With social network sites like Foursquare and new proximity tools like Apple’s beacon technology the amount of data available for brands is only going to increase over the next couple years. The reason big data is a big problem is often because brands aren’t sure what to listen for or collect therefore they collect everything and therefore have too much to create actions from.
Social data doesn’t have to be as complicated, although customers are more connected and smarter they’re also providing all the data and feedback brands have been craving. The key is understanding what data is important and creating processes and procedures to manage this data and turn it into action.
Social Data and Social Listening
On a recent episode of CXOtalk Extreme Networks CMO Vala Afshar stated that after checking in on Swarm the hotel replied to him saying welcome and they had upgraded his room. He then took a picture of his room to share a nice humblebrag and thank the hotel for the upgrade which was shared with his 40K followers on twitter. He probably wouldn’t have taken the picture even if he enjoyed the stay but because they simply upgraded and were listening they got free marketing from a happy influential customer.
This experience might have been made possible because the hotel empowers their social media team to randomly reward customers that check-in or maybe the hotel linked Vala’s reservation to his social media account and identified him as influential. No matter the reason the key element was this simple action led to a humblebrag moment that every person working in or using social media is guilty of.
I recently received nice note and cloud stickers from the Buffer team congratulating me on the #CloudTalk community I recently launched. The very next package I opened was from Meshfire a social tool that I use, they had partnered with Scott Stratten of UnMarketing to send me a copy of the new book Unselling. Not only was I grateful but I posted on my social networks not only to say thank you but to humblebrag about the free book and nice note I received from great companies that I already love and brag about!
If you go to an event, have great seats at game, meet a celebrity or get a great deal, you immediately post these events to social media. The great part is these posts are authentic, provide third-party validation and word of mouth marketing. This might sound simple and a no brainer but most brands aren’t even using social listening and many who are haven’t built a culture or empowered their community managers to reward customers in real-time to make a humblebrag possible. The key is understanding the community, listening and be prepared to reward and act not only in real-time but at the RIGHT TIME!
I would love to hear your experiences please comment below or tweet me Brian Fanzo at @iSocialFanz
Brian Fanzo is a partner and Chief Digital Strategist at Broadsuite Media Group (BMG). His focus is on helping companies utilize new technology like mobile, analytics, and cloud computing to be more productive. He is also an expert at working with audiences and brands who want to learn more about using social media and content marketing (including rich media content), to more effectively reach, inform, educate, and connect with their audiences and prospect bases. Brian is also an expert on the topic of Millennials. He speaks on this topic and works with organizations helping them understand the Millennial mindset, what motivates them, how to prepare your organization for the future workforce, and a myriad of other topics related to a new generation of leaders.
Brian is passionate about teaching change and he focuses on doing this in his work with brands as both an influencer and advisor, and he’s also a sought-after speaker and multi-media creator. In addition to contributing regularly to MillennialCEO, Brian co-hosts two weekly Twitter chats, #SbizHour and #CloudTalk, as well as co-hosting a a weekly podcast called SMACtalk. You can find Brian on Twitter@isocialfanz, or on LinkedIn or Google+.
