The Home Depot: Revolutionizing D.I.Y. Through Engagement

Within a company,  a necessary component of marketing strategy involves customer engagement. This creates report between the company and its customers, and it allows the company to learn the needs and wants of the customers. The invent of social media has created a whole new way for customers to achieve this engagement. Some companies are finding new and innovative ways to use social media to engage with customers.

The Home Depot has built an entire brand around “Do-It-Yourself”. They have always focused on customer service. They have offered project workshops and a knowledgeable staff to assist customers in all of their home repair needs. While this traditional strategy of customer engagement has made Home Depot a successful company, they are fully aware of the changing times (and technology).

The Home Depot has utilized Twitter in order to help their customers around the clock. They understand that customers will have questions and concerns about products/safety in relation to their home improvement projects.  To better serve these customers, The Home Depot has set up a Twitter account that answers customer’s concerns 24 hours a day. There is always an official representative on hand to answer any question relating to a product, service, home improvement project, or safety issue. This is an added comfort to customers who can feel assured that Home Depot is always there to assist them. Using the most common questions from Twitter, Home Depot also has a YouTube account to post instructional videos related a wide variety of home improvement projects.

This type of service is certainly not required, but it increases customer satisfaction by engaging with customers and “going the extra mile”.

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Starbucks: Brewing Success Through Aggregation

Aggregation, in the business sense, is the collecting and combining of information from different mediums in order to consolidate the data and

In the realm of social commerce, aggregation has many uses. Using social media, companies are able to collect vast amounts of information on different consumers. These companies can then take this data and uncover trends based on specific variables (Such as income, age, location, etc.).

Starbucks has been pioneering the use of different social media outlets to better understand customers needs and wants. What does Starbucks say is the most important aspect of social media? Listening. When launching their new instant coffee Starbucks Via, they employed several social media outlets to discover what customers had to say about the brand.

1). Twitter:  Starbucks used twitter to engage with customers, answer questions and allow consumers to voice concerns.

2). Facebook:  Starbucks uses facebook to upload videos, blog posts and photos. This creates a forum for customers to give feedback and open discussions topics. Instead of having to spend time collecting data on their customers, facebook has made it where customers are willingly bringing the information directly to Starbucks.

3). YouTube:  Starbucks uses YouTube to upload commercials, informational videos and updates on charitable works. This is yet another way they engage with their customers and, perhaps more importantly, allow their customers to engage with them.

Social media has created a whole new way for companies to collect data on their customer bases. The companies that take advantage of this, like Starbucks, are reaping rewards for their efforts.

Google+Business

My video on the features and uses of Google+