There were critics, but there were also enthusiasts

This week, groundswell gives some abstract concepts about social media strategies. It talks about energizing the groundswell, embracing the groundswell, helping the groundswell support itself, and it also use twitter as an example of tapping the groundswell.

Groundswell

“Energizing ----- finding enthusiast customers and turning them into word-of-mouth machines.” The textbook gives three basic techniques for connecting with brands enthusiasts: (1) Tap into customers’ enthusiasm with rating and review; (2) Create a community to energize your customers. (3) Participate in and energize online communities of your brand.

After read that, I just realized that I was involved in a “groundswell strategy”.

Recently, my favorite K-POP group TVXQ just released their tenth-anniversary album named Tense. The group’s company S. M. Entertainment  launched the news on Weibo (the Chinese most popular social media) at first time.

 

TVXQ

Tense

The interesting thing is, the company announced that people who “retweet” this news and @ three friends might get the chance to win a free album with autograph. As a huge fan of TVXQ, my first reaction was: “I have to let Helen and Lee know this, and I really what to win the album!” Helen and Lee, my best friends and also, there are fans of TVXQ. So, as the company required, I transpond the news and “at” Helen, Lee and my cousin Cindy. Cindy is not TVXQ’s friend, but she is the person who “live under my control”, that is to say, she will never complain about I send her some information that she don’t care.

After two weeks, the company posted the list of winners. Unfortunately, I wasn’t on the list. But it doesn’t affect my love for the group; it turns out Helen, Lee and me bought the album for ourselves. At that moment, I found my content about the news was “retweeted” for a dozen times. First, Helen and Lee retweeted it, then Helen and Lee’s friend retweeted it, and then, I found some stranger also retweeted it. It does really like a groundswell! Moreover, my cousin shows her interest about TVXQ.

S.M.Entertainment

From this experience, I learned how a company or brand could tap the groundswell. First, I’m one of the enthusiasts. Second, the company create a community by ask us to “at” our friend. Third, the company participates in and energizes online communities by provide album with autograph. Friends, friends’ friends, and stranger get together by this social media event, just like the textbook said: “Some people don’t want support so they can get their gadgets working. Instead, they want support ---- solidarity ---- with others who share their passion.”

Speak to “share passion”; I think, “share passion” could be a key word of social media. I just read my classmate Arielle’s blog. In her blog, she talks about people use social media to empower other; when people read a blog about some people’s bad experience, they “feel connected, feel empathy, and feel outrage at the injustice committed.” In other word, social media could not only benefit for marketing, but also help people get together to face with some social issue. As the statement of groundswell: “the groundswell is a fantastic support system. Enable people to connect with each other, and they will, making life easier for both themselves and you.”

As we all know, social media are creating a more intimate relationship not only between individuals, but also between brand/company and their customers. According to the textbook: “the members of such a community are dying to hear from you ----- they are there explicitly to talk about your products and services.” And also: “Your customers are chomping at the bit to tell you what to do.”

12 Days of Simsmas

On 12/12/2013, The Sims (a video game), posted a music video on YouTube. The game developers preformed the MV. For some people, this is not a big deal, but for loyalty play like me, it is the chance to meet the people who create this amazing game! Also, I used to spend more than 40 minus to finish an online questionnaire from The Sims. My roommates are surprised by my patience: “It looks like you are having a examination!” I said: “ I love this game! I just want to help it get better, and I believe it will!” All those situations shows that customer have the passion to help the company improve their produces and services.

In conclusion, after read those chapters, I found groundswell is not horrible like some people’s image. It is not only full of bitter complain, but also full of sweet expectation. Always remember the sentence at the first chapter, “There were critics, but there were also enthusiasts.”