those in your geographic locale together, those whom you have met in real life, and the list goes on. The number of lists that you are on shows up as part of your profile, and helps add to your prestige. Be sure to follow those back who list you- even set them up on their own list. Those who list you are more likely to be solid followers who will interact with you.

7. If You Host It, They Will Come

Twitter chats are quite popular and allow you to interact with renowned professionals or to position yourself as an expert. Lurk on a few to help you get comfortable with the process, and then host a few yourself. Others who follow you will help share the word about your chat (make sure to assign a #chathashtag so others know where to find your conversation. Set a regular day and time and get ready to share the “A1” to “Q1!”

It sounds like Twitter is a great fit for your business! But if getting started feels a bit intimidating, these seven simple steps will have you tweeting in no time!

Step 1: Choose a User Name.

This can actually be the hardest part! Usernames go in one of two directions: your real name or something that represents what you do- all in 15 character spaces or less. You can go back and change it later, even after you have followers!

Step 2: Add Your Real Name.

For those who choose their real name as their user name, they often just repeat it in the space for “Name.” But for those who choose a user name like “BikeLuvr”, having a real name that shows up behind their user name helps followers to connect to the real person behind the tweets. Though some people do leave this section blank, if you’re determined to build relationships with your followers, it’s best to fill in this area.

Step 3: Share Your Location.

Sharing your location isn’t as specific as what you’ve seen on Facebook, with check-ins every time someone goes to the grocery store or gym. Because it’s so easy to connect to others from around the world, sharing something like, “New Bern, NC” or even a general, “North Carolina” will give others a better idea of who you are. You’ll be amazed that others who will send you a tweet if they see news from your area- just to make sure you survived that hurricane!

Step 4: Compile a Bio.

This may be just as hard as deciding on a user name. But like the other sections, you can always go back and amend this at any time. Feel free to leave it blank until you get some ideas from others’ bios. The trick to writing an effective bio is to capture what you do professionally with who you are personally. Remember, social media is about connecting to others- getting that behind the scenes feel and building relationships with people, professions, hobbies and brands.

Step 5: Select a Profile Pic.

As much as you may hate your photo, opt to use a real photo instead of a logo, unless you’re choosing to tweet as the brand itself. CNN is the largest news source on Twitter, so they use their logo. Think about your branding and your goals for how people view you. If you don’t upload a photo, then Twitter’s default image is an egg. People don’t take users seriously if their photo is the default. Don’t be an egghead!

Step 6: Send Your First Tweet!

If your palms are a little sweaty when you get to this part, it’s completely normal! As exciting as Twitter is, it’s important to consider what you Tweet. Thanks to an agreement between Twitter and the U.S. Library of Congress, all tweets are a part of their library as a way to preserve history and to show the reactions of real individuals to world events. There are some who even check Twitter on their smart phones before getting out of bed in the morning to see what’s happening around the world. But your first tweet can be very simple. Something like, “So excited to send our first tweet!” will certainly suffice and will even result in some replies back.

Step 7: Follow and Follow Back!

Chances are you may have seen someone’s username. Follow them! Go on Facebook and ask people for their Twitter usernames and follow them. Think of someone outstanding in your field and follow them. Then take a quick peak at their followers, glance at their bios, and see if you’re interested in following any of them! Before you know it, you’ll have followers who are retweeting your tweets!

From there, follow steps 6 and 7 on a regular basis, if not daily! And be sure to follow us (and we’ll follow you back) @bellagurlNC! Happy Tweeting!

Facebook has been embraced by individuals, groups and businesses. But some tend to shy away from Twitter because it operates so differently than Facebook, and many are unsure how to jump in and join the conversation. Here’s what you need to do to get started in the Twitter-verse.

It’s Not About Your Friends- It’s About Your Interests

Unlike Facebook, where you “friend” others because you actually know them, Twitter connects people based on their interests. You “follow” people because they know the best places to eat in your town. Or maybe you followed them because they’re a leading expert in your field.

Potential followers find out what interests you may have in common based on your “Profile Bio.” Include a mixture of personal and professional interests to help people know what interests you share. “Lists” group followers by interest, so you can easily find and interact with those who are similar to you at the touch of a button. 

Hashtags (#) also bring people together. Next time you’re at a conference, be sure to listen for the hashtag. Attendees often tweet outstanding comments by speakers or use that string of comments as a place to ask questions to the presenter.

Television shows use hashtags as a way to find out what their audience liked and disliked about the episode, as a way to help their writers and to keep viewers happy. Sometimes the actors in a show join the live conversation during the show to give inside peeks at life behind the camera or to perk their viewers’ interest to keep their fan base strong.

It’s OK to Talk to Strangers

Did you see a great quote that someone else tweeted? Retweet (RT) that to your followers! Not only do you share great insights to others, but you start to build a relationship with the person who initially shared it. Twitter is all about manners, with “Thank you’s” (TY) and “Follow Friday” (FF) shout-outs to recognize those who embrace the sharing concept.

Or maybe you came across a conversation about social media (#SM). Throw Emily Post out the window and join in! RT their comment or question, post your answer and include them in your response (@WhateverTheirNameIs) or the hashtag (#SM in this example) and have fun! It’s OK and expected for this kind of behavior to happen in the Twitter-verse!

Like all social media outlets, Twitter has layers of great things just waiting for users to discover and embrace! The easiest way to learn it is to set up an account and follow along for a few days to see what others do before joining the conversation.

Learn more about how your business can utilize Twitter in our upcoming posts!

Benefit #1: Standing Out from the Competition

There’s a difference in singing a solo on stage or being a part of the chorus. When you continue promotional efforts during the off-season when others may have placed their marketing efforts on hold, your solo stands out from everyone else.

Advertise what your business does best, whether it’s sharing the details about the superior products you sell or highlighting what they can expect from the outstanding services you provide. This helps customers come during the busy peak times because they know it’s worth it!

Benefit #2: Belonging to the Local Community

Each year between January and March, New York’s Bay Street Theatre  traditionally closed each year due to low audience demands. But when the operators took a chance by reaching out year round, they found an opportunity to connect with a larger audience.

Not only did the community begin to view them as truly vested in the year-round residents as opposed to just the seasonal tourists, but they began to look to the Bay Street Theatre as a place to host community events, foster relationships, and as a viable option for year-round entertainment opportunities.

In turn, the Bay Street Theatre found a new demographic just waiting to be served when the hours of operation were altered during this off-season to offer schools, children’s groups and businesses a place to serve a new variety of needs, and thus increasing revenue during an off-peak time.

Benefit #3- Strengthening Relationships with Existing Customers

Everyone knows that 80% of business revenues come from 20% of your clients, and the best way to ensure that customers repeat their business with you is to establish a solid, trustworthy relationship with them. Peak seasons are often too busy to allow time to really plan and implement relationship building strategies.

Instead of relying on revenues from Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day to carry their business over throughout the year, one local florist in Haymarket, Virginia, decided to try something different. Thanks to designing an effective email marketing strategy, they strengthened their relationship with existing customers by staying in contact with them throughout the year, not just around their two big sales days.

The result? An increase by as much as 10% in off-season sales because they stayed in contact with their customers. Their emails consisted of highlighting simple often forgotten about holidays that encouraged people to send flowers throughout the year, a win-win for everyone.

If you’re looking for new marketing ideas for your business, Bellagurl offers options that can help your business stand out from the competition.

Companies change and sometimes your look needs to change. If your logo needs a refresh to better represent who you have grown to become or simply needs to stop looking like a flashback from the 80s (and you know how much WE love the 80s), call Bellagurl. Everyone needs a little makeover.

Bellagurl, a Morehead City Ad Agency, recently helped in the branding of this event with the creation of a blog, social media management, and a new logo. The logo designed is for the Dream Wedding Giveaway-Dream Team, a nationally recognized wedding giveaway whose team is creating something awesome for a special couple. “When creating the logo, I thought of the magic that the wedding vendors must create for this bride who is dreaming of the perfect wedding,” said Susan Yates, Art Director at Bellagurl. “This dream is in their hands. We went through many ideas and our client just loved what we finally decided on,” she continued.

For the first time, the Wedding Expo is hosting a formal cocktail reception where celebrity wedding planner and host of We tv’s “My Fair Wedding”, David Tutera will announce the winner of this exclusive prize. The Dream Wedding, scheduled for May 3rd, 2012, is valued at over $40,000 and boasts more than 40 professional vendors ready to make the winners’ wedding dreams come true.

Bellagurl has designed and managed the new blog for the wedding association, further helping them reach brides interested in destination weddings. “Blogs that are useful and educational can help a business increase search engine optimization on the web,” said Cressa Megown, Vice-President at Bellagurl. She continued, “At this time of the year, ladies are getting those proposals and starting to think about where they want to have their wedding. We wanted to ensure that our client, the Outer Banks Wedding Association, was at the top of their list.”

Bellagurl has also implemented an online ordering system to help those brides quickly purchase tickets and further help the association track their marketing. “It’s all about knowing what the brides want, where they are coming from, writing great content on our blogs, then promoting it all from our social media outlets, like Facebook and Twitter, to help the association reach them better,” said Megown.

To purchase tickets for this unforgettable weekend and find out more about the Dream Wedding 2012 giveaway visit the Outer Banks Wedding Association’s blog at WeddingBlogObx.com, their Facebook page at Facebook.com/OBXWA or the association’s website at OBXWA.com. There you’ll find information on purchasing tickets, the latest on how to win a 2012 Dream Wedding, and how to attend the exclusive cocktail reception with David Tutera.

While the Outer Banks of North Carolina has become one of the most popular coastal wedding destinations in the country, the OBWA has become the premier service organization for wedding professionals located in Dare, Currituck, or Hyde Counties. OBWA is the only not-for-profit, trade and marketing organization to represent the growing Outer Banks wedding industry. Because of its high ethical standards and experience, membership to the organization has more than doubled since its inception over 15 years ago. For more information about OBWA, please visit their website at obxwa.com.

Bellagurl is a full service advertising agency that specializes in niche marketing, like marketing to women and other targeted demographics. To learn more, visit Bellagurl.com.