5 Takeaways from #SMBuzzChat with Cass Gowing
Unless you were under a very well air conditioned rock, you would have known that last night’s #SMBuzzChat took place on the hottest day of the year in the UK where temperatures hit levels only comparable to the first and second circle of hell. It also happened to be the day of the most interesting and eye-opening #SMBuzzChat’s as Cass Gowing, Global Head of Social at AllSaints asked the community about customer empowerment and how to leverage it.
5 takaways from social buzz chat
#SMBuzzChat will not be on next Tuesday 26th July but there are a variety of other tweet chats you can take part in. This Sunday, We Are Social Media will have Maya Robert from Mashable as guest whilst on Tuesday 26th, Social Media London will be joined by Natalie Weaving; you can find out more here
1. Embrace the way your product makes people feel
If a product causes an emotional response that’s different to your original marketing strategy, don’t try and hack them onto your side, embrace the way that your customers are responding to it as Lucie Kerley pointed out perfectly.
A1) People will always be more relatable than products. So yes! Embrace the way your product makes people feel. https://t.co/rIDnlCivNA
— Lucie Kerley (@luciekerley) July 19, 2016
A1: If you have a social strategy without people in it, you're doing it wrong.#SMBuzzChat — The Gary J. Nix ® (@Mr_McFly) July 19, 2016
2. Employees are your best asset
No business is an island and no founder can do everything on their own. This even applies to a social media director; without a team who also put in the significant legwork, a social media strategy can fall flat on its face. It’s best to educate your team in every aspect of social media and why certain attitudes work whilst others do not.
Educating your team! And back it by data -i.e. show a customer and their opinion who has bough £X amount #SMBuzzChat https://t.co/U8yH0rMchg
— Cass Gowing (@CassGowing) July 19, 2016
3. Customers are your real influencers…
Not those with the million followers on Instagram (they can be your influencers too) but it’s your customers. Those who are always shopping with you; their opinion can increase retention whilst also leading to point 4…
@Buzz_Awards @CassGowing a3 ) on a hyper local level definitely - a great testimonial or social media post works wonders #smbuzzchat — Altrincham HQ (@altrinchamhq) July 19, 2016
@Buzz_Awards @TheDrumLDN @CassGowing great question. Simply put - yes!!! #smbuzzchat
— Stephen Lepitak (@StephenLepitak) July 19, 2016
@Buzz_Awards @CassGowing A3 Clients do influence how we do business, especially in the social age. Brands need to be flexible #SMBuzzChat
— WSIOMS (@wsioms) July 19, 2016
Also PSA; customers do not mind adverts
@Mr_McFly so true. Also worth noting that people don't mind ads, they mind interruptions and annoyances... #SMBuzzChat
— POLLYANNA WARD (@Pollage) July 19, 2016
4. Word of mouth is more important that ever
Every customer is a micro-influencer; a term that we’ll explain fully in the full episode of Social Buzz Chat
A3: Considering that, to this day, word of mouth from people you trust is more valuable than ever...#SMBuzzChat — The Gary J. Nix ® (@Mr_McFly) July 19, 2016
5. Always surprise and delight your customers
Cass spoke about the importance of delighting your customers through empowerment schemes; an example of this at All Saints is their idea of ‘Surprising and Delighting’ a customer.
Our strategy at @AllSaintsLive has seen amazing results in brand loyalty and consequent social promotion #SMBuzzChat https://t.co/typFEKJTkj — Cass Gowing (@CassGowing) July 19, 2016