Lindsay Casey

General Electric: Social Imagination at Work

Social media can be a minefield if you don’t know how to navigate it. Over the next few days I’ll be posting mini case studies showcasing brands who’ve nailed it and ones who need work. Let’s start on a positive note, with the innovative General Electric.

GE

When I used to think of the GE brand, my grandmother’s kitchen mixer would come to mind. Well folks, times have changed and GE is now one of the most creative brands out there. The new slogan is Imagination at Work and, when I think of GE now, I think of social media innovation. Big time. Any company wanting to step up their social media game could learn a few lessons from GE.

So, what is GE doing so well?

  • Content – General Electric consistently posts interesting, thought provoking content on all of their social networks. Most notable is Pinterest, where their beautifully curated boards are a joy to follow. In their own words, they’re “Pinning things that inspire us to build, power, move and cure the world.” The brand is very active on Instagram as well, and has also become a prolific Vine user.
  • Engagement – There are no robots at the wheel of GE’s social media ship. What has got to be a social media dream team proactively starts conversations, gets people talking and consistently follows up with unforgettable interactions. Not convinced? Read this.
  • Risk taking – General Electric recently announced details of a partnership with Quirky, a crowdsourcing site for inventors. Smart move on GE’s part if you ask me; not only do they do a wonderful social service by fostering innovation and creativity, but think of the hundreds of thousands of patents they could add to their collection.

Brand highlight: COME ON (<— read that in the voice of Gob Bluth), look at this Vine they made for Pi day!

Final verdict: Killing it. In all the right ways. See General Electric in action on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

 

Lindsay Casey

Volvo Uses Social Media to Give Away the Last Ever C30

Volvo C30

I always liked the Volvo C30. I remember sitting in one at the Toronto Auto Show a few years ago and admiring the well thought out design. Alas, I never owned one and now it looks like I never will. After making 900,000 of them, Volvo is killing the C30. But this post isn’t about me lamenting the loss of something I never had, it’s about how Volvo is leveraging social media to send the little hatchback out in style.

Volvo C30If you live in the UK, you’ll have a chance to win the last ever production Volvo C30. The catch? You’ll have to find it to win it. The contest will see people tracking the car through a website and the Twitter hashtag #LastEverC30.

Starting on June 13, every time someone uses the hashtag they will be entered to win other prizes and the car will move slightly closer to the UK from its starting point in Gothenburg, Sweden. When it arrives in the UK, Volvo will release four clues to its whereabouts, giving people a chance to find it and win it.

This is a brilliant move on Volvo’s part. The brand is well known for quality products, but so far, that hasn’t translated into engaging young drivers.

This is a great way to get the younger generation involved with the Volvo brand and generate some street cred.

Do you live in the UK? Will you be looking for the #LastEverC30?

Lindsay Casey

5 Reasons to Kill Your Auto DM’s

I know it looks like I’m on a Twitter etiquette rampage this week and, you know what, maybe I am. My timelines seem to be filled with my social media pet peeves this week and if they annoy me this much, I can’t be the only one. So think of these rants as helpful posts that show you what not to do and I’ll promise to write some “what you SHOULD do” posts soon.

Today’s culprit? The Twitter scourge known as the Auto DM. Possibly the worst Twitter fail in existence, the Auto DM has been proven to cause up to a 245% increase in unfollow rates but people still keep doing it.

1. It’s pushy. When I follow someone, it means I’m interested in what they’ve posted on Twitter. It doesn’t mean I am open to unsolicited messages selling me products or trying to direct me to a website.

2. It’s lazy. If you’ve set up an Auto DM for every time someone follows you, turn it off. Send a public @reply saying hello. Be friendly. Be a real person. This especially goes for you ‘social media gurus’ who do this all the time. “Hi! Click this link to magically learn all the secrets of social media success!” Yeah, right.

3. It’s spam.  Auto DM’s look like spam, read like spam and will get you reported for sending spam. They will also swiftly erase any credibility you had with your follower.

GrumpyCatautoDM4. You will lose followers. I unfollow every account that Auto DM’s me. It tells me right off the bat that the person behind the account is not genuine and since I have no desire to follow robots on Twitter, it’s an automatic unfollow from me.

5. It’s just plain rude! I bothered to follow you because I’m interested in either you or the content you share. Don’t waste my time by pushing a bland, generic message  at me the second I hit the follow button.

The bottom line – don’t do it. It’s ok to want to thank people for following you, but either send a public tweet yourself or skip it. A few quality conversations over content that interests both of you will build a much stronger connection. And that’s real.

Do you send Auto DM’s? Why or why not?

 

 

Lindsay Casey

Why You Shouldn’t Link Facebook & Twitter Posts

In a world of artificial communications, people are searching for an authentic conversation. Brands who don’t invest the time to provide this to their audience are missing out. I have a few social media pet peeves, but my biggest by far is automation between Facebook and Twitter.

Today I saw a tweet advertising the fact that that the poster was on Twitter. I won’t name and shame the culprit, but take a look at this.

lametweet

If you want to maintain any sort of credibility on Facebook and Twitter, do NOT link the two. Just because Twitter makes it easy to do, doesn’t mean you should.

1. It’s Irrelevant. Often if someone likes you on Facebook, they will also follow you Twitter and they expect a different experience on each platform. Constant regurgitation of the same content will make them jump ship. Think about it. Do you want to see the same thing everywhere you go online?

2. Choice. When you link your Facebook and Twitter accounts, you have no choice in which posts are duplicated, so when you @ reply to someone on Twitter, that comment is also posted as an update on Facebook. where it makes no sense to your audience. Another huge downside to this is the use of hashtags, which currently have no place on Facebook.

3. Character Limitations. Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters. Facebook posts are not. I see so many brands posting updates to Twitter that make no sense because they are cut off halfway through.

4. Traffic. If you’re a brand who is linking all your Facebook and Twitter posts, you could be missing out on traffic. Wouldn’t you rather send people to your own website instead?

5. It’s just lazy. If you want people to engage and interact with you, don’t be so lazy as to assume that they don’t know what you’re doing. Have some respect for your audience.

Hopefully this post has convinced you to disconnect your Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can do that here. Trust me, your fans will appreciate it.

Lindsay Casey

Yelp is Awesome. 5 Ways To Make It Work For Your Small Business.

YelpBanner

About a week ago, Amy’s Baking Co. in Phoenix had a massive social media meltdown after they appeared on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. It was actually pretty painful to watch, but amusing, because it was just so completely insane. The couple now claim their Twitter and Facebook accounts were hacked and have apparently gotten law enforcement involved. Anyway, it brought up this article, Amy’s Baking Co. meltdown begs the question: Is Yelp bad for small business?

yelpiconI have the answer. No! No, no, no, no! Yelp is awesome for small business! Of course, it might be bad news for businesses who don’t purvey good products or give a crap about customer service. For everyone else, Yelp is a great tool to see who your brand ambassadors are and to reach an already engaged audience.

1. Claim Your Account. Seems pretty obvious, right? You’d be surprised how many accounts go unclaimed. Claiming your accounts means you can stay up to date with reviews posted about your business and can reply in a timely fashion. Make sure all your business information is filled in correctly so potential customers can easily find what they’re looking for.

2. Add Photos. When I read a great review of a restaurant or similar business, the next thing I want to see is an awesome photo. If a positive review has whet someone’s whistle, a killer photo gallery might seal the deal. Invest in a professional photographer, it is well worth the cost.

3. Respond. Only you can make it right. If a customer posts a negative review, you have the opportunity to respond and win that customer back. A swift, positive response from you can win over even the most disgruntled patron. Make sure you respond to the positive comments as well, a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way.

4. Have a Special. Someone browsing Yelp for a specific product or experience is looking to buy. You can entice them further with a discount or special offer. Make sure it’s easy for your customer to redeem your coupon though, nothing is more sure to leave a sour first impression than a frustrating redemption process.

5. Advertise. Once you have received a few reviews, you might want to invest a few advertising dollars into targeted ad placement. There are quite a few options for small businesses, from deals (Groupon-esque coupons) to monthly advertising. There’s even an option to place your ad on a competitors page. Make sure you do your research and choose the best option for your business

Do you you use Yelp for your small business? Share your own tips in the comments.