Who do you believe? A business telling you how great they are? Or, a past guest, repeat customer or ardent advocate telling you how great that business is in their own words and from their own experience? This is the major paradigm shift in marketing brought about by social media. The business's role in this space is to facilitate and respond appropriately to the conversation going on, not dominate it.
Since LHWH launched a Facebook page for Carolina Beach, NC, its fan base has grown from zero to nearly 17,000 in almost a year. The conversational tone of our postings has helped to engender a high degree of interactivity among fans. It's all about giving people who love this place a forum to talk about it, ask questions and share their vacation memories and photos with a group that also has an affinity for this seaside destination on the North Carolina coast.
"Are there public accesses to the beach if we stay off the beach?"
"Is that ice cream parlor still on the pier?"
"Who serves the best crab cakes?"
Our client, in fairness to all their member businesses, can't answer all questions. But, other fans can and do! And that's what it's about. Create a vibrant online conversation that's consumer driven and ultimately believable.
The success of our social media efforts on behalf of Carolina Beach (and neighboring Kure Beach) led LHWH to new social media responsibilities for both Wrightsville Beach and the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB. Extraordinary fan growth and fan interaction occurred within the first month of the new assignment.
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