Tag Archives: trend

A Look Into Malaysia’s eCommerce Scene in 2012

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So the team and I at OpenMinds Resources recently put together our findings we conducted on the local eCommerce scene into an infographic and discovered a number of stuff that did surprise a bunch of us.

We found that guys tend to make online purchases more than the fairer gender, payment via cash on delivery out weighs bank transfers and exclusive deals doesn’t necessarily command an immediate purchase (despite us Malaysians being quite crazy over bargains). You can read about the findings here or directly from the infographic below (click for larger image):

eCommerce scene in malaysia 2012

Where do we go from here?

If your business is situated in Malaysia or are facing a similar market outlook, here are 5 points to consider to turn these findings to your advantage:

#1: Offer credit card checkout options

This may seem obvious but most small sized online retailers do not offer such options to their customers for various reasons including high transaction fees and technical complexities.

What you may want to explore is to utilize a credible payment gateway such as PayPal, iPay88 or MOL Pay in Malaysia as setting them up aren’t difficult at all. As for the high transaction fees, I’d rather not lose out on the 58%.

#2: Consider meetups to drive sales

The biggest disadvantage of an online store to the customers is the inability to physically see and feel the product. Having that said, a no obligation meetup to showcase your products may not be a bad idea though costly to you at first.

What you want to achieve here is to boost your credibility. I recently made online purchase of a shirt myself and I was pleasantly surprise that the retailer was more than happy to provide an exchange of size at no additional cost should it not fit me.

#3: Be detailed when providing product info

Instead of putting all your effort in writing a sales pitch for your product, try to be descriptive. Saying your product can change the world in a click and how awesome and limited they are won’t cut it. Instead, say HOW it can change the world and in what way will it function will do a whole lot better.

Of course, the price has to be clear too. Nothing annoys a customer off more than having an unclear pricing mechanism.

#4: Consider REAL product reviews

One of the reasons why sites such as Amazon.com and TripAdvisor.com are loved by many is because of its reviews. Real, honest reviews by fellow customers.

I know this sounds like a risk to many retailers but it works. Not only you’re able to obtain real feedback from your customers, you’re getting them to do the selling for you!

user submitted photos as product reviews

BlackMilk Clothing turns real reviews up a notch by encouraging customers to submit a photo of themselves in the dresses they sell. This not only shows other customers how that dress may look like on them, but not also have a user-generated pool of photos. Brilliant!

#5: Create exclusive offers… and gain from it!

Group deals are still pretty big over here in Malaysia and that’s great for us consumers. The problem is that retailers tend to rely on these deals as a means to drive sales and eventually find that these deals are not sustainable, which is true.

Don’t just create an offer and throw it off the street. Ask yourself, how can you maximize it to your benefit? Could it be a good opportunity to grow subscribers? To amass reviews or feedback? To get them to bring their family and friends along?

Check out: How to manage a group deal for a small business

What are some other observations you’re able to gather from this research? Would love to hear from you!

What About Customer Satisfaction Online?

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Customer satisfaction has always been an important contributing factor to businesses and more recently, it has been translated to technology too! No longer it is sufficient for businesses to ensure customer satisfaction offline, but on online platforms too.

The Reason

It is okay to place your contact number on a website 10 years ago (if you had one) and expect customers to call you directly should there face any problems. In fact, your website did not need to be interactive. A guestbook (do you remember that one) was the cool thing back then.

Today, things are different. There was never a time more relevant than now for you to ensure a higher customer satisfaction rating on your online platforms.  A recent survey revealed huge numbers on online customer satisfaction and how it CAN indeed improve sales – both offline and online (click on below image for full article).

customer statisfcation online

The Challenge

You may have seen or read tons of reports, articles, infographics such as the above  and you know by heart how customer satisfaction is important. The problem is, how?

  • How can you effectively increase customer satisfaction through your website?
  • What can you do to ensure customers have a good digital experience with your brand?
  • What does it take to be ‘user friendly’?
  • What is ‘user friendly’ anyway?

If you’ve asked some of these questions above, read on!

10 Ways To Increase Customer Satisfaction Online

#1: Provide REAL Product Reviews and Ratings

Note that I stressed on the word ‘real’. Simply placing a photo of a satisfied client with a well scripted message does not cut it anymore. Allow customers to generate their own reviews, both good and bad. Empower your customers to create more customers. Let customers see for themselves what others are talking about your product or service and allow them to speak of their experiences as well.

#2: Clear Navigation (and Call-to-Action!)

Ever been to websites that plays hide-and-seek with you? Hidden links, poorly coordinated colours or simply just by having too many links. Contrary to the beliefs of many businesses, having more links does not necessarily help customers to navigate better.

Ask yourself, who do you expect to come by your website? What do they expect to see? 3 different links to you company’s vision and mission statements or the products and services you offer? Are they often looking for an answer to a question or to get personal advice from you?

#3: Support

Let’s be honest here, there are many occasions where we as customers ourselves often head straight to the contact form to pen down our feedback, suggestion, enquiry or question without first checking the FAQ page or using whatever search feature there is. While sometimes it is due to customers being hasty, often it is due to you not providing clear or simplified ways for them to seek support from.

AskAirAsia

Let’s take a look at Air Asia for a bit. Note that they have a section on their website solely dedicated to answering customers’ questions? Not only they provided a clear and distinctive way of searching, the topics are also laid out in a very understandable manner, minus the jargons.

#4: Be Multi-Channel

Provide as many avenues for customers to be in touch with you as possible within your capabilities. This not only allows customers to communicate on what they are comfortable on, but it also demonstrates how open you are to hear from your customers.

I usually recommend my clients to have a minimum of 3 different customer touch points: a contact form via the website, a contact number and a social media platform. While these touch points are not absolute, it caters to 3 different groups of customers – the tech inclined (contact form), the non-tech inclined (contact number), and the socialites (social media platform).

#5: Surprise Them

Think about the small things that can make a difference, just as how awesome it would be for a hotel to leave you a handwritten note during your check-in or how the waiter brings your check with free mints. How can you convert these small gestures online?

It does not need to be something big but good enough that it stands out, especially from your competitors. It can be a small bonus, extended warranties, free support or training, insider discount, an easy return process or even personalized packaging (I’m a sucker for packaging)!

#6: Don’t be Too Quick to Reply

Businesses often equate speed or response time to customer satisfaction. That’s just partially true. There’s nothing more irritable than receiving a half-baked reply that derails from the customer’s concerns. Customers want their voices heard and problems acknowledged. Saying “We will look into it” is not enough, especially if it s a canned response.

Your response does not need to be Lego, but relate yourself in that very same situation, address the pain and always offer a solution. If there is none, tell the customer what will be done exactly on your end to rectify the problem. Take it another step further by dropping the customer a call or another email few days later to provide an update of the situation.

#7: Mobile Compatibility

You’ve probably heard this a million times and I’ll say it again because it IS that important. With such a huge increase of mobile users over the past 3 years, it is almost guaranteed that customers will likely stumble upon your site on their mobile devices – whether it’s through a link on Facebook, a newsletter you’ve sent or via search engines.

A site that is mobile compatible usually has these traits:

  • NOT designed using Flash
  • The site fits into the screen
  • The contents, such as text and images can be seen without scrolling or zooming
  • Simplified navigation scheme (e.g. displayed in a dropdown list instead)
  • Quick loading time

#8: Check Your Links

This sounds like an easy one but you’ll be surprised on how easy it is for you to miss just a single link on your website. Click here for an example.

See what I mean? Did that annoy you just a bit? Check your links. All of them. Make sure they work as intended as customers do get annoyed if they can’t get to where they want to be!

#9: Revisit Your ‘Introduction’ Page

There really is no reason to put a page before your home page. I am very glad that this trend is slowly making its exit but many businesses are still on it! If you have one, do you REALLY need to have one? Can that introduction be placed as part of the home page instead?

Such pages not only requires customers to go through an additional step to ‘enter’ or to ‘skip’ it, it is bad for SEO too. Search engines hate it, and you definitely do not want to get into their bad books!

#10: Loading Speed

One of the biggest turn offs is slow loading speed. Not only it greatly affects browsing experience, it totally kills the mood too. No customer would be happy waiting for your product page to load or to make a payment. Did you know that even a second is now, too long?

Google has a nifty tool to test your website’s speed and recommends ways you can speed it up, though you need a technical person to do so. If your website is getting anything lower than a score of 60, you definitely need to do something about it!

Customer Satisfaction is Here to Stay

Like it or not, customers will continue to expect more out of businesses online especially when the internet population and tech literacy continues to increase. Business can no longer escape this fact, not for long.

Remember, dissatisfied customers can stir a storm and should not be taken lightly.

What’s your take on customer satisfaction online? What is it that ticks you off the most?

Social Media for Entrepreneurs: Friend or Foe?

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Note: This is Part 4 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series.

Social media networks are awesome to have

This is Part 4 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series. Quick access to the series below:
[ Introduction | Part 1: The Basics | Part 2: Why It’s Made for You | Part 3: The Reality | Part 4 ]

Disclaimer: The video was recorded as part of the RU Ready series targeted to entrepreneurs in Malaysia by Prudential which I was involved in. This also happen to be my first ever video series :)

Social Media for Entrepreneurs: The 5 Realities of Social Media

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Note: This is Part 3 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series.

With the many benefits social networking platforms have, it is no wonder many that are new imagined being ‘social’ is easier than it actually is. After all, you probably already have a personal Facebook or Twitter account in which you’re up-keeping well.

Unfortunately, having your business on social media isn’t something (as) easy.

The difference is this – on your personal page you’re free to share and talk about anything you want and let’s be honest, the main reason you’re spending so much time on these platforms is because it has been, and continues to be all about yourself; and you keep track (or stalk) your friends’ latest happenings.

And that does not happen with your business. Watch the video below on the reality of social media.

The 5 Realities of Social Media An Entrepreneur Should Know Of

Note: this is an extension of the video above

#1: You’re not connected as you think you are

It is always a good idea to first reach out to your existing networks (friends or followers) when putting together your business page. However, the friends you have may not be fans of your business. Even if they are, they may not necessarily be your potential customers. And you’re certainly not connected to all 800 million people on Facebook. Which also means that your business is hardly global.

#2: It won’t be a case of increasing sales

At least not so soon. Social media platforms should never be seen as an answer to low sales simply because it never is a sales platform to begin with. It says ‘social’ for a reason. Don’t get me wrong – sales CAN happen but it will be a result of communication and relationship building, not through blatant advertising.

#3: It is not easy. At all.

Just like starting up a business or a new website, it isn’t easy at all and there are many reasons to it. Whether it is marketing strategy, customer acquisition or retention, they are also valid (and prevailing) challenges on social media platforms so much so that if you think that getting started is tough, you’re wrong. It’s tougher ahead.

The frequent changes and updates in technology, the fact that you’re dealing with consumers that continuously demand, and the time required to be seen as ‘present’ on these platforms for people to take notice of your business is sufficient enough to get you going for as long your business is running.

#4: It isn’t free either

Speaking of time (in #3 above), time isn’t free, and by now you should have noticed the heavy involvement / requirement of time on social media. You need time to build connections, to create conversations and the dedication to make it happen for you.

This also means that you may have lesser time to do (actual) business thus losing out on potential sales elsewhere. If you choose to hire, there are costs involved as well. Sure, the platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are free, but the calculation does not stop there.

#5: And it isn’t a numbers game

Many have said this and I’ll say it again – don’t ever get caught in the numbers game. In other words, don’t spend all your time accumulating the number of followers or fans! Unless your only goal is to look better than your competitor and not get anything out of it, never compete in numbers.

In fact, you can even purchase fans and followers from as low as $5 USD. That’s how ‘cheap’ they are.

Additional read: 8 Grave Misconceptions about Social Media

“Okay, what to do then?”

what to do on social media+ Keep your head in the game and focus on what’s most important for your business.
+ Strive to provide value and provide them consistently.
+ Create conversations that is about them, not about you.
+ At appropriate opportunities, give them a reason to share about you and tell them how to.
+ Get them involved in your business through discussions. Hear them out!
+ Encourage them to share their thoughts or ideas.
+ Take a step further to get to know them better, for example, their interests.
+ Don’t be all suited up. Have fun! Run promotions, giveaways or share lighthearted resources (don’t go overboard though!).
+ Don’t automate replies. Being genuine is key.
+ And ultimately, stay committed.

Next up in Part 4: Friend or Foe?

This is Part 3 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series. Quick access to the series below:
[ Introduction | Part 1: The Basics | Part 2: Why It’s Made for You | Part 3: The Reality | Part 4 ]

Disclaimer: The video was recorded as part of the RU Ready series targeted to entrepreneurs in Malaysia by Prudential which I was involved in. This also happen to be my first ever video series :)

Photo credit: BizOrigin

Social Media for Entrepreneurs: 3 Reasons Why Social Media is Made for You

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Note: This is Part 2 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series.

Social media networks are powerful tools for both individuals and businesses. No, I’m not referring to the fact that it has a huge user base (because you will not be able to reach out to all of them anyway) but the ability to do the below 3 amazing things for your business.

Watch the short video below!

If you missed this part in the video above, let me ask you again:

“Everyone, including your competitors are on social media networks. Why are you on social media? What are you doing different than them?”

That may sound like a simple question but you’ll also need to understand the 3 reasons why social media will benefit you as an entrepreneur to understand what can be done:

Note: the below is an excerpt from the video above (with a little extra)

#1: Social Media Levels the Playing Field

Social media is all about building a relationship with your target audience in a two-way conversation. It is not meant to be collected and admired upon. This also means that brands with huge budget cannot directly purchase success on social networks, unlike on print ads where visibility wins. High visibility does not guarantee a growing relationship with your audience.

On top of that, these social media platforms often go through updates (like the recent Facebook timeline update). Big brands have to keep up with it as well and there are no shortcuts to it.

#2: Social Media Can Be (Very) Targeted

One of the advantage social networks have over traditional mediums is that it can be a whole lot more targeted. Not only it allows you to target potential customers in a specific location, gender, age or interest (such as in Facebook Ads), it can also be used to target conversations (on Twitter) or even current locations (on FourSquare).

This means that entrepreneurs today have the ability to reach out to their target audience specifically without spending unnecessarily while effectively meeting the ‘wants’ of a customer.

#3: Social Media is a Network of Networks

Many people limit their networks to their immediate friends or followers, thinking that it is only them that they are reaching out to and this is a flawed concept. One of the main benefits of social networks is the ability to tap into the networks of your friends or followers. This can be done through the ‘sharing’, ‘retweeting’ or ‘recommend’ feature on Facebook and Twitter.

How else can social media benefit you as an entrepreneur?

Next up in Part 3: The 5 Realities of Social Media

This is Part 2 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series. Quick access to the series below:
[ Introduction | Part 1: The Basics | Part 2: Why It’s Made for You | Part 3: The Reality | Part 4 ]

Disclaimer: The video was recorded as part of the RU Ready series targeted to entrepreneurs in Malaysia by Prudential which I was involved in. This also happen to be my first ever video series :)

Social Media for Entrepreneurs: The Basics

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Note: This is Part 1 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series.

“With power comes great responsibility”

I’ve always found that quote from Spiderman to be so very true. The thing is, social media networks over the years have become a checklist item for entrepreneurs, business owners and individuals alike, so much so that people are just doing it because it is THE thing to do.

They forget that social media is a force to be reckon with and cannot be taken lightly. It is not something where you setup and forget or a tool to make you money in your pyjamas.

Have that said, here are 4 responsibilities entrepreneurs should take note of on social media:

#1: Stay dedicated

It is easy to give up especially when you’re lacking in followers / fans or when no one seems to be reading your articles, replying to your posts or retweeting your content. But instead of throwing in the towel saying “It does not work”, ask yourself, “Why isn’t it working?” instead and do something about it.

Could it be your approach? Could it be your timing? Or could it even be your profile description? Remember that you’re dealing with people on social networks behind those pretty avatars therefore it can take some time before you catch their attention. Again it is a game of trial and error. Never give up!

However, be aware that social media can be a major time suck. Something as simple as replying to a comment can lead on to many other activities and distractions so set a time for yourself to be ‘at work’ on social networks and turn it off when you’re done so you won’t miss out on ‘real work’ in your business.

#2: Learn, and never stop learning

You need to be in the know as an entrepreneur, especially if you’re on social media and having not enough time is NOT an excuse. Technology and business today are moving so quickly that it might cost you if you are oblivious to what’s happening. Besides, it is just unforgivable if you’re not taking time off to learn especially with the abundant of resources online today.

Reading 3 articles a day can take you very far and that will probably just take you less than 10 minutes. I have personally subscribed to a number of feeds on my Google Reader so that I won’t miss out on what I deem as important such as technology news, social statistics / infographics and marketing insights. You should, too!

#3: Ignore the glitter

Do you really need a pair of 3d glasses

It is extremely easy to get caught in the glitter as an entrepreneur. Yes, like a magpie.  It can be the iPhone 7 (new gadgets), Mega Hootsuite (new apps) or whatever that is supposedly made to help ease the workload on social networks.

Sure, there are tools or gadgets that WILL help (and I use a number of them) but do you need the latest of them or even at all? Choose your tools wisely and work with them. Remember, it is quality engagement you need on social networks so complete automation is not necessarily a good thing. And if you’re thinking about auto DMs on Twitter, forget it. It ain’t cool!

Disclaimer: the gadgets and apps mentioned in this section are all made up and is not to be represented as a rumor, leaked information or marketing attempt for any kind.

#4: Don’t abuse the usage of social media networks

Now before you go trigger happy with social media networks, you should be mindful that there are certain social media manners and rules to adhere to. Take Facebook for example, tagging your followers / friends on a promotional flyer, posting on their walls to promote your product, and pestering them to “Like” your page are seen as spam. A rule of thumb is to not do to others what you don’t like others doing to you.

As for rules, know that the Facebook rules and guidelines forbids you using Facebook as a promotional platform. This includes contests of any kind. Sounds familiar? Yes, this means a contest of “Likes” or “Tagging” or “Sharing” are all prohibited on Facebook.

I wrote this article some time back on this and though much has changed, the gist of it still remains. Check it out if you’re unsure about the Facebook promotional guidelines.

What’s your experience or advice to entrepreneurs on social media? Do leave your thoughts at the comment section below.

This is Part 1 to the Social Media for Entrepreneurs series. Quick access to the series below:
[ Introduction | Part 1: The Basics | Part 2: Why It’s Made for You | Part 3: The Reality | Part 4 ]

Next up in Part 2: Why Social Media for Entrepreneurs?

3D glasses image credit: CoolGadgetConcepts.com

Social Media for Entrepreneurs: An Introduction

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About two weeks ago I was invited to speak to 120 aspiring entrepreneurs at a workshop hosted by Prudential Malaysia under the RU Ready campaign, specifically targeted towards college / university students and young adults. It was an exciting opportunity as I always enjoy sharing with young people but yet a humbling experience to be speaking alongside two well established entrepreneurs, Candice Lee (Sales Director of Capital Asia Group) and Timothy Tiah (Co-founder of Nuffnang).

Speaking to young entrepreneurs always reminds me of the excitement of being an entrepreneur, especially when you’ve a new idea in mind. You just can’t stop thinking and talking about it with the intention to grow the idea and eventually commercializing it. However, any entrepreneur would tell you that the journey won’t be easy. It’ll be tough. That’s because…

Entrepreneurship isn’t science

One of the key attributes of an entrepreneur is to not fear failure, so much so that if you’re afraid of failing, you won’t cut it as an entrepreneur. It is a never ending journey of trial and error and what worked for Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs may not work for you, simply because there’s no one fixed formula to success in entrepreneurship.

Similarly, there is no fixed formula to social media success

In the excitement of establishing a new business as an entrepreneur, many approach social media as if it is the cure to business problems or the formula to a successful business. The thing is, entrepreneurs must remember that building your social media presence is similar to building a business. It takes time, commitment and dedication that grows through time.

Social media can be part of the cure or formula, but never THE cure or formula

Social networks are a gift to entrepreneurs. It is only until the introduction of social networks that entrepreneurs are able to start at a faster pace. Think about it – you’ve resources on blogs, video content on YouTube, and a whole world to explore and to be in contact with potential investors, partners or buyers via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Is there more?

This is the introduction to a 4-part series on social media for entrepreneurs so stay tuned for more!

[ Introduction | Part 1: The Basics | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ]

Here are the slides to my sharing session at the workshop if you’re interested:

Social Media for Entrepreneurs

Quick access to the series:
[ Introduction | Part 1: The Basics | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ]

What Makes A Good Social Media Network Platform?

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clash of social media platforms

A lot has happened in the online sphere lately. The introduction of Google+, the long delayed Twitter Analytics and recently, all the debate on the new Facebook features and layout. In the past we’ve seen the rise (and fall) of Friendster, MySpace, High5 and many other social networking sites. Why did they grow cold? I don’t know about you but as I read through different reviews, complaints and compliments, I realized that everyone have different feelings towards either platforms and a question popped up in my head:

What Do You Look For in A Social Media Network Tool or Platform?

Could it be… Apps?

The games on Facebook, the add-ons on LinkedIn, the 3rd party apps on Twitter. Is the flexibility of the platform a reason of your choice?

Could it be… the number of Users?

“800 million users on Facebook and growing, that’s the place to be!”

Could it be… the Cool factor?

“Because everyone is there and all my friends have it, I’ve got to be there else I’m not cool.”

Could it be… Privacy?

Or would you prefer something more controlled such as Twitter’s protected Tweets?

Could it be… the Diversity of Content?

The ability to post / share / read text, images and videos (and location?).

Could it be… Mobility?

Something that you can easily manage on mobile such as check-ins, text in 140 characters, something that requires less maneuvering on-the-go.

Could it be… Advertising opportunities?

Perhaps Facebook appeals to you more because you are given the option to advertise?

Could it be… the Analytics?

The ability to keep track on what’s happening with your updates – the number of clicks, shares, visitors and etc.

What is it that you look for in a social media network tool? What makes you define a tool as ‘useful’ or ‘great’? I’d love to hear your thoughts :)

The Problem With Being A Human Brand by @MargieClayman

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This is a guest post by Margie Clayman (@MargieClayman), the director of client development at Clayman Advertising, her family-owned agency. She is the third generation of her family to work there! Margie is the community manager at 12most.com, the librarian at The Blog Library, and the resident blogger at MargieClayman.com.

When I was first reading about social media, which was in about 2007, the levels of excitement that were surrounding this brave new world was hard to contain. Although the technology was cool, what people in my sector of the business world were really excited about was that brands were becoming personal. With social media, you’re no longer just a customer who buys a certain laundry detergent.

Now you were a face, a name, and interests on that manufacturer’s facebook fan page or on that company’s Twitter account. The other side of the coin was that the company was no longer just a company. Maybe the Twitter account was managed by a person named Jill. Well, now you were buying your laundry detergent from Jill, and Jill was selling to you, a real person with a name and a personality.

What could be greater?

Fast forward to almost five years later and the world online is getting a bit more complicated. While it’s true that brands are becoming more personal, a few problems are starting to arise because of scale and because of human nature. All great things must come to an end, or at least, they have to change, right?

Oh no! I gave away all of my best work for free!

One thing that online brands are realizing is that in the effort to really get to know their customers, along with other companies, they gave a LOT of information away. All of those blog posts you’ve enjoyed reading over the last few years have essentially been people giving away their expertise. Sure, some sites have always had ads on them, but we all know that online ads are mostly good for branding, not for clicks. And besides, even if someone clicks on an ad on your site, they’re not really buying what you sell. They’re buying something that someone else is advertising on your site, right?

Now, a lot of people are wondering how they can push the rewind button on that decision. They want to start charging, or they want to start charging more. With such close contact to their customers, they are hearing about this a lot more often and with a lot more vitriol than might have been the case a few years ago. This is an increasingly big conundrum for online brands.

Oh no! I don’t really think you’re my customer!

Another problem brands are struggling with right now is the realization that a lot of people that they follow, or who are following them, are not really customers. They’re not even prospects. Heck, they might not even be competitors. In the race for online clout (yes, spelled with a c, not a k), people raced to get as many followers as possible without stopping to wonder, “Hey, would this person ever buy from me?”

Now, people who have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people in their online communities are wondering how to filter through all of those people to get to the ones who might actually help them grow their business. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks with the “great unfollowing of 2011,” this can cause a lot of misunderstanding and discomfort, as is the case with so many adjustments. Again, because brands and customers have been so closely intertwined for the last few years, the blowback to these evolutions can be pretty severe.

Oh no! You want me to respond to you right away!

This is perhaps the biggest problem haunting online brands right now. When a lot of brands moved online in 2008 or 2009, there were not nearly as many people online as there are now, and nobody really knew what they were doing. It was all unchartered waters. Brands could respond to requests, suggestions, or calls for help lickety split. Five years later, customers and/or prospects still carry that expectation.

We have been taught that social media enables brands to execute customer service better than ever before, and that response times should be in minutes, not hours. Due to scale, however, responding that quickly to everyone is no longer an option. If the person managing a brand’s account did nothing but respond to people all day, they still would miss someone, and that someone would likely vocalize discontent.

Oh no! How can we get out of this mess?

Well, that’s the million dollar question. It seems like just like in the business world, social media is moving to a scenario where the smaller and more flexible you are, the better off you might be. Could we be moving to a brand new model where fewer followers is the optimum mode of operation? Could we be moving to a world where blog content is gated and must be paid for? All of these changes are going to be very uncomfortable, and there is likely to be a lot of rather hostile discussion as social media grows up and evolves.

Then again, I could be totally and 100% completely wrong. What do you think about the future of brands online? Where are we headed, and where are we now?

Brand Focus #9: Mobile and Facebook Integration for Your #SocialMedia Marketing Campaign [Carrefour Malaysia]

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In conjunction with one of Malaysia’s largest festive celebration the Hari Raya, Carrefour Malaysia launched an interesting marketing campaign using a combination of a free downloadable mobile app from the Apple AppStore and Facebook.

wholah campaign by carrefour malaysia

carrefour malaysia wholah social media marketing campaignThe app ‘Wholah’ requires the player to identify as many Facebook friends within 60 seconds to win different prizes including a can of Coke on their first play or subsequently a packet of Twisties or Oreos, all redeemable from any Carrefour outlet with no strings attached. To increase gameplay, the app also gave out in-game badges on different occasions.

If that isn’t enough, the campaign built towards a Tweetup, bringing the consumers together for a festive celebration together with the brand Carrefour.

3 Reasons Why Integration Matters for Your Next Social Media Marketing Campaign

#1: It Goes Beyond A Contest

Everyone can run a contest on social media platforms such as Facebook but not many can integrate a content into their marketing objective / brand message. The Wholah campaign took advantage of a festive season – also a season where shoppers flood hypermarkets to stock up for the festivity. A simple prize redemption method such as the requirement for players to come by and collect may in turn generate sales as consumers may just end up shopping at Carrefour since they’re already there.

#2: An Opportunity to Exercise the ‘Human’ in the Brand

Hari Raya celebrates the conclusion of the fasting month for Muslims and it is often celebrated with your family members. It is a time where children seek forgiveness from their parents and to celebrate as a family with great food. Using this fundamental concept, Carrefour became human by organizing a Raya Tweetup as a follow-up to the campaign, bringing the spirit of togetherness as the nation celebrates this joyous season.

#3: Easily Measureable

One of the main challenges businesses face when running marketing campaigns using social media is the ability to measure its effectiveness and conversion rates. Sure, there are tools out there to do the math but most of them comes back with an estimated figure. By having your social media marketing campaign tied to a offline business operation (such as the redemption of prizes), it will allow your business to determine the effectiveness of the campaign from the redemption rate – leading to other more accurate estimations on the increase of sales figures during the promotional period.

If you’re curious, check out the campaign’s microsite here

What do you think of the Wholah campaign? In what areas Carrefour Malaysia have succeeded / failed?