Social Media, Twitter

How can social media sell coffee?

Starbucks seems to understand social media strategy very well.  In an economy where everyone is pinching pennies, they continue to have customers spend their money on a pricey cup of coffee.  They understand that in order for customers to spend more than they would on a cup of coffee from McDonald’s, it has to be about more than just quality coffee.  It has to be about the experience.  Starbucks has furthered their customers’ experience through social media.

The company has incorporated into their social media strategy accounts and fan pages on some of the popular social media sites, as well as their own specialized blog for customers.  Through these various efforts, Starbucks has really been able to connect with their customers and learn from them!

Starbucks has about 1.8 million fans on Facebook, and just fewer than 200,000 followers on Twitter.  They keep their fans engaged with fun contests, such as rewarding the first fans to take a picture of one of their new ads around town and tweeting about it.  Their Twitter and Facebook accounts continue to post news about the company.  Their Twitter account even responds to other people who tweet about them.  They thank people for good comments, and respond to the not so good comments with how they are going to fix the problem.  Through these forms of social media, Starbucks customers feel more connected to the company and feel that what they have to say is being heard.

The most exciting way that Starbucks is using social media is through a blog site called My Starbucks Idea.  The aim of the site is for Starbucks to understand what their customers want, and hopefully be able to implement their ideas.  On the website, customers can post their ideas of what they want Starbucks to do, and then other viewers can vote for other people’s ideas.  If an idea gets enough votes it will go under review and if Starbucks decides to implement the idea it will say, “coming soon”.  A quote on the website explains it best:
“You know better than anyone else what you want from Starbucks. So tell us. What’s your Starbucks Idea? Revolutionary or simple — we want to hear it. Share your ideas, tell us what you think of other people’s ideas and join the discussion. We’re here, and we’re ready to make ideas happen. Let’s get started.”

Another cool aspect of the My Starbucks Idea blog is the employee Ideas in Action blog page.  On this page, the employees are able to discuss how they have been implementing the customers ideas and how it’s working.  This is just another way for Starbucks customers to feel connected to the company.  Customers not only feel like there is a place for them to express their ideas, but also they get to see how their ideas are being implemented from someone with name and a face that they feel connected to.

Starbucks has a good grasp on how to use social media to their advantage.  They have succeeded in creating an experience that their customers are willing to pay extra for, and have only furthered the experience with social media.  Check out My Starbucks Idea and see if there is a way for your company to use social media in ways similar to Starbucks!