Rare London Appraisal
7:33 AM
Rare London Appraisal
Chloe Louise Pryce - 16011629
Amy Mosley - 15075502
Rebeca Lumb - 16025528
This appraisal’s purpose is to evaluate the key features and techniques involved with the use of Twitter, including its beneficial factors. Along with a justification for the choice of Twitter as our main social media platform, critiquing the negative and positive factors of the chosen platform.
Social Media
Social media can be defined as 'the term commonly given to Internet and mobile-based channels and tools that allow users to interact with each other and share opinions and content' (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:214), Rare London's involvement on Twitter encourages an audience to interact with their content, with the potential of an audience sharing their content.
E-marketing techniques associated with Twitter
Companies with Twitter platforms post tweets in order to 'engage customers in new product developments' (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:482), Organizations use hashtag symbols, including relevant keyword or phrases in order to categorize their Tweet, this makes it easier for Twitter users to find posts or information. This technique can be defined as 'clickable links Twitter users can place on their posts to aggregate tweets on the same subject' (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:567).
One of Rare London's most frequent used hashtag includes 'SamFaiersxRareLondon' (Rare London, 2016:Online), this clothing collection is inspired by a television personality and business woman called Sam Faiers. The usability of this specific hashtag is effective as Rare London have formed a relationship with the celebrity in order to expand the reach of the brand (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:379), the use of the hashtag increases consumer awareness of the collection due to the amount of following Sam Faiers inspires.
As for a Twitter user’s point of view, a hashtag may be perceived as ‘clutter’, others may find that using a hashtag in their tweet is no longer the trend, meaning they won’t use the specific technique in their posts. Whereas some Twitter users use various consecutive hashtags, instead of forming a sentenced tweet. This way, some find that using a number of hashtags in their tweets will push followers to follow them, this can be a result to an organization opting out of this technique as it no longer attracts as much engagement. Whereas some users find that if organizations haven’t interacted to the user’s use of hashtags, as a result, those particular users may not find ‘hashtagging’ in their tweets as favourable.
Direct Messaging
This technique involves a private messaging feature, which is offered to Twitter account holders, users can send messages back and forth (Hustad, 2013:Online), with a word count limit of 140 characters. Direct messaging is useful for an organization such as Rare London as it allows consumers to communicate privately, this allows them to 'receive account information that users may not want to post publicly' (Hustad, 2013:Online).
If a customer was to for example inform Rare London of a faulty product, this feature would enable them to share specific information regarding the product, Rare London's social media team could then inform the relevant sector of the organization. Instead of the customer having to tweet their complaint in public, direct messaging would allow them to share the information on a personal level (Hustad, 2013:Online).
This feature is useful as a large amount of tweets go unnoticed. In fact, researchers found that '73 percent of tweets to businesses go unnoticed' (Hustad, 2013:Online), allowing companies to the improve their business to customer relationship, by informing them with the relevant and most useful information.
Direct messaging offers a feature for a company to communicate with their consumers, using personal direct messaging. A company can offer customer services through this, which can be beneficial for the consumer as they won’t have to visit a store. The main beneficial factor for the organization would be led by cost and time saving, in terms of for example reducing the amount of employees in stores.
Whereas the consumer may not feel as if direct messaging as customer service is personal enough. It may also be time consuming for the consumer as there may be a waiting time for a response, whereas if they visited a store with the intent of visiting customer service, they will have usually received a response in next to no time. Some Twitter users may also find that the service provided on Twitter via direct messaging, may not have dealt with their needs or complaints appropriately.
Promotions
E-marketing is a form of marketing online, it can be offered in forms of for example web sites, online ads, interactive TV or mobiles (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:15). The purpose of e-marketing is 'building an integrated multi-channel touch or contact strategy which delivers customized communication to customers' (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:15).
It is a common technique for an organization to promote their services or products via tweets on Twitter, with the intention of attracting customers by rewarding them for their engagement, through promotional offers (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:273).
For example, Rare London's latest promotional tweet above, including 'Be Ready Whatever The Weather with 40% OFF Jackets and Coats', with a code and an address to the specific area of the site (Rare London, 2016:Online). Similar to Rare London's tweet, aimed to attract customer engagement, by including a reward such as the 40% off, as well as promoting their product with the use of an engaging image (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:273).
From the organizations point of view, promotions are beneficial as it increases consumer engagement, as for a consumer’s point of view, providing them with the opportunity to browse into what retailers such as Rare London have to offer. Offering Twitter users with promotions is crucial for organizations, the more promotions, the more consumers are encouraged, which increases brand awareness.
This particular platform’s purpose can be defined as 'Twitter is primarily made up of many millions of users who seem to be ordinary individuals communicating with their friends and acquaintances in a manner largely consistent with traditional notions of interpersonal communication' (Wu et al., 201:706). This could be seen as a negative factor on an organization's behalf, users on Twitter visit the site with the intent to communicate with their friends and acquaintances, features such as promotional advertisements can be of a nuisance to some users. Meaning they will either scroll past the advertisement without taking any notice, or they will opt out to those specific advertisements, a Twitter user's purpose to visit the social media site is primarily on communicating with their friends and acquaintances (Wu et al., 2011:706).
Sponsored Tweets
Sponsored tweets offer a live up to date trend of sponsored products or services, these particular posts are located on user feeds, they can also be found above popular hashtag searches (Slattery, 2013:Online).
The purpose of this technique is to provide an 'opportunity for the viewers' on Twitter to look at a company's advertisement. As a result, the twitter user will engage with the advertisement through liking or retweeting, which is useful for the company as it increases the amount of viewers (Belew, 2014:Online), this is also a brand awareness influencer.
From an organization’s point of view, sponsored tweets can benefit a company a great deal, whereas on the other hand, sponsored tweets could be a negative factor. This is influenced by competition, depending on the marketing of the sponsor, retailers could have a competitive advantage if they can attract more consumers to engage with the tweet.
The justification for the use of Twitter
An organization will focus on their marketing objectives in a number of areas (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:22). These influenced factors may include sales growth, adding value to their product or brand, improving their relationship with their consumers or save costs in the most relevant areas (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:22).
In terms of the organizational objectives listed above, our ABC Digital agency believe Rare London could achieve some of their objectives with the use of Twitter. According to statistics, Twitter is accountable for 500 million tweets being sent each day, this provides a company with the ability to 'reach a global audience of new and existing customers' (Twitter, 2016 :online). With the amount of active users Twitter offers, the platform can provide an organization with connections, an appropriate audience is also a one of the key reasons why an organization would benefit from the platform (Twitter, 2016 :online). With an appropriate audience, a 'network of loyal customers' would evolve from that particular audience (Twitter, 2016 :online).
Why should Rare London invest in Twitter as their core social media platform?
Twitter is known to be one of the most popular sites on the internet (Chaffey and Smith, 2012:214). In consideration to the number of beneficial and negative factors influenced by Twitter, one of the main aspects of choosing Twitter as a core social media platform, Rare London would have the ability to target their focused market, being people who are interested in fashion and the keeping up with the latest clothing range. Due to its number of beneficial factors involving the techniques, Rare London would have the ability to collect market research on the amount of engagement the platform brings to the company. Twitter offers an active 313 million monthly users (Twitter, 2016 :online), also with the rapid growth of social networking, Rare London would have the ability to reach consumers globally.
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