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Social Media Marketing Success

Image Social Media Party via Razorfish Feed

EVDO is one of the companies that utilized social media and was greatly successful in doing so. Just to give a brief background, EVDO is a wireless technology that allows laptop computers to access unlimited surfing in almost every major city in the US for a cost of about sixty dollars a month. The service works when you buy a card and plug it into a slot in the laptop. The service is offered by cell-phone companies like Verizon and Sprint and resellers get a huge percentage for signing up users. A two-year contract for example, is worth more than a thousand dollars to Sprint.

While the deal seems good, the question was how to sell EVDO cards to businesspeople. If you would go for traditional marketing methods, opening a chain of retail stores would do. Another option would be an ambitious step to get a big chain like Radio Shack to sell the item and train their personnel to support it; advertise the stores and the cards to published materials and media that appeal to high-class business travelers. The problem is you can only hope that your price is low enough for them to consider the offer to be that good and the stores need to be convenient enough that you have to open several outlets. The cost of opening more retail stores, the difficulty of training someone about EVDO, finding support to determine customer’s needs- the process and the work is all too much.

However, the company EVDO.com took a very different approach and adopted the new rules of marketing. When you do a search on EVDO, you’ll find the largest forums of more than five thousand registered users. EVDOinfo.com created and sponsors EVDOforums.com, a free online message bulletin that is filled with various topics and information about EVDO. They also have an inherent search engine optimization that attracts traffic, built on a clearinghouse for free information. Customers can also find user details, links to free software, tutorials, and even software made by community members. EVDOinfo.com can be seen on the forum page, along with a link to its shopping site.

Through EVDOforums.com, the company was able to engage with many customers. This social media tool became the company’s creative medium to reach consumers. EVDO also has a remarkable customer service by phone. You can buy the EVDO cards online, with its step-by-step system leading you through the process. You’ll then receive an e-mail confirmation after the purchase order and when the item is shipped to your home. The company emphasizes so much on customer service because of its online bulletin board. Satisfied customers shared their experience with EVDO and the news about the company began to spread. As soon as consumers started using the service, they began to recommend the EVDO technology to people they knew. It took the company a lot less time and less expense to build the community than having to build several reseller stores. As a result, the company’s growth not only became unstoppable but profitable as well.

So When Should Brands Consider Social Networks?

With the success story of EVDO in using social media, brands may be contemplating about using social networks to boost up and direct their company. But as compelling as EVDO’s example was, social networks is not meant for every company. Li and Bernoff’s book, Social Media, gives a few details on how companies can know whether social media would be right for them.

First, company brands can create a social technographics profile. This means companies would group their customers based on their online activities. They can be under the category of “creators” or people who publish web pages, articles and stories online or upload videos or audio or music; they can be “critics” or those who use RSS feeds, add tags, web pages or photos or participate in online voting sites; those who are considered as “joiners” are people who visit or maintain social networking sites; the “spectators” are those who read blogs, watch online videos of other users, listen to podcasts, read online forums and customer review and ratings; and the “inactives” or people who do not have any online activities.

Companies have to verify if their customers are into social networks. If half of them are joiners, then getting into social networks can benefit the company. Age is a factor that brands should also consider. If their brand appeals to young consumers, then it’s a must for them to engage in social networks, because the audience is already there. Brands that cater to the older crowd are also likely to succeed with this strategy since many social networks also embrace these age groups. Companies must also learn to move forward when they see people patronizing their brands. On the other hand, companies who may not yet have an avid number of enthusiasts may have to work harder to promote their product brand.

Seeing what is already out in the social media market is also important for companies. Many popular brands appear in social network pages even before their company gets involved. The existence of groups that are usually not authorized by companies should not be a threat but a way for them to get their companies off the ground. Company brands also need to create a presence that encourages consumer interaction. This means that companies need to know how they would respond to wall postings, determine what interactive elements they can provide, and how they would be able to help consumers go deeper in the marketing funnel and influence others. Furthermore, they need to have a staff that can handle the programming of the company page and create responses to consumers’ comments.

Although advertising to the target audience can help spread the company’s brand message to people, companies also need to be aware that many brand messages may not be that easy to disseminate such as those present on social networks like Facebook and MySpace. If the company is opting for a longer commitment with its consumers or the brand isn’t that catchy as other popular brands, they can utilize blogging as a social media marketing tool.

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