Social Strategies That Work

Social Strategies That Work

Mikotaj Jan Piskorski

Article Analysis

Marketing Management 463

Spring 2012

Technology has been advancing exponentially in the past few decades and to keep up with the technology, businesses have to create new ways to interact with their customers. Now some of these companies have come up with great ideas or innovations, in social media, that help customers interact with each other and some companies have failed to do just that. In the article, Social Strategies That Works, the author Mikoltaj Jan Piskorski, goes in depth about a few companies who have excelled in ways of interacting with their customers through social media to enhance their service or product. Regardless of whether it's with new people, friends, old friends, or family, "People's main goal on social platform is to connect with other people not with companies" (117). Through the findings of this article I will give a short summary of Piskorski's article while providing a few things I've learned about marketing strategy and expand on his ideology by talking about my personal experiences with social media.

To start off the Piskorski's article review, the main concept behind businesses being successful in social strategies share;

1. Reduce costs or increase customers' willingness to pay

2. By helping people establish or strengthen relationships

3. If they do free work on a company's behalf. (117)

By using these key strategy components, companies like; ZYNGA, YELP and EBAY's Group Gifts have successfully helped customers connect with others and have helped their company increase revenues. To give you an example of each, the company Zynga, created games like Farmville and Cityville that allow customers to invite friends to join them and in return are rewarded with a free gift. Through competitive gaming tactics ZYNGA has increased its customer's willingness to pay by adding attributes to its game that cost money. The business reviewing service YELP, reduces costs by essentially having people write reviews for free, and in return are invited to different kind of events around their area. Inviting these reviewers to different events helps them establish and strengthen relationships. Lastly, EBAY Group Gifts brings people together by informing others of a cause, such as if one wants to chip in for a prize, gift, or going away party, they can by inviting their friends. Summing up the article these three companies have implemented successful social strategies by figuring out a way of reducing cost by giving people incentives to help out their company and helping customers interact.

In addition to the article, I have realized why these companies have become successful and that is by changing strategies. Successful businesses have stayed clear of digital strategy methods when it comes to social media. These companies have realized that trying to