3 Unique Ways to Use Social Media at Your Delivery Company

Image credit: RosauraOchoa

Sure, you know social media is an inexpensive way to market your business to a large, diverse audience. But did you know social media also can be used for other purposes, too? Here are a few notable examples:

Use social media to control problems

The example: When a company called 1SaleADay.com started to sell a utility knife that can fold into the shape of a credit card, the company received negative feedback about the product listing from a police officer:

“As a Law Enforcement Officer, I do not appreciate you selling items that criminals can easily hide... As a result of you selling this product, I will no longer be your customer, and will be spreading the word, via word of mouth and social media, for people to stop buying from your website.”

The company decided to start a conversation with its customers on its company Facebook page. The company asked its clients to share their opinions about the product. The company posted the comment (without personal identifiers), and an organic conversation was sparked – the company got over 750 comments in 24 hours about the product. Most of the customer feedback was positive (customers were not upset by the product) and the negative feedback remained respectful and thoughtful. By addressing the situation head-on through social media, the company was able to get valuable customer feedback, while showing reasonable concern about the products the company sells.

The lesson: Using social media to communicate with customers about products, and learning how to accept positive and negative feedback on social media, can help a company stay ahead of a discussion, while remaining open and honest with its customer base.

Use social media to test new company features

The example: Almost a year ago, Burger King began testing out a new food delivery option at a few of its restaurant locations. To help gauge customers’ feelings about the campaign, the fast-food chain created various online features, including a delivery-centric Twitter page and a delivery information website customers could visit.

The lesson: Burger King’s customers responded positively to the campaign, and gave the chain a lot of feedback about the new service via the newly created, campaign-specific, social media sites.

Use social media to gain and increase customer support

The example: Sometimes social media can be used to rally support behind your brand. According to the article, “Will social media help save the Postal Service and Saturday delivery?” posted earlier this year, many post office enthusiasts gathered via various social media events and campaigns to support the mail institution.

The lesson: Your customers are more loyal than you think, and they really enjoy using social media to communicate with each other.

Here are just a few of the social media vehicles that were used:

• Supporters gathered via an online Facebook event, “Because We Love Snail Mail.” Others created various, supportive Facebook groups and pages.
• The American Housewife @WhatIDoAllDay, a Twitter user, sent out a plethora of tweets concerning the Post Office’s crisis. According to Social Media Today: “[She asked] if she might ‘single-handedly save the US Postal System’ by mailing letters to those who ask for them. She beseeched people that if they liked mail, they should provide ‘something to deliver’ by writing a love letter, a thank-you note, a postcard.”

So, have you ever used social media to help your business in the time of crisis? Or to get customer feedback, or rally support? Let us know!

How Will You Celebrate National Small Business Week?

Source: Victor 1558

Do you know it’s National Small Business Week? Well, yeah, of course you do! We know that many of our readers own or work for a small, delivery business. For those of you who didn’t know it's National Small Business Week (maybe you just started your business, or you are part of a large company), here’s a bit of information about the Week’s history:

“Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories.  Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.” – U.S. Small Business Administration

National Small Business Week is celebrated every year. This year’s event (June 17-21) was announced back in March and is the event’s fiftieth. Pretty impressive! This year’s week’s events will focus on topics that will help small businesses start, grow and succeed. Here’s the Week’s schedule by city:

Seattle - June 17

Dallas - June 18

St. Louis - June 19

Pittsburgh - June 20

Washington, D.C. - June 21

There will also be numerous online forums for people who can’t attend. You can watch some of the week’s events via a live stream at the SBA’s website. Click here for more information.

So, how are you going to celebrate this year's Small Business Week, and how are you plotting to make your business stronger? Here are some suggestions we’ve gleaned from a few articles:

• Add mobile options to improve your business. Manage your business using mobile management Apps, and mobile banking tools. Also: consider adding mobile payment options to increase customer convenience.
• Use free marketing tools, such as a business blog, or social media accounts to promote your business and spend little to no money.
• Use simple search engine optimization techniques (SEO) to make your website index better on search engines.
• Make sure you have all your business’ important documents (employee information locked away in a safe and secure place, tax information properly cared for) in order so you know where everything is at all times, and you can easily stay organized.
• You’re the boss, so what you say goes. But remember, making the office an extremely rigid environment can really make employees miserable. Once you hire on some help, you’ve got to work with people and listen to (reasonable) employee feedback.

Do you have any small business tips and tricks you’re willing to share? Any special plans for making the rest of 2013 profitable? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or in the comment section.

How Social Media can Benefit Customer Service

Source: Jason A. Howie

I’d wager that customer service is important to your company. Heck, who are we kidding – it’s essential. And over the years, more tools have emerged that help companies make top-notch customer service an every day reality.

For example, 30 years ago, your employees likely got most feedback about your delivery service from customers via phone calls, or clients who stopped by your storefront. Now, you can easily get in contact with customers immediately via email, or social media.

Just last week, Social Media Today highlighted how FedEx has successfully used social media to help the company achieve positive client responses to its customer service. And although FedEx is a large corporation, small delivery businesses can learn from the company’s social media/customer service plan of action.

According to Social Media Today, Ginna Sauerwein, a customer service veteran, has worked for JC Penney, Delta Airlines and Miller Brewery. For the past 29 years, she’s placed her talents and efforts into FedEx. As FedEx’s managing director of customer service in the western region, Sauerwein and her team check FedEx’s social media accounts to make certain the company’s customers are happy. She and her team have been doing this since 2009.

According to Social Media Today’s post:

“Providing a variety of channels for the customers to engage through, whether it’s a phone, a chat, a blog or social networks like Facebook and Twitter, appeared to be highly beneficial. Even though FedEx does online listening, Sauerwein’s team is the one responsible for handling actionable requests that customer care follow-up to help solve the issue or answer the question. Their engagement time? Mostly in a matter of minutes, not hours or days. The team tracks online buzz and digital conversations through the internal score card that shows daily interactions with ‘authors’ (yes, FedEx team refers to their customers that create content and initiate conversations online as ‘authors’) and what types those interactions were, as well as how fast the team responded.”

Now that’s interesting.

The article continues on to explain that many of FedEx’s small business customers dig that immediate customer service. Overall, the company’s social media monitoring has allowed FedEx to:

Integrate across multiple functions: Social media use allowed various departments within FedEx to collaborate creatively, and keep an open line of communication.

Keep authenticity alive: All FedEx employees are authentic with customers. Basically, FedEx’s employees talk to customers like people, and really try to relate to each customer in a unique manner.

Treat all customers well no matter who they are: All customers (the big and small) matter. Everyone should get great treatment.

Try new things: Over the years, the company has experimented with different forms of customer communication. One example Social Media Today highlights is FedEx’s piloted video chats.

Be creative: The company always strives to try new things, and FedEx employees are encouraged to find new ways to solve problems.

Source: Social Media Today’s “The Big Brand Theory: How FedEx Achieves Social Customer Service Success”

Miss the May/June Issue? There are a Few Courier Magazine Articles Online Now

Some of the team at Bonded Transportation Solutions.

The May/June issue was made available to readers at the beginning of May. We hope all of you have really enjoyed the content! If you’ve yet to get a subscription, though, no worries – we have a few articles from the May/June issue available on our website right now.

You can read our feature story, “Keeping With the Known Shipper Program,” and Success Story, “Service That Creates a Bond.”

Happy reading!

The Wild (and Furry) Side of the Office

My dog has become very accustomed to office life.

Do you take your pet with you when you work? Rudi Saldia does—and he’s a bike messenger. His cat, Mary Jane or MJ, a brown tabby, rides on his shoulders as he makes his rounds in Philadelphia.

Saldia is in a GoPro camera commercial that shows MJ nuzzling Saldia from her perch on his back and shoulders. She does seem cowed by the sound of a siren from an emergency vehicle, but otherwise clearly enjoys the ride. The camera even picks up her contented purring.

The commercial, shot with a GoPro HD HERO2 camera and posted last month to YouTube, said “Where do you want to go today, my feline friend?” in the video description. View the GoPro commercial at http://tinyurl.com/messengercat.

 

If you work at a pet-friendly company and enjoy taking your pet to work, I’m sure you’ve taken a few photos of your furry friend at your desk. If so, head over to our Facebook page or Twitter and share your photos with us!

What’s in a Name?

From the CLDA’s website

I’m sure you’ve all heard by now -- the Messenger Courier Association of America (MCAA) changed its name to the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA). The association’s new name was announced during the group’s annual meeting in New Orleans in early May:

“The name change is part of a multi-year effort to rebrand the organization to better express what the marketplace demands of its members. The association did original research to get a true picture of what their customers wanted from their members today and tomorrow. The results of that research helped them learn about customers’ perceptions of CLDA members; what customers would like to hear to better understand their importance in the global supply chain and what the association and its member need to communicate to improve customers’ perception and use of its members.” -- CLDA press release from May 9, 2013

This sounds like a great change for the association and we couldn’t be happier for them. After all, rebranding, or reimagining a brand, can help an organization, or business gain fresh perspective, and new fans. And when a brand’s evolution is done correctly (basically, with oodles of research, etc., to back it up), the change can really ramp up business.

Over the last year, a few notable companies underwent a rebranding, too. Perhaps you’ve heard of them:

Microsoft

The Verge reported that Albert Shum, Windows Phone design studio general manager, and Todd Simmons, creative director at Wolff Olins, held a talk about reimagining Microsoft at a recent design day event in Norway.

Last year, Microsoft switched its Windows, Office, and Microsoft brand logos, and now the company is making a few changes for Bing, Skype, Yammer, and Xbox. The following is an excerpt from The Verge article:

“Changing the Windows brand was the key part of Microsoft's ‘reimagination’ says Simmons. ‘We also knew we wouldn't be able to change a single thing if we weren't able to change Windows.’ People, reach, and choice were the ‘three main drivers’ to shift from the past and target consumers in a more meaningful way. The project was, and still is, a huge risk for Microsoft. Changing the look and brand of products that over a billion people use is never easy, but Microsoft has focused on design and user experience to get its message across.” -- The Verge

American Airlines

From American Airlines’ Newsroom

American Airlines recently changed their logo and rebranded the entire company. The company stated that it changed its look to reflect the progress the company has made internally. The rebranding is part of its effort to reflect its current combining with US Airways. According to American Airlines, “the new American is arriving.”

So, have any of you ever thought about rebranding your delivery or courier business? How did it go? Share in the comments, tweet at us, or strike up a conversation on Facebook, or Linkedin.

Are You Ready for the MCAA’s 2013 Meeting and Exposition?

The MCAA's 2012 meeting, courtesy of the MCAA.

If not, you better hurry because the festivities begin tomorrow (May 8) at the Sheraton in New Orleans, La. The event concludes on May 11. And, yes, we'll be there!

Every year, the MCAA builds upon the previous year’s annual meeting, said Rob Johnstone, president of the MCAA and co-founder and partner of Priority Express Courier, Inc. “[We are] trying to bring in some speakers that are outside or tangent to the industry,” Johnstone said.

This year’s event will focus on trends and discuss where the industry is heading. While people in the industry know how to run a traditional courier business, the industry is changing. Margins are getting squeezed and people want to diversify their work, Johnstone said.

In the past year there’s been a lot of buzz concerning companies such as Amazon and eBay that provide same-day delivery, Johnstone said. Prior to this year, most people wouldn’t notice mainstream news organizations covering same-day delivery news. Courier company owners now need to know how their companies can fit in and build on business.

Meeting topics will include industry education and trends and improving company profitability. Attendees will get multiple opportunities to meet other colleagues in the industry at networking events, receptions, dinners and a golf tournament. The meeting’s Exhibit Hall also will showcase the latest in products and services from all major vendors to the courier industry.

Ret. Lt. General Russel Honoré will present the event’s keynote address, “The Price of Leadership.” Honoré is a Louisiana native and is best known for serving as commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas across the Gulf Coast. Event panel topics will cover warehousing, business focus groups, airport work, legal issues, retail and same day delivery and marketing.

For more information and to view the meeting’s full agenda, visit MCAA’s 2013 Annual Meeting website. Go to www.mcaa.com, click on the “Events” tab at the top, and select “2013 Annual Meeting,” then “Meeting Home.”