This is part one of a four-part write up of a presentation prepared for the women of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) – Jessamine Chapter. The businesses and social media examples featured are those that I felt are most relatable and approachable.

By Ashley Thiesen Caldwell
www.TheModernConnection.com

Social Media is a buzzword we’ve been hearing a lot about. Facebook this… Twitter that. As a business owner or decision maker, the implementation of social media can be overwhelming. I’ve compiled four case studies of my favorite social media campaigns – one national, one international and two South Carolina local. My hope is that seeing other businesses’ use of social media campaigns will inspire you to create your own social media magic.

The first example is of Threadless Tees, which is a T-shirt company based out of Chicago, IL. Threadless is very popular among the teen and young adult crowd. Their slogan is “Nude No More,” which gives you an idea of the company’s sense of humor.

Threadless is a great example of how to do social media because they really have a grasp of their customer base. They know who to target, where their target is online and how to get into the minds and hearts of them.

One their most popular campaigns is the “Design a T-Shirt Competition.” Threadless runs design competitions on their social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Members of their networks are able to submit their ideas for T-shirts and then vote on which ones they like the best. They get hundreds of applicants per week.

Thousands upon thousands of people use their Web site as a community portal – a place to hang out online, chat with others, vote, design and socialize. Of course, as they’re spending more and more time online, they’re more inclined to buy that $15 T-shirt.

Threadless has developed an entire community of brand evangelists, or people who LOVE their company and sing their praises. These people are not only active on their social media channels, but they’re loyal.

On Sept. 9, 2009 (09/09/09), Threadless ran a $9 T-shirt special to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime calendar date. This sale was so popular that the web traffic crashed their servers. Frustrated fans started venting through their social media channels, and Threadless was there listening and responding. As soon as the servers were back up, the company sent out an apology email and extended the sale a few days longer. Needless to say, those disgruntled customers were thrilled their voices were heard.

What we can learn from Threadless:

1. Everyone has their say and is important – Threadless opens up the channels of communication to their customers. They let them decide what products they want and actually listen. Because of this, their products sell out every single time.

2. Be fun and entertaining – They know how to reach their customers. By posting regular updates, integrating humor and really highlighting their brand’s personality, people WANT to be in their network.

3. Cultivate the community the “right” way – Even with a great reputation, international clientele and impressive sales, Threadless has a relatively small community. On Facebook, they have just over 112,000 fans. Their community is 100% organic, meaning they haven’t used an agency’s help in “gathering” fans.

“The secret isn’t growing a huge fan base. We have 100,000 Facebook fans, but those fans have all come to us organically. We believe the more organic the growth, the more loyal the fans, the more likely they will be repeat customers,” says Cam Balzer, VP of Threadless.

4. Listen, observe and take action – Threadless constantly has a pulse in their community’s conversation. They know what people are saying and doing online, but instead of trying to control the message, they let the fans take control.

About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of The Modern Connection, LLC, which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC.

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