How “The Body shop USA” can enhance their customer engagement?

Two weeks ago, I posted my first report monitoring “The Body Shop USA” conversations. A lot of things have changed for “The Body Shop USA” since then. In this post, I will showcase my findings from (Mar 14, 2012 to Mar 27, 2012) and also outline few steps that "The Body Shop USA" can take to enhance customer engagement.

The global company “The Body Shop” introduced their first-ever brand advocate, model turned actress, Lily Cole, who mentions herself as a developing activist and firmly believes in the company’s fair trade policy. The company has just last week (Mar 22, 2012) launched its new blog (for more visit: http://blog.thebodyshop.com/). Well the blog was definitely a part of my suggestions for “The Body Shop” but I guess they read my mind :) The Fortune Magazine featured "The Body Shop’s” founder Dame Anita Roddick, and gave her an honorable mention on their list of the Greatest Entrepreneurs for creating a socially and environmentally responsible business.

In hope that all these would have changed the different social media metrics and statistics for “The Body Shop USA,” I examined a few free social media analytics tools.

• Consistent increase of fans and followers

The increase in fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter continued in the last two weeks (data gathered using Famecount & Tweetstats). During my period of study (Feb 20 to Mar 27, 2012) the fan count has increased by 4500 on facebook alone.

• Rise in blog citation and interest levels due to the new developments

The Ice Rocket trend tool highlights an upsurge in the blogs citation of “The Body Shop USA” on Thursday, March 22, 2012. There is also rise in the interest level cited by Google Insights. All of the above mentioned developments have together contributed to this increase. The customers/fans welcomed the new brand advocate both on Twitter as well as Facebook. The fans applauded the efforts of “The Body Shop’s” founder, Anita Roddick for all the ethical business practices she adopted to run her business.

• Qualitatively, some things have changed since my last report. Customer complaints at least in the last week were better handled. I guess they read my report ;) And many… many… many… received a prompt response. Kudos to “The Body Shop USA” 

 

• However, there was a clear irregularity in responding to customer queries on Facebook. On some days, customers received a quick response while others it took as long as 2-3 days

 

• Unlike my last report, in the last two weeks I found very few negative posts that did not receive a response 

 

• In the past few weeks, branding and marketing efforts included communicating about the company’s ethical practices of conducting business

 

• And… the fans supported company’s ethical practices posts
  

• One generic message received huge response. None of the branding messages could get such traction. Of course the natural ingredients angle did help!!
  

Steps for "The Body Shop USA" to enhance customer engagement:

Given my observations in the last two social media monitoring reports, a different online approach can have a dramatic difference in terms of impact and customer/fan engagement for “The Body Shop USA”. Engagement is really important, having hundreds and thousands of fans with only about 2.5% engaged can take one only so far.

• Listening: The company adopts a more ‘corporate’ tone of engagement. It would be nice if the company adopted a more active, personal and conversation building tone of engagement to build greater trust and deepen relationships with their fans/customers. Additionally, there is no uniformity in the look and feel across the various social media platforms. They should take concrete efforts on building a uniform presence across their website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Flick account and YouTube page.
• Talking: By simply being regular and consistent in responding the customer queries, I am sure the company can build on their goodwill and add many more fans to their existing base.  Responding in a timely manner in the groundswell is a necessity and not a luxury.
• Energizing:  The company did not have an official blog until last week. Now that “The Body Shop” (corporate, based out of UK) has a blog, they should build country specific pages (for USA and others) and encourage the brand evangelists in that country to blog about the products, write reviews and do the marketing for the company. Instead of running many discounts/sales promotions they can reward customer sponsored stories/guest blogs and thereby build credibility. The company can focus on driving branding/marketing efforts through their fair/just business model and communicating about their values and the actions they take to live up to those values (human trafficking, fair trade and so on). The company can cultivate online relationships with their partners and various online animal rights organizations across the globe (Thank You Jesse for the suggestion). Additionally, I found a wonderful booklet cum brochure (Values Report 2011) on their website, that talks about many such cases; engaging blog posts accompanied by rich media (photos and videos) will definitely inspire, connect, engage and drive action within the community. 
• Supporting: Yet another suggestion is that “The Body Shop USA” should put up product reviews, application/usage tutorials on one single site (ideally their website) as many customer posts were related to them and most reviews for Body Shop products were scattered all over the place. Organizing reviews will help the company reduce significant customer support costs. Another suggestion could be linking popular health and beauty blogs/product reviews to "The Body Shop" blog. 
• Embracing:  “The Body Shop USA” should create an integrated platform that includes elements such as a blog with content that inspires, connects and drives action. It may also include their existing customer loyalty program and other social networks such as LinkedIn, Pinterest or YouTube.  It should most times also include an integrated email communication option for nurturing.

With tracking and monitoring “The Body Shop USA” should have a better understanding of the elements of social media that are benefiting its business. What they need to do is feed this into their ongoing customer engagement (marketing) strategy. They must focus on relationships and connecting with their audiences and it doesn’t matter where the return policy is located, people will find them and use them because they want to engage with the brand!

It should be “The Body Shop USA’s” mission to see that all the good causes they support take up a larger share of the popular-culture pie (space). They should help more than just selling a product; they should engage with the community in the worthwhile. They have been and are pioneers at this – partnering with people, organizations, and missions that are socially and ethically defensible. It’s just that their customer engagement efforts should be tailored and shout-aloud the same message. 

Fun… Games… Technology… and Languages!!

In an increasingly dynamic, rapidly changing and interconnected world we dwell in, learning a foreign/second language is critical for survival. Even world-class companies like Twitter are launching in Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu!! Language learning practices are being modified by technology and more with social media (Groundswell). The web today offers plenty of opportunities to learn languages. It is a matter of focusing on what you are looking for. As Li & Bernoff say, of course all the interactions are supported by technology but none could’ve happened if it wasn’t for us (i.e. the people participating in them).

Photo Credit: www.img.xiami.com

I would like to share my story with you. I learned German as a language way back in 2001. I did stay in touch with the language for few years, by watching movies, listening to music, radio, all in German.  I was fortunate to work for one of the largest German Manufacturing Company that helped trigger my memory and keep German top of mind. 

However, after moving jobs, I really lost touch with the language. My husband was sailing in a similar boat (he had learned German few years ago).  We wanted to be in touch with the language. We did attempt interacting in German language every now and then, but with limited vocabulary from our memory, it was tough to sustain. So we devised a way to rekindle our connection with the language. We switched the GPS instructions in our car to German language to navigate our way through any destination. At first, it was funny but later, we started translating and repeating the set of directions. We discovered a fun and interesting way to be in touch with our second language. 

As you are meeting new people online, having conversations, posting, building exposure and handling new opportunities daily via social media (Groundswell), it is essential to know a language or two other than English. Today, there are several new ways to learn a new language. I am listing three popular and interesting social networks for you to use if you’re trying to learn a new language. 

MindSnacks.com

 

MindSnacks.com offers six exciting and interactive games to build up one’s vocabulary in 13 different languages. The founders are definitely approaching language learning in a rather unconventional way,  by using addictive games to engage their customers. They believe that education is unnecessarily associated with blandness and they want to change it with their products. Not only are they educating their customers but also, asking them to help them to vote for their favorite languages to be added to the existing set.

Photo Credit: www.mindsnacks.com

In an interview with Mashable, MindSnacks.com founder Jesse Pickard said, “The idea behind MindSnacks is to make learning as much fun as possible. Over 26 million words have been mastered because the games are fun and addictive and users want to go back to beat challenges, unlock new games and watch their scores improve.”

italki.com 

italki.com, pronounced as i-talk-i, is free language learning website where you can find everything you need to learn a language online. It boasts of having a global community of language learners and teachers with 100+ languages in 200+ countries. Using Web 2.0 concepts such as social networking, user-generated content, and crowd-sourcing, italki.com facilitates language learning. This website focuses on learning foreign languages and uses features like multimedia chat, socially-driven questions and answers, open-source file sharing, and collaborative knowledge-based wikis.

Photo Credit: www.italki.com

LiveMocha.com

Photo Credit: www.livemocha.com

LiveMocha.com is a social network at its core, located in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Washington, it is the largest online-based language learning service. With 9 million members in nearly 200 countries, Live Mocha.com was named as one of Time magazine’s top 50 websites of 2010. All participants maintain and actively manage a personal profile on the site (profile photo, friends list). Right when you sign up, a simple questionnaire helps you build your profile. In your profile, you can indicate the languages you wish to learn and the languages you already know. Live chat is available with anyone that is online and you can use it to practice the language of your choice.

Earning points gives a huge incentive for learning as well. You can earn Mocha points by being engaged in the site, completing coursework and helping other members with submission reviews, flashcards, and translations. If you earn enough points, you can also earn free course as well. 

I have enjoyed myself learning new languages. Have you ever tried learning foreign languages? What apps or websites or social networks have you used to learn languages?

The Creative Café

Creativity is the ability to make people think and feel new things. That's what great art, movies and literature do! The embedded video shows a man using internet memes to propose his girlfriend. This is the kind of creativity I am talking about. (You can read the entire story in a post by mashable.com)

I know the phrase “art is everywhere” can be cliché, but it can hold true if you let it. Social Media or as Li & Bernoff call it “Groundswell,” gets the creative juices of many flowing.  According to a recent study conducted by Chicago University’s Booth School of Business, “Social Media more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol,” but it’s hard to deny that it breeds creativity as well. 

                                                                                  

 What's another word for Doomed??

Photo Credit: www.neatshop.com

Social networking sites like Facebook give users the power to showcase their creative expression. Creativity has always been about making conversations and making those conversations go viral, but it’s no longer guarded by an elite group. With social media, creativity can be developed, nurtured, mashed up or remixed; the process is ever-evolving and eternal.

Although there aren’t as many creators as spectators, collectors and critics (Groundswell, pp. 44) but  social media presents a host of tools with which we can get creative, be it, status updates, blogs, images, or videos.

                           We are on FB!!

Photo Credit: http://imgur.com/

ProCon.org cites the cornerstone of creativity on social media, “Social networking sites bring people with common interests together, offer exposure to new ideas from around the world, and lower inhibitions to overcome social anxiety. People who have a difficulty communicating in person are more comfortable interacting via the Internet.”

The idea to cover the creativity aspect of social media came out of a team meeting this week, when someone asked, what really is an Internet Meme? “Internet Memes,” pronounced as “meem” just like “seem” or “dream,” and “Trolls” are the applications of creativity with the emergence of social media. They have been there for a while now, but have become extremely popular since 2008.

What they did with my bicycle?

Photo Credit: http://imgur.com/

An internet meme is a phrase, image, video or just an idea that goes viral on the internet (spreads easily from one person to another) for no logical reason. These memes are usually silly but amusing. Hence, many share it on their walls or timelines or streams or tweets.  

Photo Credit: www.poofytoo.tumblr.com

Chuck Norris jokes or lolcats are the most popular ones. Some of these might seem like nonsense or created by people who have nothing else to do, however that isn’t true. Lolcats today is worth USD 2 million. The 1stwebdesigner covers the power of internet meme in an extremely informative post! According to Racheal from 1stwebdesigner , “Internet Memes shape popular culture, change the way we live our lives, and continually evolve with modern society today.”

In a post describing the rise and growth of the new social networking site “Pinterest” blogger Jason Falls said, “One thing is clear whether you're on Pinterest for personal or business reasons: the best images -- be they funny, beautiful or thought provoking -- attract the most attention and followers.”

Watch 50 Internet Memes in under 100 seconds!!

So what’s your take?  Do share your definition of creativity in an age of collaborative thinking, participation, crowdsourcing, and social media. Please leave a comment!

It's simply all about people!

With fancy new apps & technologies and newer social networking sites being released almost every other week; social media seems to do be driven by technologies. But it isn’t, it’s all about people! When I think about social media, the most famous words “Of the people, for the people and by the people” by President Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg address come to my mind. That’s precisely the essence of my blog “E= MC² (basics) of Social Media” and specifically this post!

Photo Credit: http://www.marketing4newmedia.com/

Social media provides the opportunity for people to participate and contribute their ideas, experience and knowledge nearly real-time. In their book, Groundswell, authors’ Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff explain the collective power of social media, “People connect with other people and draw power from other people especially the crowds. Internet allows people to draw strength from each other.”

Blogger Susan Gunelius lists “Crowdsourcing, using other people to create your content” as the top Social Media Marketing Trend for 2012. Coca-Cola is one company that has managed to do this particularly well. If you visit their Facebook fan page, they’ve narrated the feel-good story of all time. The story of a fan, Dusty, who couldn’t find a facebook page for Coca-Cola and ended up creating one. It’s interesting because they are placing fans/customers’ first, they’re “listening” and allowing fan’s to do all the “talking” thereby building trust. 

“Dusty loved Coca-Cola and was in search for The Coca-Cola Fan Page on Facebook. He couldn't find one that felt official enough, so he set out to create his own. With the help of his friend Michael J, they created this Page.”

In this virtual (social media) world, most participants in the group/conversation do not even know each other personally. However, they do have a common purpose in mind, they come together for a cause, and the technology just facilitates the connection. And as authors’ Li and Bernoff say, “The collective strength is what makes them really powerful and leaves the feeling of being “unafraid.”

Across industries, a wide range of social media tools and technologies are used for news gathering and distribution. Google Plus and LinkedIn can be used to build his professional brand reach and authority, and Facebook to engage prospects and customers.  Marketers can gather great info from Facebook. The likes can help them rank up on the search engines. So many new social channels emerge that give marketers tremendous insights to their customers. Consumer-centric sites like Pinterest lets you see what people are interested in for home, fashion, cooking, automotive, sports and more. Trending topics on Twitter can help you determine spin for posts to help bubble content to the surface.

Photo Credit: http://www.breakingcopy.com/social-media-flowchart-status

It might not make sense to dedicate specialized experts to each platform to keep up with the technology and the culture, but using a personal approach to turn user into a customer with a dash of social will do the trick. “Because a strategy that treats everyone alike will spell failure – people aren’t alike and won’t respond in the same way,” explain authors’ Li and Bernoff in their book Groundswell. 

It is important to always adapt and be ready for change especially when it comes to social media marketing; and according to Brian Whalley, search marketer at Hubspot, “marketing actually speaks to their audience and doesn't hinge on a specific feature or method of outreach.” Social Media is inherently conversational and transparent; examples of brands that have been successful in building trust with their customers are listed on PR Daily.

Companies can take advantage of the collective power of employees active on social media as well. Citibank launched the “Building a new Citi” campaign as a part of their 200 years celebration. They first introduced the concept internally gathered ideas/stories/blogs from employees and then rolled it to the external world. In her talk at Stanford University, Deborah Hopkins, from the Chief Innovation Office at Citi, explains how they unleashed the true power social technologies to gather ideas, build marketing campaigns/products from employees to build partnerships and gain trust of customers. 

According to Fast Company expert blogger Julie Moreland, “As a business owner, if you can tap in to the passion of your workforce, you can accomplish things that no amount of money can buy.”

A humorous video showing how integrated these new technologies are in our lives today is attached below. Given the discussion, what according to you dives people to publicly connect with brands/services/employers?