12 Small Businesses who found success on Social Media

12 Small Businesses who
found success on Social Media
A Hootsuite Look Book
We love talking to our
customers about social media.
And we love sharing.
We talked to 12 small businesses across several industries
about their social media goals and how they found success.
Here are their stories:
Retail is Social
78% of consumers say
that the posts made by
companies on social media
influence their purchases.
Forbes
Meet DAVIDsTEA.
This young and entrepreneurial Canadian retailer
celebrates loose leaf tea and knows how to please
their customers.
Their social media goals were to:
•Increase brand
exposure
•Increase customer
engagement
•Grow their social
business
DAVIDsTEA finds incredible success by
“thinking outside of the box,” sharing fun
content generated by customers and
staff, and keeping up with conversations.
Hootsuite features used:
Streams
Lists
Analytics
for better listening, engagement, and reporting.
“We speak the language of our
customer and aren’t afraid to
take risks with our responses
or tweets.”
Youri Hollier, Social Media Manager, DAVIDsTEA
Food is Social
49% of surveyed
consumers find out about
food through social media.
Column Five Media
Meet Bob’s Red Mill.
Bob’s Red Mill is a stone milling manufacturer of
whole grain and gluten free flours, cereals, and
baking mixes.
Their social media goals were to:
•Build brand
awareness
•Engage with
customers
•Showcase
customer stories
Bob’s Red Mill now delivers faster
customer service responses, has
increased brand awareness, and produces
more compelling marketing campaigns.
Hootsuite features used:
Keyword Searches
Lists
Analytics
Streams
for improved listening, better customer service,
and reporting on success.
“We use Hootsuite for so many
reasons... it allows incredible
visibility, has powerful scheduling,
and lets team members
contribute to social profiles.”
Cassidy Stockton, Social Media Manager, Bob’s Red Mill
Meet The Grilled Cheese Truck.
Catering to on-the-go foodies looking for a quick and tasty
meal, America’s beloved The Grilled Cheese Truck kicks
social up a notch.
Their social media goals were to:
•Build loyal, local
followings across
America
•Update customers
on their location
•Get people hungry
“I used to do all of the social ‘à la minute,’ or
live, making it hard to run my business.”
– Dave Danhi, CEO, Founder, and Chef, The Grilled Cheese Truck
Hootsuite features used:
Keyword Searches
Lists
Geo-targeting
Streams
to zoom-in on customer conversations, update locations
in a flash, and schedule social beforehand.
“We’ve since expanded and
Hootsuite helps us manage
multiple cities and social
profiles.”
Dave Danhi, CEO, Founder, and Chef, The Grilled Cheese Truck
Travel is Social
85% of leisure travelers use
their smartphone abroad.
The Impact of Social Media within the
Hospitality Industry
Meet Contiki.
Contiki Tours is the worldwide leader in tours for 18-to-35year-old travelers. Their traveling customers are very social,
from sharing images to using hashtags abroad.
Their social media goals were to:
•Increase brand
advocacy
•Be the first travel
company to host a
YouTube contest
•Build an engaged
community
They successfully launched the
#NOREGRETS YouTube contest and
monitored engagement on thousands of
entries right from their dashboard.
Hootsuite features used:
Hashtag search Streams
Scheduler
YouTube app integration
to foster an engaged community around video and social.
“Our demographic—young travellers—aren’t
interested in hearing from known travel
industry experts, but from the storytellers
themselves. We recognize the value of being
present and active in the digital space—it is
fundamental to our business.”
Lauren Howard, Marketing Manager, Contiki Canada
Tech is Social
90% of technology companies
focus on strengthening
relationships with customers
by increasing engagement
online.
PwC US Survey
Meet Hubba.
This tech startup helps brands and retailers manage
their product data to ensure shoppers make
informed buying decisions.
Their social media goals were to:
•Create thought
leadership channels
•Build a community
around tech and
retail
•Report on industry
trends
Hubba’s social channels are a key source
of retail and tech related content and
industry news.
Hootsuite features used:
Streams
Lists
Klout score
to source great content, stay on top of conversations, and
find influencers.
“We share curated content on retail
and consumer trends, emerging
technology, entrepreneurial advice
and development articles to help
build a social community around
tech startups in retail.”
Emma Nemtin, Marketing Director, Hubba
Nonprofits are Social
A recent Facebook experiment
encouraged organ donations
via Facebook by adding a
donation status to one’s timeline.
Registrations increased by 2000%.
Mediapost.com
Meet Pacific Wild.
This nonprofit organization aims to protect one of the
world’s last and largest remaining intact temperate
rainforests: The Great Bear Rainforest.
Their social media goals were to:
•Educate the world
•Raise awareness of
their cause
•Share rich media
Pacific Wild has found huge success
by sharing real-time media through
Hootsuite, such as live-streamed videos
and awesome photographs.
Hootsuite features used:
Shared Streams
Scheduler
Analytics
Hootsuite Social Media Coaches
to understand best practices and gain control of their social.
“Hootsuite allows us to be organized
and collaborate together to spread
awareness. It takes a lot of effort to
build a following from the ground up,
and we can clearly see our progress
with analytics.”
Sarah Stoner, Director of Strategy and Development, Pacific Wild
Meet Free The Children.
This international charity believes in a world where all children
are agents of change. Their successful initiative We Day is one
of the largest charitable Facebook causes in the world.
Their social media goals were to:
•Strategize prior
to We Day
•Manage a high
volume of content
and conversations
in real-time
•Monitor campaign
performance and
show results
Managing digital communications for a
global campaign of this magnitude is no
small feat.
Hootsuite features used:
Scheduler
Custom URLs & Analytics
Geo-targeting
Archived responses
Keyword & hashtag search Streams
to streamline efforts, engage their audience, and execute a
successful event.
“We Day is such an incredible
event and everything moves so
quickly that having a solid social
relationship platform is absolutely
essential.”
Michael Rajzman, Associate Director of Digital Media,
Free The Children
Meet International Bird Rescue.
This nonprofit cares for over 5,000 birds every year and
leads oiled-wildlife rescue efforts around the globe.
Their social media goals were to:
•Promote their
cause
•Spread awareness
and share success
stories
•Keep their online
communities well
informed
International Bird Rescue speaks to a
niche audience that is invested in the
well-being of birds around the world.
Hootsuite features used:
Geo-targeting
Keyword Searches
Search Streams & Tabs
to share content, listen, and engage with their community
across multiple social networks.
“People have to feel something
before they act to preserve it; to do
this, we show them what we do.”
Andrew Harmon, Vice Chairman, International Bird Rescue
Arts & Culture is Social
82% of arts organizations use
social media to engage with
their audience.
Digital Technology’s Impact on the Arts; Pew Survey
Meet TEDxSydney.
The TEDxSydney event aims to make Asia Pacific a leading
platform for the creation of great ideas, storytelling, and actionable
innovation, while fostering a deep sense of community.
Their social media goals were to:
•Generate
widespread buzz
around TEDxSydney
•Increase live
audience
engagement
•Amplify rich
media content
#TEDxSydney had almost one million
impressions on the day of the event.
Hootsuite features used:
Bulk Scheduler
Lists
Analytics
Hashtag search Streams
RTs live audience tweets
to streamline event and community management before,
during, and after TEDxSydney.
“By monitoring these hashtags
and keywords on Hootsuite,
we effectively listened and
contributed to conversations
around us in real time.”
Amber Dermoudy, Head of Digital, Launch Management Group
(TEDxSydney Agency)
Meet The Roald Dahl Museum.
Honoring the late children’s author, The Roald Dahl Museum
supports storytelling and creativity using interactive activities and
archive materials.
Their social media goals were to:
•Manage social
media output
•Answer fan
inquiries and
comments
•Build a global
community online
The Roald Dahl museum has
successfully built an international
audience online with a social media
team of just one person.
Hootsuite features used:
Scheduler
Mobile App
Keyword and geo-targeted search streams
to find customers talking about the brand and maintain
social networks anytime and anywhere.
“With such a small team, Hootsuite
has some great features that
help us manage our social media
output.”
Kim Osborne, PR & Marketing Assistant, The Roald Dahl Museum
Meet The San Francisco Ballet.
San Francisco Ballet is America’s oldest professional ballet
company and one of the three largest in the United States.
Their social media goals were to:
•Engage with and
nurture existing
fans
•Expand into new
audience bases
•Offer exclusive
behind-the-scenes
content
San Francisco Ballet has attracted a
global audience with whom they’re
constantly engaging with—both on
and offstage.
Hootsuite features used:
Scheduler
Lists
Streams
Custom URL parameters & analytics
to find customers talking about the brand and maintain
social networks to keep up with all brand conversations.
“Hootsuite lets us be a good
listener—to track and monitor
conversations around us and
dance in general.”
Carly Severn, former Digital Engagement Associate,
San Francisco Ballet
Meet Booooooom.
One of the largest blogs on the internet, Booooooom.com
fosters an community of art enthusiasts with well over three
million page views a month by loyal followers worldwide.
Their social media goals were to:
•Spread daily
inspiration
•Increase brand
awareness
•Connect and make
relationships online
By sharing engaging content, Jeff has grown
a massive online following. In just a few
months, he single-handedly grew a Google+
community from 300 to over 150,000.
Hootsuite features used:
Scheduler
Streams & Tabs
Keyword Searches
to monitor multiple social networks, jump into
conversations easily, and find new artists.
“I used to actively try to grow my
following with best practices, but
now I have enough momentum
to gain followers without actively
seeking them. Now I focus on
creating great content, often.”
Jeff Hamada, Founder, Booooooom
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Sources
“Are Brands Wielding More Influence In Social Media Than We Thought?”
– Forbes
@hootsuite
Dine and Dish: Are Social Media and Food the Perfect Pairing?
- Column Five Media [Infographic]
/hootsuite
The Impact of Social Media within the Hospitality Industry
/company/hootsuite
/+hootsuite
The New Digital Ecosystem Reality: Nine trends rewriting the rules of
business – PxC US Survey
Social Media Boosted Organ Donor Registrations 2000% - The Social Graf
Digital Technology’s Impact on the Arts; New Pew Survey - artstomarket

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