Save Money With Social Networking?

Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Mon, Dec 14 2009 | 3 Comments

A year or so ago I couldn’t see the point in using Twitter. I often called it stupid and pointless, now I update my Twitter at least 5 times a week with pointless things about how my day went. I have downloaded programs just so I can update my Twitter and also installed plugins for my Firefox browser to update my Twitter, it’s not an obsession just yet, but I’m trying to get into it.

Twitter has actually become kind of useful to those who are trying to save some money also. Companies like Sears, Fiji Water, and Gold’s Gym are looking to be your friend on popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. They are even offering discounts and side deals for those who follow them on Twitter or add them as a friend on Facebook.

Last week, for example, Fiji Water used its Twitter feed to tell followers about a 40%-off sale on bottled water purchased through the brand’s web site. Subsequent updates dropped the discount by a few percentage points until the promotion expired. Meanwhile, The Melting Pot chain is offering a free chocolate fondue — worth $16 — to Facebook users who try the company’s free application to match up their friends. (For more current deals, see charts below.)

Fifty nine of the top 100 online retailers have accounts on the social networking websites.

“There’s definitely a business advantage to having a presence there,” says Tim Ross, principal of Kendall Ross, a Seattle-based retail branding firm. “It’s free, targeted advertising.”

If you want to add a company as a friend think about this before you do; you’re giving the company access to your profile so you need to make sure you’re aware of the privacy settings that the site offers so you can limit how much personal information the company can see.

You can track coupons that are posted on Twitter at CouponTweet.com and CheapTweet.com

I think that using Twitter as a marketing tool for a company right now is pretty valuable. I can definitely see where it comes in handy for some companies that might be hurting right now for business or who just want to get their name out. I like the idea of getting coupons and deals from being friends with companies on the social networking sites.

Some companies I don’t quite understand why they would have a Twitter and use it frequently is places like my bank, which updates its Twitter account with birth announcements and promotion announcements. It’s a regional bank and I don’t know one person who works there, so why would I want to follow them just to see who is getting a promotion or having a baby?

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Tags: kendall ross, firefox browser, social networking sites

Things that aren’t okay to do at work: Twitter and anti-productivity.

Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Tue, Oct 06 2009 | 1 Comment

Most employers (if not all) enjoy watching their employees be productive and make money for the company. Anytime there is a lot of anti-productive behavior coming from an employee, that employee will likely find him or herself as a pretty good candidate for unemployment.

This is why it is important to note exactly what NOT to do if you want to keep your job. Right now, just flying under the radar is not enough to keep a job that is in demand.

One thing, and probably the most important is never, EVER do anything to reduce your productivity.

Some people think that it is really cool to update their Twitter page every time they change positions in their office chair. First of all, your boss isn’t stupid and is likely catching on to how much time is being spent on the social networking site rather than filling out TPS reports. If you are one of the people who update your Twitter a lot then you really need to ask yourself this question: Is the next 140 characters worth my job?

Worse yet, people are Tweeting about things like getting job offers! Say that they aren’t even using Twitter at work; how hard is it for their current boss to see that? Not only that, but people tweet about some really random and embarassing things sometimes as well. How does it look to always be talking about your party habits or your drunken hookup over the internet?

I will say, sometimes I get really caught up in other people’s drama on social networking sites if I know who they are. I even feel embarrassed for them from time to time but then I have to realize that they are the ones who decided to post all of their personal business for everyone to see.

So, a couple of things to remember if you are going to use Twitter (even at work) is to never talk about office drama. Sally in HR is not going to be happy about your decision to talk about how she picks her teeth or something such as that.

Only update your Twitter or Facebook or whatever on YOUR time. If you’re off the clock for lunch or something, then go nuts! That’s your time. You just really need to make sure that you’re not talking about anything that may put your job in jeopardy.

Another thing, there are websites devoted to embarrassing things that people say from time to time. Even in a text message, you can still end up with your words for everyone to see.

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Tags: unemployment, personal business, facebook

The first of its kind: Flower retailer sets up shop on Facebook

Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Wed, Jul 29 2009 | 1 Comment

We knew it would only be a matter of time before the extremely popular social networking site Facebook became a place where you could also buy things and also set up shop if you so wished. Facebook has had the “marketplace” for awhile now and the next step was coming.

Flower and gift store 1800Flowers.com has announced plans to open a retail store and let people buy from them directly through Facebook. The company, which went online in 1991, was also the first merchant on AOL. It has also been an online pioneer by being successful and using 1800 in its name.

The majority of people who order from 1800 Flowers are online buyers and the company is trying to evolve into using social networking sites and mobile applications as a way for people to get their flower fix. Perhaps using a mobile phone’s internet browser or application to order flowers isn’t such a bad idea. After all, it only takes one phone call for my husband to realize how bad he’s messed up when he has forgotten our anniversary. Now, just as quickly he can pretend to rectify the situation by purchasing flowers on his phone.

1800Flowers is having a few issues with Facebook and its search abilities right now because unless you put in the hyphens in 1-800-Flowers and the .com you won’t be able to find the company by using the search feature. To fix the problem, Facebook actually has to tweak the search capabilities, as it is out of the flower company’s control.

There are approximately 300,000 active fan pages on Facebook.

I can really see this being the next step in online retailing. It would be more like a one stop shop thing simply because the one site, even with numerous stores in it, could have everything you needed. Imagine it like a shopping mall; yes, you still have to go to separate stores, but they are all within walking distance of each other, you don’t have to get in your car and drive miles down the road.

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Tags: retail store, flower company, facebook