Social Media Tools and Businesses

Social media is an effective tool for businesses to use to keep in contact with consumer needs and to increase sales.  The use of social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter are rapidly being utilized by companies.  Two Wisconsin Companies that have a social media presence are Kohl’s and Stevens Point Brewery.

When looking at Kohl’s Facebook and Twitter pages it is quite apparent that they post on both of them regularly.  Kohl’s use of social media has been successful.  According to their Facebook page they have 10,249,744 likes and their Twitter account has 54,978 followers.  Kohl’s use of social media mainly focuses on marketing.  Their use of social media for marketing involves sharing three types of content.  The first type of content shared is providing useful information about the organization.  For example on Kohl’s Facebook page, they state that their stores now have Wi-Fi to make shopping easier.  The second type of content shared is information that is geared toward getting the attention of customers with creative catches.  An example of this would be the videos on their Facebook page that show their product line.  The third type of content shared is savings opportunities for their fans.  Customers who follow Kohl’s on Facebook and Twitter are notified of additional sales.  By using social media for marketing Kohl’s is able to reach out to a broad base of consumers with the intention of increasing sales.

One way Kohl’s uses Facebook and Twitter is by providing educational content.  The goal of providing educational content is to make an educated customer which in return makes the customer more likely to make a purchase.  Another way that Facebook and Twitter are used is by posting pictures of their products.  By posting pictures, fans are able to envision what the products would look like on them.  According to the Kohl’s CEO, their target audience is “A two-income family with kids at home. They don't have a lot of time, and they are looking for value.”  This is quite apparent when you have a look at their Facebook and Twitter pages.  Kohl’s manages its relationships by reaching out to its customers by asking for feedback.  Kohl’s appears to care what the customer thinks by allowing them to post comments on the Facebook and Twitter pages. 

When looking at the Facebook and Twitter pages it is apparent that Stevens Point Brewery is active in both.  Stevens Point Brewery has a well-established social media plan.  According to their Facebook page they have 17,922 likes and their Twitter account has 4,219 followers.  Steven Point Brewery’s use of social media is similar to Kohl’s in that its main focus is marketing.  Like Kohl’s, Stevens Point Brewery’s use of social media for marketing involves sharing important information about the organization, and using information that is geared toward getting the attention of customers with creative catches.   The difference between the two companies use of social media is that Stevens Point Brewery does not notify customers of additional sales over Facebook and Twitter.  By looking at the webpage, Facebook page, and Twitter page it appears that they target males who are 21 and over.  Stevens Point Brewery manages it relationship in a similar manner to Kohl’s by reaching out to its customers and engaging them over Facebook and Twitter.

The use of social media by corporations has many benefits.  Facebook and Twitter pages encourage both customers and potential customers to like, comment on, and tweet about your personal brand.  Using social media is like marketing by word of mouth.  Customers that are satisfied with your product post comments and testimonials for potential customers to see, thus they are doing your advertising for you.  Since more and more people are using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, it only makes sense for corporations to use it as a way to connect to their target groups.  As corporations see the benefits of using social media, the use of social media by them will increase.


References
1.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-small-business/post/how-do-you-use-twitter-and-facebook- for-marketing/2012/04/20/gIQA7NXwZT_blog.html  
2.  http://www.business2community.com/social-media/5-unmissable-benefits-of-social-media-for-business-including-infographic-0222260
3.  http://www.kohls.com/
4.  http://www.pointbeer.com/