Window and Door August 2012 : Page 28
³ SALES & MARKETING— Adding Social Media to Marketing MIx media are sold on the potential that these channels offer in terms of connecting with their intended audience, but they caution that social media is not a replacement for traditional marketing and public relations efforts. “We believe that social media is a function of PR but it doesn’t replace it,” says Window World’s Woods. “We try to make sure we have all of our traditional PR efforts in place as a best practices model, then tweet and post away.” #MEASURING Monitoring social media efforts is important, but tracking methodologies can vary as much as social media strategies themselves. “We track a variety of metrics, including Facebook likes, Twitter followers, group members on LinkedIn and Pinerest followers,” says CMI’s Emmons. “We base our success on how many people we reach and engage with through all the platforms.” Woods says Window Worlds team looks at measurement in different ways, depending on what the particular goal of a social media campaign might be. “If we integrate an offline marketing campaign with Facebook to gain news likes, we measure success based on our new Facebook page likes,” he explains. “On typical Facebook posts, we measure the quantitative data associated to improve content reach, but also review the sentiments of comments on the post. Since social media provides so much opportunity for user-generated content, it is important for us to measure all aspects of the data.” Whether tracking quantitative metrics through Google Analytics or monitoring qualitative indicators like the interaction with followers, industry companies are likely to increasingly find that social media delivers targeted results when it comes to communicating key messages and solidifying brand positioning with intended audiences. “With conversations out in the open, a company could become vulnerable to public scrutiny,” says Harvey’s Samson. “With preparation, however, timely responses to customer inquiries and excellent customer service skills can pull your company through without tarnishing your image. In addition, valuable information from fans as well as foes can provide insights [to the company] that may not have otherwise been considered.” For Southwest Exteriors, measuring the dealer’s progress in social media is an investment in the future, Rattray explains. “As the majority of our [current] clients are probably not very active in the social media realm except for recreational use, we approach it from the perspective of building a presence that will be quite solid in the coming years as younger generations who are extremely savvy with social media become our clientele base,” she notes. “For our company, social media is a tool for investing in our brand management for the future.” Visit us at GlassBuild America in Las Vegas, Sept. 12-14, 2012, Booth #1649 Separate yourself from the crowd… Limited Lifetime Warranty | Colors | Energy Efficiency | Structural Performance | Low Maintenance | Proven Value t2VBMJUZDPOUSPMGSPNSFmOFSZUISPVHImOJTIFEQSPEVDU t*OOPWBUJPOJOQSPEVDUEFTJHOBOEFOHJOFFSJOH t4FSWJDFUPPVSWBMVFEDVTUPNFST t-FBEFSTIJQGPSZPVSTVDDFTT 4FFGPSZPVSTFMGXIZ8FTUFDIJTi:PVSQBSUOFSJOEFTJHO�d;QSPEVDUJPO�d; performance and success.” Contact us for further information: 403.279.4497 | sales@westechbp.com 0SWJTJUPVSXFCTJUFBUb;XXX�f;XFTUFDICQ�f;DPN Introducing the all-new 2700 ProTech Series Window & Door System for the commercial & high end residential market. © 2012 Westech Building Products ULC | Calgary Window Division | 5201 – 64th Avenue S.E. S E | Calgary, Calgary AB T2C 4Z9 | Canada PH: +1–403–279–4497 | FX: +1–403–279–4790 | sales@westechbp.com | www.westechbp.com 28 | Window & Door | August 2012 There is a choice… Westech! As a premier manufacturer of PVC extrusion profiles and systems for the window & door industry, it is easy to judge Westech products based on what you see. But it’s what you don’t see that separates us from the crowd—the science behind Westech’s proprietary PVC compounds, the engineering behind our extrusion process, and our stringent quality standards.