2. Debut of Social Media Social Media started in the 50’s with Phone phreaking. First popular Social Networking site – Friendster. The iPhone, in 2008, with location-based “check-in” marks the point of no return.
3. Why is Social Media Important? 16% of all time spent on the internet is spent on Social Networks. Nearly $6 billion dollars will be spent on social network advertising this year. Daily there are an average of 155 Million Tweets. There are 35 hours worth of video uploaded to YouTube every minute.
4. Social media and Yogurt: An Example Yogurtland Facebook Page. Comments and reviews from real customers. Builds a community around a brand. Allows for customer feedback.
5. Health Food Brands using Social Media Yogurt Mountain. Mr. Pita Panera Bread. Au Bon Pain Noodles & Company
6. Benefits of Social Media Social Media allows for a two way communication. Ask for the customers input. Respond quickly to customers concerns in a public arena. Provide superior customer care and value.
7. Opportunities in Social Media Allows companies to see what is being said about their brands or products. Determine how effective a message is being delivered. The ultimate word of mouth medium.
8. Conclusion Social Media is here to stay. Social Media must be embraced to succeed. Companies must approach Social Media properly to add value for the customer. FitYogurt + Social Media = Success
9. Works Cited: "The Big Business of Social Media.” InstaMerchant Blog. InstaMerchant, LLC, 21JUL2011. Web. 24 Jul 2011.
Notes de l'éditeur
There is hardly anywhere in America that Social Media is not talked about daily. There are a lot of people who are mystified by this new way of communicating and how it can be used in the corporate world. Used effectively Social Media can be a great boon to FitYogurt’s Image.
Social Media wasn’t originally a computer thing. It actually started in the 50’s with phone phreaking. Social Media was not a concern for corporations until more recently when web 2.0 hit and social media sites such as Friendster began to gain popularity. It was around 2008 when the iPhone came out with location based “check ins” and access to social networks from anywhere. This gave people the ability to share about their lives and the brands or companies they love or hate.
Social Media has gone from its early phases of phone phreaking back in the 60’s and 70’s to being so popular in its current form today that 16% of all time spent on the internet is spent on Social Networks. A massive 6 billion dollars will be spent advertising on social networks this year alone. Twitter has 155 million tweets that are sent every day. YouTube has 35 hours of video uploaded every minute. ("InstaMerchant Blog")
If you search for Yogurt in Facebook’s search bar the first one that comes up is Yogurtland. Yogurtland has a Facebook pages that is full of rave reviews from customers that love their product. It provides a place where Yogurtland fans can unite and discuss the one thing that ties them together, Yogurtlands products. Also requests from customers to have new stores put in in various locations and other feedback from the customer is given.
Here is a small list of other companies that are using Social Media to engage their customers
So how does this tie in with FitYogurt? Using mediums such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, corporate businesses are now able to have a conversation with customers that goes both ways. Is there a new product or promotion that is being considered but not sure how the customer will react? Ask for the customers input. When a customer has a concern they can voice them through social media, allowing a business a rare opportunity to publicly address a concern, showing a superior sense of customer care and value.
Social Media not only allows for fantastic customer interaction, but also provides an opportunity for a company to find out what people are saying about their brands or products. By searching your brand or product you can determine how effective a message is being delivered on a new ad campaign, or marketing effort. Every good business owner knows that word of mouth is most effective form of advertising. Social Media amplifies this word of mouth effect without the limitations of local.
Social Media is not just another fleeting fad. It is something that any company that wants to compete, succeed, and excel, has to embrace. A company must also take care that they handle Social Media properly so that the platform can add value to the customer. When FitYogurt takes the next step to branch out into Social Media, the reward will be success.
