Yossi Erdman is the head of brand and social media for ao.com, the largest online retailer of white goods in the UK. He discusses how social media is an essential part of ao.com's marketing strategy and how they use fun, engaging content on platforms like Facebook to interact with customers, drive sales, and provide customer service. Some tactics discussed include live video streams of competitions, sending thank you letters to customers who leave positive feedback, and publishing feedback about delivery drivers to encourage good service. Data shown attributes increases in traffic, sales, and repeat customers to ao.com's social media activities.

1. ao.com – (Appliances Online)
It all starts with the customer
Yossi Erdman @yossierd Head of brand and social media
ao.com @ao

2. Who Am I?
Usually at this point I present my self to the crowd, but it’s the slide share version… So I’ve attached picture of my team instead..

3. Who Am I?
Anyway, I’m Yossi Erdman, head of brand and social media for ao.com. I work here for 4 years now and love this company and the journey we’ve done in the last few years..

4. Who Am I?
If you prefer to watch this presentation instead of reading, you can watch this video: http://youtu.be/q1CAj6qwg00?t=24s

5. Who Am I?
Last note before starting.. If you have any questions or you just want to talk, feel free to tweet me: @Yossierd

6. Who Am I?
Last note before starting.. If you have any questions or you just want to talk, feel free to tweet me: @Yossierd
Or email me here: yossi.erdman@ao.com

7. Who Am I?
Try me, I’m not that scary..

8. ao.com is the UK largest Online White goods retailer.
Founded in 2000 by John Roberts.
Part of AO world PLC
Who are we?

9. What do we sell?
Products that will make your head spin..

10. Washing
machines..
We sell:

11. Dishwashers..
We sell:

12. Fridge freezers..
We sell:

13. We sell:
Fridges..
We sell:

14. We sell:
Ovens and
Cookers
We sell:

15. TV and home entertainment..
We sell:

16. Small
appliances..
We sell:

17. Small
appliances..
We sell:
It’s a social media presentation,
We had to have a cat…

18. Social Media is essential part of the branded mix
1,610,000 fans
PR
TV advertising
Online videos
29,000 followers

19. Social media impact:
External (customers)
Internal: Culture / Customer service

20. External: What do we use social media for?
•Talk, listen and have fun
•Products promotions
•Customer service
Brand awareness

21. Let’s “Engage”..
On ao Facebook we try to colour our messages, And entertain our customers instead of just telling them what we do..
Delivering business
Messages in a “fun” way..

22. Let’s “Engage”..
Cashback promotion..
How much cash have we “frozen” for you?
Delivering business
Messages in a “fun” way..
The challenge: Cashback promotion..

23. Let’s “Engage”..
Delivering business
Messages in a “fun” way..
The challenge: Cashback promotion..
So we created a competition with “Frozen” money. If you can guess how much money we frozen (same as the cashback we give), you can win the fridge. You can watch here: http://youtu.be/uL361QOuCHY

24. Let’s “Engage”..
We also tried money laundering 

25. Let’s “Engage”..

26. “Ducks are the new cats.. “
Let’s “Engage”..

27. Engage with videos..
How many items of clothing are in the washer?
Watch here: http://youtu.be/jbQAf1qp_f8

28. Customers pictures..
Every Friday, as part of our weekly competitions live stream we ask fans to submit pictures.. Sometimes they are funny 

29. Customers pictures..
Sometimes they are bit flattering 

30. Live stream
Every Friday, we are calling our winners, on a Facebook live stream – and let them know they won. We do it for more than 3 years now. Consistency is very important for us, it’s not a “one off” campaign.

31. Live stream
Every Friday, we are calling our winners, on a Facebook live stream – and let them know they won. We do it for more than 3 years now. Consistency is very important for us, it’s not a “one off” campaign.
If you fancy a sample – watch one here: http://youtu.be/KEo6NwcPy1w?t=33m24s

32. Let’s see some results
When Facebook was our only brand advertising tool..
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
200,000
-
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
08/01/2012
08/03/2012
08/05/2012
08/07/2012
08/09/2012
08/11/2012
08/01/2013
08/03/2013
08/05/2013
08/07/2013
08/09/2013
08/11/2013
08/01/2014
08/03/2014
08/05/2014
FB fans V. Weekly Branded Traffic
National TV campaign
FB Fans
6 per. Mov. Avg. (Total Branded Sessions)
Facebook activity has a big impact on brand searches and branded traffic

33. Let’s see some results
From Nov 2012 to Aug 2013:
•AO Branded traffic up 154% Branded = direct, ao.com searches
•Branded sales up %128
•Repeated customers up %20
No other branded activity was done in this period

34. Customer Service
Social Media team
Call centre team
Our call centre is now answering all customers’ queries on Facebook.
Marketing team (4 people) is the creative behind the promotions and FB advertising

35. Customer Service

36. Basically, pretty boring stuff..
Website Integration
We added Facebook plugin to our site, with number of likes and customers feedback.

37. Website Integration
When a user is logged in to Facebook
Boost conversion

38. Website Integration
Adding the plugin Boosts conversion
When people click the Feedback it takes them back to Facebook

39. Customer Service
Not just on our website..
This feedback was left about one of our drivers, How do we make them understand that customers can write feedback about them immediately.
The customer service team came with a surprising solution…

40. Customer Service
Drivers Feedback book

41. Customer Service
Drivers Feedback book
This book is being published every 2 weeks and include selected feedback about our drivers that was posted on Facebook, trustpilot and other sites. We are posting it directly to the home of everyone who is mention in the book. Now imagine your wife getting a book when you have a bad feedback in. Pretty embarrassing, no? the impact is amazing.

42. Basically,
pretty boring stuff..
Customer Service
Drivers Feedback book

43. Customer Service
Extremely detailed feedback..
As an immediate result of the book – we now see many drivers talk to the customers and ask them to post a feedback to Facebook. The drivers are giving the customers their crew number, so the team who writes the book will know to find them (the drivers) faster 

44. Customer Service
Personal Letters
If a customer takes times and writes us an amazing feedback on social media, why shouldn’t we make an effort and thank them for that? Maybe we will even convince them to shout about us to all their friends and family..

45. Personal Letters
So, our CEO (John Roberts), decided he want to send a personal, hand signed, letter to everyone who writes a feedback on our Facebook. Our team writes the letters, and JR signs them.

46. Personal Letters
We are quoting the customer’s Feedback on the letter, so its very personal.

47. Customer Service
Personal Letters
The customers who get the letters are very excited – and they post them back on Facebook!
Free content, huh? 

48. Customer Service
Personal Letters

49. Customer Service
Personal Letters
By the way, we don’t send them another letter afterwards, it may create an endless loop…

50. Customer Service
Personal letters: also to employees
who give good service

51. Apologise when needed
And keep it personalised..
We also send letters to applogise if we made a mistake. Again, the letter is personal and it has the error and the solution elaborated.

52. Don’t forget to try.. Even with your partners
We want to finish with a story that will encourage you to use your customers: The next video review was sent to us by a customer as part of a competition. We asked people to create reviews for their current kitchen appliances, for their chance to get a new one to review and keep. The result was unexpected, and encouraged us to keep trying, more and more new things  Watch here: http://youtu.be/YkY2b-5nFqU

53. Yossi Erdman @yossierd Head of brand and social media ao.com @ao
Thank you..
Hope you enjoyed it! and there is much more.. If you have any questions, or feedback, feel free to drop us a note. Yossi.