Getting Social

As marketing goes digital, retailers must get creative to be effective in the social sphere

Once upon a time, retailers' marketing departments turned to television, radio and billboard advertising to get the word out about their latest promotions and product launches. These days, traditional advertising is just as prevalent, but it's no longer necessarily the most important tool for a company. Social media has risen to become a crucial part of promoting a business, and that's just as true for the convenience store industry as it is for more technology-based markets.

But social media isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and simply setting up a Facebook fan page or Twitter account isn't enough to take advantage of all the opportunities it offers. A number of c-store chains have realized this and taken steps to get creative with their social media efforts — and grab customers' attention in the process.

"There was a recent comment that Facebook pages are the new Yellow Pages because everyone has one," said Brandon Hofmann, marketing manager for the South Carolina and Georgia-based The Parker Cos. "To stand out, it goes back to making the customer feel heard and appreciated."

A number of retailers who spoke with Convenience Store News agreed that a major advantage of social media is its low cost, which allows companies to try many different ways of connecting with customers without risking a great deal.

Developing a social media presence starts by determining what platform a company will be active on. Facebook allows retailers to post pictures, host contests and update consumers who "like" them on new promotions or special events. Twitter lets retailers post real-time alerts or links and interact with customers in 140-character snippets. Mobile applications (apps) and texting alerts let the interaction take place away from a computer, anywhere customers take their phones.

Yet the biggest social media platforms aren't always the best path to success.

foursquare, which allows users to "check in" to retail locations they visit, has worked particularly well for Alon Brands Inc., said Scott Shakespeare, general manager of branding. "It works well for us because we're so location-based," he said, noting that individual stores can have unique specials and offers based on interaction with foursquare.

It's also important to keep an eye on the changing social media sphere, as the best ways to interact with customers may not always be immediately obvious. In June, the 2012 Social and Mobile Commerce Study revealed that image-based site Pinterest beat out both Facebook and Twitter when it came to the social media site with the most consumers "following" retailers.

The important thing to remember is that communication should not be a one-way street. "[With traditional media], all you're doing is speaking," said Shakespeare. "With social [media], you're listening."

That doesn't mean c-stores shouldn't take the lead in the online conversation. Pennsylvania-based Wawa Inc. mixes it up on its Facebook page, providing consumers with a mix of product promotions, news on the latest milestone store openings and bonus miscellany. "Did you know that the first Wawa Food Market opened in Folsom, PA in 1964? Learn more about Wawa's history by visiting our Facebook Timeline Milestones!" the company wrote in one recent posting.

7-Eleven Inc.'s Facebook page works in similar style, adding a distinctively humorous "voice" to its postings, pairing promotions like an ad for a functional beverage brand with the suggestion that customers "spend the whole day using awesome, highbrow expressions," and quizzing consumers on how many Big Gulps are required for a cross-country road trip. "Pretend we live in a world where you don't need bathroom breaks," the chain recently advised on its page.

This mix of content keeps Facebook pages from getting too predictable or boring, and fulfills needs for more than one kind of customer, from the practical types who focus on this week's deals to the bored browser looking for a bit of whimsy.

"You have to put the customer first," said Hofmann. "We think, what are they going to get out of this post, tweet, [etc.]? You can't have a sales state of mind. Social media isn't one big advertising platform."

At least one company has decided to ask for a little something in return from its followers. Mac's Convenience Stores, owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., has reached out to customers via social media to battle crime. Following incidents of theft or robbery, the chain posts surveillance images to its Mac's Crime Busters Facebook page and Twitter feed at @MacsCrimeBuster, along with directions to call Crime Stoppers or submit a tip online if anyone has information.

Some of Couche-Tard's Circle K chain stores in Arizona have also turned to social media following incidents of crime. "We have the technology and we are going to use it," Tom Moher, Mac's vice president of operations in central Canada, said in media reports. "By using social media, we will reach a more diverse demographic in our effort to combat crime and enhance public safety."

'WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?'

Still, when it comes to consumer appeal, many people look at corporate social media accounts and before deciding to follow them, ask: "What's in it for me?"

Many c-store retailers have answered in the form of contests. For example, this summer, 7-Eleven's Big Summer Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes paired an in-store instant-win game component with an online instant-win game and an online sweepstakes for the chance to win prizes such as free food, a Pepsi Max NFL Super Bowl VIP tour package, a VIP race weekend and more.

While all c-store social media contests have an obvious benefit for customers in that everyone likes prizes, same as with the use of social media in general, contests are not all the same. Rules, rewards and other details all combine to provide a different experience for customers.

Take RaceTrac Petroleum's Sodapalooza 365 contest this summer. The two-pronged contest, which ran from May 21 through Aug. 31, rewarded speedy consumers who kept a close eye on the Atlanta-based c-store chain's Twitter page. Every Friday, the winner was the first person to re-tweet the week's posted #Sodapalooza message, and Monday's winner was the first person to upload a TwitPic of themselves, a RaceTrac employee and a 32-ounce RaceTrac fountain cup, with the #Sodapalooza hashtag.

The contest, which made paying conscious attention to the company's tweets key to winning instead of merely having to follow its feed, rewarded the winners with free fountain drinks for a year in the form of coupons. It also gave away one grand-prize "Sodapalooza 365" package valued at $5,000 that included $3,000 in RaceTrac Pocket Fuel cards and 365 "Fresh Free Lunch Combo" coupons.

Other companies have sought contest creativity, but on the customers' side. Parker's invited its most loyal customers to tell the world "Why I Love Parker's" in a video contest last spring. Non-contestants were involved as well, choosing the top five finalists by casting "Love It" votes on Facebook. The top three winners were chosen on originality, creativity, entertainment value and the degree to which the message inspires others to "Love Parker's." They walked away with free gasoline for a year.

However, the chain has wisely held contests that don't have technical barriers to entry; its monthly texting contests have awarded free fuel, merchandise and prizes like a Monster electric guitar by drawing the names of customers who text a designated number to enter automatically.

"People love to feel appreciated and [love] free stuff, so our contests continue to grow in popularity," said Hofmann.

The growing frequency of social media contests and promotions among many c-store chains is no coincidence. "It's actually very important — most of our focus is put there," said Shakespeare of Alon's social media efforts, part of a three-year effort to integrate mobile marketing into its multi-channel promotion strategy. According to Shakespeare, Alon's traditional marketing, such as billboards and TV ads, are primarily used to push consumers to social media, which can be planned and executed quicker.

Shakespeare outlined a three-step process for social media success. First is the obvious: be creative, something easier said than done. "Don't be a me-too company," he added, noting that a little risk is OK. C-stores don't have to do what everyone else is doing on Facebook. Companies should try to find a unique way to use social media.

Next up: be consistent. "It all has the same voice," he said. Social media shouldn't be an afterthought; customers should be able to look at billboards, listen to radio ads, watch TV commercials, read promotional text messages and find they are consistent in message.

Finally, Shakespeare said, "if you're gonna do it, do it." The third "C," along with creativity and consistency, is commitment. Once a store's Facebook page or other social media account is registered, a company needs to watch it every hour of every day or hire an outside source to keep an eye on it and make sure it is updated regularly, not left to languish. "Stay involved," he advised.

Ultimately, retailers must trust their own vision and instincts to forge a path through the social media landscape that will lead them to their goals. If there's no single right way to do things, that can mean it's harder to identify when things start to go wrong, too. But by looking at what works and doesn't work for other retailers and playing to the brand's strengths, it won't take long to come up with creative plans that successfully snag customers' attention.

For comments, please contact Angela Hanson, Assistant Editor, at [email protected].