When I took my first dip into social media with sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it was merely a channel to connect with my friends and acquaintances. Little did I know that slowly, my life would be consumed with daily use of aforementioned sites, and at the same time, it became an extremely helpful resource throughout this wedding planning process.
We’re pretty fortunate to have the web readily accessible so we can plow through hundreds of wedding-related websites for inspiration and ideas. When my sisters planned their weddings, they could only purchase bridal magazines. A digital inspiration board? No such thing. I remember my sister would cut little photos from bridal spreads that she liked and glued them together on a poster board (which alludes to her studies at FIDM).
As more and more businesses take an interest in social media, consumers have the benefit of utilizing that direct communication channel with them. Long gone are the days of being put on hold through the telephone or sending an email and waiting two weeks for a reply from customer service. A Tweet or a Facebook wall post on the company’s page will garner the same, if not quicker, attention and reply within hours.
For example, I was in the Marina district with Mr. French Toast a few weeks ago and walked inside the cutest bakery on Chestnut Street where I had a delicious red velvet cupcake. I subsequently wrote a stellar Yelp review for SusieCakes. A day later, the owner of SusieCakes messaged me through Yelp thanking me for my review. In fact, it was because the owner initiated contact through me that Mr. French Toast and I decided to go back the following weekend for a cake tasting, and order our wedding cake from them. Aside from a killer red velvet cake, ultimately it was their customer service that won us over.
A typical French Toast outing: me with dessert, Mr. French Toast with the paper
Another case is when I purchased a product from Neutrogena last July that qualified for a rebate (gotta prep the skin for the wedding!). Long story short, after numerous emails and phone calls to Neutrogena, I finally received a “Too bad, so sad.” kind of reply through their customer service phone line. Frustrated, I decided to inquire on their Facebook page. Lo and behold, a week later I received my rebate check in the mail.
The purpose of my post is not to say that social media channels trumps the traditional letter/email/telephone call, and I’m mindful that the staff representing the brand behind the Facebook or Twitter account may not have the authority to escalate or address your concern. But social media creates that two-way communication channel between businesses and consumers, allowing us to get the information directly from the source. I ‘liked’ Nordstrom Wedding’s Facebook page to enter their sweepstakes and learn about their new wedding shop, I follow Anthropologie’s new wedding line BHLDN on Twitter to get their latest updates. The amount of information and resources for us brides out there are endless, and we as consumers have more control over what we want to see and read.
What are some your favorite brands that you think have done a good job with social media so far? And are you more inclined to buy from a company that has social media presence?
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