One of the most important things I have learned this semester is how important establishing an online voice is to your brand. According to a wonderful video by Loic Le Meur, building an online voice and a digital community takes time. The most important aspect of building trust with your customers is maintaining a consistent presence online. This means sharing meaningful or entertaining content and responding to followers’ posts and questions.
My first suggestion for Pet Haven is to have more interaction with customer comments and criticisms online. I noticed that they had some negative feedback on Yelp that remained unanswered. In my opinion, looking at this, I feel the company is non-apologetic for their mistake, and uncaring. While this lack of response may not truly be the intent of Pet Haven, it is the perception that matters. Listening and responding to customers is crucial.
Another suggestion I have is for them to post content on their social media sites, such as Facebook, that is not always about how great they are and about themselves. An interesting way to attract people would be to post a written blog or video reviewing dog foods. They could also highlight expert opinions on pet foods. Other topics of interest highlighted could be a review from experts on safe flea and tick remedies. Sharing on social media isn’t always about pushing an agenda or product, it also about simply establishing a relationship with followers. This builds trust that will hopefully result in creating future customers.
In conclusion of this Digital Marketing course, I have taken away that social media is a tool that has connected people in a way that many never thought possible. It is truly unprecedented. Businesses must adapt and embrace what is simply a change in the way we communicate, or they will be irrelevant and cease to exist.
MeaganJohns 