Photo by: Philipp Klinger

If you’ve begun to use social media to market your product or service or are considering breaking into social media, you may be wondering what exactly you can and should be doing with these new platforms. To better understand what you can do with your twitter account or Facebook fan page, let’s look at some of the best practices by companies who are doing it right.

Customer Service- Comcast

It goes without saying that the ComcastCares Twitter account (run by Frank Eliason) has set a new standard for customer service. Individuals looking for help with their Comcast products or services are sought out by ComcastCares via Twitter search, then reaching out to them through @ replies. Personal information is passed in Direct Messages and the problems are often solved within minutes. When an entire area is experiencing difficulties in service, @ComcastCares can let the entire community know and avoid plugging up the phone lines with folks trying to figure out if it is a problem unique to their home.

Announce limited-time sale items- Your local cupcake shop, bakery, etc.

Oftentimes, sellers of time-sensitive materials such as perishable foods or products relating to pop culture and elections can use Twitter and Facebook to get folks into their stores (whether they be brick and mortar or online) to get disappearing goods at great sale prices. The bonus? Chances are, they’ll pick something else up if they’re already heading in anyway, so not only will you get a bit of money from items you might otherwise toss, but you’re also poised to get a little extra boost for your effort.

Exclusive Discounts- Southwest, Dell, Jamba Juice

Insider discounts are one of the biggest perks of membership cards and valued customer clubs, but with social media, not only will you be able to reach your loyal customers but they will in return advertise your brand. Dell has found considerable success through announcing sale prices on their Twitter feed, and they’re certainly not alone. Top of mind awareness is something all companies are fighting for, not just within their category but merely in the lives of their consumers; if you can garner their loyalty enough to have them become a fan or follow your feed, you’ve got a chance to lay claim to a bit of this limited real estate.

Announce new items- Moleskine

Particularly in the case of brands like Moleskine, passionate fans of a brand want to be the first to know about new products and will aid in your goal to get the word out. Using an interactive platform allows them to immediately share what you’ve told or shown them with their other communities, as well as provides a platform for conversation around your product.

Build a community- Method

The People Against Dirty have extended a (clean) hand to their consumers by giving them a platform to share with each other and with the brand. In return, Method sends these members samples of new items, consults them for suggestions, and allows them to connect. The drive to connect with others is much more powerful than many may think on first thought, but Method has found that people want to connect around clean; what can you do to help your consumers connect to one another?

Create a demand and a following- Koji BBQ truck, Crème Brulee cart, and more

Twitter accounts for the Koji BBQ truck and other traveling brands have created events out of their social media interactions. By tweeting where they’re going to be, these traveling carts pique more than interest in their followers—they spark action in their consumers and makes their business into a game-like experience.

Experiential marketing- Write On Riot

Using your social media accounts to entertain and interact with your consumers can be an incredibly powerful experience. Write On Riot has created an environment in which consumers “play” with the brand, allowing them to create good will, trust, deepen the relationship, and get a strong foothold in their consideration set. More so than with a discounted item, experiential marketing allows your consumers to think of your brand as more than a purchase option, but as a anticipated interaction.

Claire Grinton is a brand strategist and writer based in San Francisco. Find more from Claire or contact her at claire[dot]grinton[at]gmail.

Tags: community, Social Media, social media tools, Strategy, Technology, the right way