Many companies have recently caught on to the trend of using Facebook and Twitter as a marketing strategy for their start-up businesses. However, with so many companies bombarding the news feeds and webpages of uninterested users, they are not being effective in their advertising tactics. Rather than imitating the actions of others, start-up companies should explore innovative marketing strategies by using emerging social media.
Figure 1
For example, “Pinterest is a growing force in the online media industry,” as discussed in Brooke Besley’s blog. After conducting further research regarding recent use of this website to advertise, I found that Toys R Us has successfully implemented Pinterest into their strategy. “The iconic toy chain now allows surfers to pin favorite items, view trending merchandise and receive product recommendations”(Campbell). Through this process companies can establish a competitive advantage by using the positive reviews posted by online users as free advertisement of their products. Furthermore, Toys R Us can create a loyal customer base as consumers can personalize their online shopping experience and continuously return to their page to reference products they were considering purchasing.
Figure 2
Pinterest, is an interactive new social media website that allows companies to take advantage of free advertising and establish reoccurring consumers.
Internal Blog:
Besley, Brooke: https://blogs.ubc.ca/brookebesley/2013/11/11/growth-leads-to-new-marketing-strategies/
External Article:
Campbell, Jason. “Toys “R” Us Adds Social Layers to Upgraded E-site.” Daily Deal Media Daily Deal News Site Reviews Industry Data Reports Merchant Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.dailydealmedia.com/toys-r-us-adds-social-layers-to168-upgraded-e-site/>.
Figure 1:http://sweetclipart.com/multisite/sweetclipart/files/thumbtack_note_yellow.png
and http://www.stunningmesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/toys-r-us-logo.gif
Figure 2: http://sm4retired.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/pinterest-logo.png
