Title: What’s Behind Whole Foods Market Social Media Strategy
Organization Name: Whole Foods Market
Industry: Grocery Retail
Name of Contact: John Mackey, CEO
Web References: Whole Foods Market, Mashable
About Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market originated in 1980 in Austin, Texas and currently operates over 360 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. I myself, worked as a Whole Body Buyer and Team Member in Mississauga, Ontario. Whole Foods Market is probably the largest and most recognized leader in the natural food industry with over 73,000 employees internationally. Whole Foods Market stands true to their core values and quality standards policies and makes an on-going effort to contribute to community and global causes.
Social Media for Business Performance
Many progressive organizations are implementing the use of social media strategies as a way to engage their customers. It is common for customers to look up companies they are interested in on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, to name a few. Whole Foods Market has been recognized as one of the top leaders in social media for customer engagement with over 150 company Twitter accounts.
Whole Foods Market has full time community managers reaching out to customers on social multiple media platforms. In most stores, there are have an interactive program where customers can post comments on a screen located in the public eatery and store managers respond to the comments daily! There are multiple employees at Whole Foods Market managing social media accounts because they understand the need for diversity when engaging large audiences. Each Whole Foods Location has their own Facebook and Twitter page with employees responding in a timely manner to customer questions and requests.
Social Media Engagement From The Top!
Whole Foods Market CEO and Co-Founder, John Mackey actively connects with customers via a personal blog that you may navigate to from the Whole Foods Market website. Having a CEO actively engaging in social media with customers is a sure way to maximize business performance.
In a report from eMarketer, 77% of buyers said they are more likely to buy from a company if the CEO uses social media – emarkerter.com
There are tons of fascinating presentations about Whole Foods Market on SlideShare.com Check out the link below to see a presentation created by Ryan Amirault, Digital Marketing Manager, Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas:
Lessons for Others
This audio clip highlights the idea of using social media as a way to communicate with a business in a non-traditional approach when in need of customer service. Larger, dynamic organizations such as Comcast are responding to customer inquiries almost instantaneously! This may be a possible customer service approach for companies that have the resources and may not be so realistic for smaller businesses.
No matter how small or large the business, companies that are not engaging in social media may be at a disadvantage. Many small business owners complain of the lack of time to invest in social media and also a possible lack of knowledge. It may be advantageous for individuals new to social media to spend time watching YouTube videos to learn basic knowledge of how to use social media platforms. Some businesses are hiring digital marketing agencies to manage their social media accounts effectively by engaging their audience with relevant content and regular posting.
Engaging customers through social media is a way to better understand your customers needs, increase brand awareness and to reach a greater audience!
Submitted By: Trish MacMillan
To contact the author of this entry please email at: tmacmillan@live.ca
If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Programme Director, Social Media for Business Performance