The power of social media and business - Option 2

Following the search for different enterprises that utilise enterprise 2.0 social media platforms. I discovered Herschel Supply Co and Esencial Marketing Network that of which experienced exponential business growth since their successful adoption of Hootsuite, Facebook and Wordpress blogs. 

The first example is Herschel Supply Co, producing high quality travel bags, backpacks and accessories etc. As many businesses tackle the challenge of continuously turning over stock whilst ensuring customer satisfaction. Herschel's objective was to answer every customer inquiry through every medium possible, both direct and nondirect. Hootsuite is a platform where multiple social media accounts can be organised all at once. Through it companies can enhance their user engagement, listening, analytics and collaboration. It is best used for managing and scheduling social media outreaches such as the publication of photos and updates on automation, saving companies time and resources. Hootsuite enabled Herschel to set up a search stream of their business keywords and hashtags such as #Herschel. Facilitating the fast connection between the Herschel representatives and the customers on a personal level. Herschel experienced a dramatic increase in positive customer response instantly. Whilst experiencing more efficient project management, reducing the emails received and increased productivity.

For further information about their success, find more Hootsuite case studies here.

The second example is Esencial Marketing Network (EMN) an up and coming Australian company focused on teaching entrepreneurs and small business owners how to market their businesses online, specialising in lead generation strategies through the utilisation of social media, primarily focusing on Facebook. EMN have a private Facebook group where all of their members can ask each other questions anytime like an open support group, members find that their questions are answer immediately if not by one of the corporate team members then one of the knowledgeable members try to answer their questions. It is also a place where everyone can share documentation that may be beneficial for other members. 

EMN show members how to use Google hangouts for collaborative work and a training medium for one-on-one consultations. Their primary objective is to help their members grow their business, so they provide members with an all-in-one marketing platform. This platform consists of mobile marketing, email marketing, voice broadcasting and social media tools. For example members can create custom Facebook tabs for squeeze pages, sales pages or for promotional material exposure. Increasing business exposure in the market place.



Since the adoption of social media platforms 89% of marketers stated that their exposure was dramatically increased by the benefits received from social media marketing (Yasmin Bendror, 2014). It appears social media is bridging the gap between businesses and their customers personally on a daily basis. In the future could be saturation experienced? I think businesses will need to continuously find more ways to stand out above the crowd as more businesses make the transition to these online platforms. 

References: 

Want to Grow your business online? Secrets from Herschel Supply Co. (June, 2014.) Sam Milbrath. Retrieved on the 25th August 2014. From:

http://blog.hootsuite.com/herschel-supply-case-study/

Why Social Media Is so important for your business in 2014. (10 February 2014). Yasmin Bendror. Retrieved on the 25th August 2014. From:
http://www.business2community.com/social-media/social-media-important-business-2014-0773321#!bJSDdn