Social media can be an effective tool for building long-term relationships with customers. It is not a magic bullet or a quick fix, and while it may be comparatively inexpensive, it is not cheap. It is most effective when it is an integrated component of a marketing plan that includes conventional marketing tools.
Below are some examples of my work in social media:
 WordPress
I managed the creation of a new Manitou website in 2009. Its key feature is a WordPress blog, which I managed. I used the blog to post product reviews, sponsored riders’ results, technical videos, action videos, product development news, and anything else I thought customers would find interesting. One of my early uses of the blog was a crowdsourcing experiment. My designers had been working on product graphics, and had created a number of preliminary designs. I created a survey on SurveyMonkey and invited people to vote for their favorite designs. I also used the Facebook page and Twitter to invite people to the survey. The response was great, and contributed directly to the final design. |
 Twitter
When I first tried Twitter back in 2006, I didn’t see the point. I saw a lot of people sharing inane details of their lives, but nothing I thought was remotely interesting. However, shortly before I came to HBG, I read some business cases regarding companies that used Twitter in effective and meaningful ways. I didn’t see many companies in the bicycle industry using Twitter, but I decided to give it another try. I was among the first on the authoritative and exhaustive list of bike industry tweeters at BikeBiz.com. Shortly after creating my account, I set up alerts to notify me whenever anyone tweeted something pertaining to Manitou products. Where appropriate, I responded with a reply, a direct message, or a retweet. This resulted in numerous valuable exchanges, especially in cases where a person was venting about a product issue and I was able to help them get it solved. My most interesting Twitter experience was a promotion I ran with the goal of attracting new followers. I sent out a tweet saying that for every 10 new followers, I would tweet a discount code that allowed one person (the first to use it) to purchase HBG products directly from the company at a 50% discount. I also used the Manitou blog to announce the promotion. The response from riders was very positive, and I noticed a significant increase in the rate of new followers. However, I received a comment on the Manitou blog from a shop owner who expressed displeasure with the program. He contended that I was circumventing dealers by offering products directly to consumers at prices below dealer cost. I spoke to some other dealers to determine if they felt similarly. Based on their corroboration, I decided to end the promotion. This resulted in some interesting discussion on the Manitou blog, but ultimately, I was very pleased with the results. It was a great way of personalizing the brand and engaging our fans. In addition to the Manitou account, I also set up Twitter accounts for Hayes, SUNringle BMX, and Answer. These are managed by their respective Product Managers. Other HBG employees who now Tweet include the General Manager, the Director of Sales & Marketing, the Tech & Warranty Manager, and a Graphic Designer. |
 Facebook
While at HBG, I created Facebook pages for Manitou, Hayes, SUNringle, and Answer Products. I actively managed the Manitou page, which I used to post product reviews and sponsored riders’ results. I also threw in some occasional “behind the scenes at HBG” content. Through the Fan Photos tool, I got some cool images and interesting stories from riders using Manitou products, including a rider who restored an original Manitou HT bicycle. |
 YouTube
During my time at HBG, we produced a number of videos that taught customers how to service our products. I posted these on YouTube channels I created for Hayes and Manitou. These were enthusiastically received by riders and service technicians. They also lessened the number of calls our tech department fielded. |
