I was at the grocery store yesterday having an in-depth conversation with my 8-year-old son about what kind of “meat” must be in those jarred spaghetti sauces in the pasta aisle – you know the ones I’m talking about? How is that OK to just sit out on the shelf like that? What must be in there?
Anyway, in the middle of our speculation I registered the intercom saying from overhead something to the effect of, “…follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more deals – something, something, food.”
“Apparently, the grocery store has a fan page,” I told my son, and he chuckled a confused chuckle asking, “What?”
Mmm, so I stowed it away and after dinner remembered to look up Hy-Vee Incorporated’s Facebook page… juuust to see what kind of action was being dealt on, again, a grocery store fan page. At work we’re constantly talking with clients about how to use this whole social media thing to engage and draw in customers, and yes, we’ve had to get creative more than a couple times, so this intrigued me.
And there it was, Hy-Vee was putting on a clinic how to use Facebook as a marketing tool. There are videos, there are pictures from an event they sponsored, they’re a company with over 55,000 employees and they’re actually interacting with fans on their wall! Sure, there are a couple spots that could be better and/or updated, but I was happily surprised, so much so I joined their throng of followers… yes, I am now a fan of my grocery store.
Just last week good ol’ eMarketer released a report comprehensively and long-windedly titled the “Reasons for Friending or Following Companies Through Social Media According to U.S. Consumers, December 2009”.
As you can see from the report, though people are most interested in getting the first word on deals and specials, they’re also seeking a bit of that personal touch by getting a sneak peek at new products and services. So, what does a grocery store have to offer? Why, the aforementioned food preparation videos, a little interaction with the fans by answering questions – that personal touch that shows they’re listening to you.
I suppose the question now is: what’s your social media plan? Can you compete with your local grocer?
