Don't Do Social, Be SOCIAL. -

Don’t Do Social, Be SOCIAL.

24 January 2014

No Comments

4,330 Views

“Don’t do social, be SOCIAL”, says Vala Afshar, CMO of Extreme Networks and author of “The Pursuit of Social Business Excellence.”

As a brand or company, are you being social? In this day and age, your brand is quite literally in the hands of the consumer. A recent Nielson study showed that 91% of adults have their mobile phone within arm’s reach. They spend hours on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram, giving you instant access to potential customers. Anyone can post your content to these platforms, but not everyone can create a social strategy cohesive to your brand while also being SOCIAL. When hiring an agency to handle your social media, keep this in mind. Will your agency be listening and monitoring conversations around your brand and engaging customers and potential clients? Will they be authentic and likeable in social spaces?

The most memorable marketing “win” of 2013.

Let’s take a look at Oreo and how their marketing agency knocked it out of the park last year. They weren’t just DOING social, they were being SOCIAL. Take for instance their on the spot “You Can Still Dunk in the Dark.” tweet during the Super Bowl blackout. This tweet went on to receive 16,000 retweets and was seen by tens of thousands of people. They were listening. However, it wasn’t just by chance. Since Oreo already had a Super Bowl spot and they were coming off their 100^th birthday, they decided to set up a social media command center so that they could respond in real time to any buzz. They certainly seized the moment when the lights went out in the stadium. They asked themselves, “How would Oreo see the blackout?”. Their answer was:

A few months later, KitKat was listening, too. When the following tweet went out to Oreo and KitKat, look how they each responded:

The actions of Oreo and Kit Kat certainly reinforced @Laura_ellenxx’s love for their product and earned them a brand ambassador for life.

Whether you are a brand, company, or corporate executive, being SOCIAL will expand your network and create opportunities for you that you may not have otherwise had. Seize that opportunity and don’t forget to follow us in our social spaces!

About Kristin Walker

Kristin is an Account Executive at SISDigital with extensive experience in social media marketing and online community management. Connect with Kristin on Twitter