Interview Three
Job Title: Marketing Executive
Company: Globally renowned denim company established over 100 years ago
Following: 12,ooo,ooo+ worldwide
Main role/s: - Managing Social Media
- Executing Digital Marketing Campaigns
- Maintaining Digital Assets and Communications
- Monitoring the Companies Global Social Media
Did you get given any on the job training or advice in regards to how to use the social media platforms?
Yes, we can be quite flexible in how we deliver certain information but we ensure all communications are in line with the brand’s values.
Was maintaining and using social media included in your initial job description? OR
Were you working for the company before social media became a vital tool? If so have you noticed many differences in the way the public responds to the product and they type of customers you get and how did you implement social media into your marketing plans and strategies?
No, I was given ‘Digital’ to look after a couple of months back and social media has been used in house as a vital tool for quite some time now.
What types of social media do you use?
Facebook and Youtube
Did you have any prior experience with using social media in a capacity such as you are now?
Yes, I previously worked with an online business magazine so social media was a large part of the business.
Do others in your office help with or contribute to the social media side of things?
Yes, when different departments have news worthy stories or specific events to share, they are passed on to me. Copywriting is something else I have others contribute to.
How do you build your online fan base?
We mention our Facebook page in various print and digital assets we share with the public. Within our website and eDM’s we have social media buttons to link consumers through directly. We want to keep it as easy as possible for people to link up with us directly through these channels. We also rely on ‘sharing ‘ nature of social media posts and hope through different fans comments or mentions, their friends will want to join our fan base.
Which social media platform have you found the most useful/successful and why?
Facebook is great and very big for us, the success of this platform can really be attributed by the amount of people that have Facebook profiles and access the site on a daily basis.
How does dealing with customers in an online space differ from more traditional methods? Do people respond more positively or negatively in a public space?
I don’t think people respond any more positive of negative in a public space, but in these forums all voices are heard. More traditional methods of communicating with customers don’t usually give others the opportunity to add their opinions like a public forum can (ie adding to OR liking comments). A single comment/opinion has the potential to instantly become the view of a majority and grow at a rapid rate. I believe as long as responses are made as quickly as possible its more likely we are able to turn a negative into a positive and maintain a positive environment. People want to know you care, and we do.
How do you entice users to interact with your page(s)?
We try to keep posts as relevant and exciting as possible and want users to share their thoughts with us, just as much as we share with them. By aiming questions directly at our fan base and running regular competitions we aim to encourage as much interaction as possible.
Have you created incentives or competitions via social media? If so how successful have they been?
Yes, and the success of the competitions really rely on the following 3 points.
- Scheduled timing of the post - Facebook posts have a limited lifespan due to the nature of the newsfeed and how quickly it can filter down. It’s important to choose a time to post when traffic on Facebook is high.
- Clear call to action – Nobody reads each post in their newsfeed word for word. At a glance you want to send a clear message that there are freebies to be won.
- Make it as quick and painless to enter as possible.
What do you aim to achieve through the use of social media?
Brand awareness, brand loyalty and hopefully a few sales.
Where do you go to seek information on how to most effectively utilise each specific social media platform (or even social media as a whole) for your purposes?
I find researching the internet for various articles, reports and stats and through advice from our digital agency most effective. I think it’s also essential to take chances to find what may or may not work.
Does the social media in other countries have any connection or impact on the social media here in Australia. Do you find what is posted overseas influential on your content at all?
Although our news feeds differ, we share the same Facebook page with the rest of the world. We schedule both global and local posts. The global posts are mandated by our Global Head Office and each country posts them on the same date, we also tailor locally relevant posts to balance the Global messaging and ensure our posts are news-worthy.