Understanding how businesses use Facebook and Twitter

This week at the World Market Center (WMC) in Las Vegas, Natura hosted retailers, manufacturers and a bunch of Twitter friends for a panel discussion on the power of connecting online. Normally the WMC is open only to furniture industry insiders – but they opened their doors a little wider this week.

Some of Natura’s fans on Twitter and Facebook overheard us talking about the event and were in Vegas at the same time. We arranged special permission invited them to come and be part of the sharing and learning. Meeting @VegasBill, @24K, @YrJewelrygal, @CellySmellys, @GailDoby (to name just a few) for the first time was exciting – none of them had heard of Natura prior to meeting us on Twitter.

The event focused on helping retailers understand the power of connecting with their customers online. The panelists consisted of retailers from across the US.

• Chris Chamberlin, The Clean Bedroom
  Jacob Harlow, The Century House
  Jeff Garfield, Bedrooms & More
  Brian Seed, Organic Sleep Products

While each retailer shared the belief in the amazing power of the Internet and social media, their approaches vary.

Brian Seed told the audience about his personal review of the Ylang Ylang pillow increased inquires for it dramatically. Chris talks directly to more than 800 fans of her store on her Facebook page daily, answering questions and sharing information. Jacob explained how he uses Facebook and Twitter to share community events and engage in conversations with people from across the country looking for information.

Jeff Garfield shared a customer service nightmare – an unhappy customer posting a negative review on Yelp instead of calling the store to complain. Within an hour of the post, someone from his store found it on Yelp. The problem was solved quickly and the customer edited the review, adding details to show how hard the store worked to solve the problem.

Jeff’s story is the reason many retailers drag their heels when it comes to jumping into online conversations. The negativity is scary. But people are beginning to realize that customers (and potential customers) are already there sharing their experiences with others.

Don’t you agree it’s smarter to be tapped into what’s being said, like Jeff, than to be oblivious?

If you buy a book from Amazon and hate it, what do you do about it? You’ve wasted your time, spent money on something that doesn’t live up to its promise and now you need to go buy another one to replace it.

I know what I do. I go back to Amazon and leave a review of my experience to help others make a more informed buying choice. As consumers we see that as a positive – it’s a way for us to regain some control after an unsatisfactory shopping experience. Why should buying a car, a computer or a mattress be any different?

The truth is, there is no difference and social media is your best tool for researching before you buy – and for alerting a company when you’re unhappy – or delighted.

As a manufacturer, it helps us solve problems quicker and improve our products based on real-life reviews of our products. And it’s a great place to share our kudos as well.

Do the companies you purchase from create fans or simply take your money and run? Do you reward companies that provide multiple channels for connecting and respond quickly when you reach out?