The Bear Brewing Company: A Social Media Reflection

Blogging represents a great way for any business to increase its online social media presence. Blogger is a great free tool powered by Google. The Bear Brewing Company utilized Blogger to increase awareness about all social media activities within the company.  Blogging is rapidly beginning to replace traditional websites for many small and large businesses alike. Because services such as Blogger and WordPress offer free or affordable online hosting it is a cost effective way to manage a website. Blogging helps the business to reach its client and interact with them in a meaningful and easy way. I will use blogs with any business I am involved in in the future. It is a wonderful creative outlet to entertain, engage and inform your supporters. 

Twitter is rapidly growing as a social media powerhouse. With each passing day Twitter gains a stronger foothold with businesses, celebrities, and every day people.  The Bear Brewing Company uses Twitter to entertain and inform patrons about upcoming events and offers. Twitter is also a great way to have quick interactions with fans. Limited to 140 characters Twitter messages are sweet and to the point. In a fast paced world Twitter fits perfectly with a hectic life style. I would encourage any business to use Twitter. Like Facebook, Twitter has become a must-have for any business. Failure to utilize a powerful tool such as Twitter would be a serious misstep.

Facebook is obviously one of the greatest tools in social media. It is the most widely utilized social media. The Bear Brewing Company uses Facebook to contact and reach out to current and future patrons. There are three basic forms of posts to Facebook: entertaining, engaging, and informing. Review of the BBC posts shows: 21% of posts are designed to engage followers. 47% intended to inform followers of new offers, or upcoming events. 32% of posts sought to entertain followers. The BBC also used media such as pictures, videos, and podcasts to increase traffic on Facebook. These features make the site more visually appealing. Facebook is a vital part of any social media presence. I will use Facebook for any future business endeavors.

HootSuite is a powerful tool that any social media manager should be using. It allows the user to monitor, post, comment, and reply to multiple social medias from one site. It is possible to schedule all posts for Facebook and Twitter all from the HootSuite interface. This is a powerful free tool that I will certainly use in the future.  The BBC used HootSuite to schedule and monitor Facebook and Twitter. This allows any busy businesses owner a way to quickly manage all social media presences of the business. As the average small business owner is already spread thin, the ability to quickly manage something as vital as social media is of considerable importance.

Pinterest allows users to post pictures related to a chosen topic for others to view. Pinterest is a visually stunning interface. The BBC used Pinterest primarily as an entertainment tool. We posted pictures related to topics such as craft beer, beer fans, beer pong etc. Pinterest also typically has longer page visits that other social media sites; that being said, I would not necessarily use Pinterest for every business. Businesses with more visual products and easily utilize Pinterest. Some businesses may not have much use for Pinterest. I would assess the need for Pinterest on a case-by-case basis. Pinterest is a powerful tool if used the right way.

The Bear Brewing Company promoted niche social media sites such as Untapped. Niche social media sites are a great way to appeal to customers. If a site that is a good fit exists. For the brewery Untapped was a natural tool. This beer drinker’s social media site certainly appeals to the BBC’s target market.  I would use niche social media sites such as Untapped in the future (again if a good fit exists).

Podcasts are growing in popularity. Customers appreciate the ability to listen to podcasts at any time. This flexibility, and the wide array of podcast topics on the internet, it is clear why podcasts are growing in popularity. I think podcasts are a wonderful tool for many businesses. I would use podcasts in the future. It is a wonderful way to reach customers, and entertain and inform them. Free hosting sites such as Sound Cloud are a great way for business to have a vast reach with their podcasts.

Vine and other video sites such as YouTube are obviously quite popular. The BBC used Vine (the six second video site) to promote upcoming giveaways. Although I see the popularity of this type of social media I would be unlikely to use these in the future. I prefer written and audio social media sites such as Blogger and podcasting. That being said, it is a powerful tool, and depending upon the business videos could be a useful tool.

Rating and review sites Yelp or JudysBook are examples of sites important to any small business. One of the most important aspects of social media is connected business with client. Dissatisfied customers are occasionally a part of every business. These sites allow business to quickly deal with issues and resolved them. Often times the ability to deal with dissatisfied customers is the most important way to build customer support. Turning dissatisfied clients into a satisfied one is the mark of a good business. I will certainly monitor review sites in the future.

Virtual worlds having been growing in popularity over the past decade; now many that use social media also are a part of some virtual world. Sites such as Second Life, and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) are widely apart of many target markets. I would consider using virtual worlds for advertising depending upon the business. For the BBC I would try to incorporate our beer in to MMORPG games such as The Lord of the Rings Online. In this game (with several million players) there are seasonal festivals in game. These festivals often incorporate beer drinking games, and events. If the BBC could be sponsored as the beer in the game this would expose the product to a vast audience that neatly fits into the target demographic.

The study of social media has opened my eyes to a world of possibilities for businesses. Social media grows in popularity every day, and now is a part of nearly all of our lives in some capacity. Looking at the BBC moving forward this is a representation of future social media plans. The BBC will use: Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Untapped (niche site), and podcasts. Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger can all be easily integrated together to create a seamless social media experience for the customer. The BBC aims to inform and entertain customers with a fun and light-hearted social media presences; people want to be entertained by social media, and if the business can inform the client of feature benefits while entertaining them, this is when social media becomes an extremely effective instrument to grow the business. Podcasts and niche sites such as Untapped are simply fun for customers, and create a more personal connection with the client. The great companies know they aren’t selling shoes, or clothes, or beer; they are selling an experience, an expression of self. We are what we buy, we identify with the brands that we grow to know and love. Creating this customer experience will make your product a success, by adding another benefit of product use for customers. To a large extent many products are vastly similar; however, the service and experience the brand provides can separate it from the competition., and is the key to success of the Bear Brewing Company moving towards the future.