“This 
was not [built as a] marketing channel, but as a consumer relationship-building environment.”That was a quote from Chris Bruzzo VP Brand content/online for Starbucks talking about their phenomenal social media strategy in a recent article in Advertising Age titled “Starbucks gets its business brewing again with social media”.
He goes on to say that using social media to talk directly to their customers has not been taken lightly. Giving their loyal base real and accurate information and a way to connect with the Starbucks brand has resulted in increased sales.
We all don’t have the same business model that Starbucks has, which the article points out is successful because of the social experience but there are elements that can be incorporated into all business practices.
Here are three things you can do right now to begin building a social media component into your business strategy.
1) Listen – Go into social media sites and look around. Plug in your brand name or your product in the search engine and see what you come up with. You don’t have to say anything yet just listen.
2) Respect what you hear – Take what you hear and evaluate it. Don’t criticize the messenger but be prepared to take a good look at what can be changed. Remember these are your customers and they are telling you what they know about your product/company. You need to respect this information. It is invaluable.
3) Become a better company- Social Media is a wonderful opportunity for your company to reconnect with its core strengths. What made you passionate about this business in the first place? Revisit your story, align your business to make sure your actions now reflect what you wanted to become. Your customers will let you know if you are on the right track and they will talk. Make sure you are part of that conversation.
