Home Depot's Social Media

Throughout the semester we have spent a lot of time examining the importance of social media advertising, which is a form of online advertising that focuses on social networking sites (such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Bebo, etc.). Social media is the hottest topic in advertising right now and companies are starting to explore what all of the fuss is about. Advertising on social media sites provides companies with instant communication to consumers, but more importantly, it helps companies to target their ads appropriately. The key to advertising with social media is knowing how and what to communicate to your consumers. The Home Depot is a top home improvement retailer and is headquarters in the outskirts of the Atlanta perimeter. Home Depot has been one of the front runners of how to use social media to engage customers. In a Advertising Age article, they discuss how Home Depot is changing the way their business interacts with their online audience and customer base.

Home Depot has redefined the roles their employes play within the company. A group of floor employees from all different stores handle customer interaction on a face-to-face level, while also conducting interactions with customers on different social media sites. These hybrid employees live a double life, working as store associates three days a week and creating/managing social media the other two days a week. These employees specifically manage Home Depot's "how-to community" (such as: Home Depot’s How To Blog, Apron blog, serve as on-call experts in the Garden Club and on HomeDepot.com). Brad Shaw, the VP-corporate communications say this about these social media/store associates:

"They've become a center of gravity around content creation and customer interaction for the company." 

What better than to have a team of blog writers for your business that directly interacts with your audience on a personal level? These blended employees use information in their content that is a direct result of communication on the floor. They know best about the type of project they are working on, the supplies they need and the problems they are wanting to fix. Because they interact with customers on a daily basis, they know what kind of topics to blog, tweet, tag, and post about in order to successfully advertise to customers. Home Depot has found a way to incorporate a strong social media effort without breaking the bank.

One suggestion I thought could help Home Depot connect and advertise to there customers is sending a tweet reminding them to give their new bushes a little extra water because of the drought conditions, and offering them a new drought-resistant plant that was just introduced. It would be useful if Home Depot could channel their knowledge of their customers and demographics even more and further advertise to their specific needs.

 

Home Depot has found a way to successfully advertise with social media sites. These hybrid employees  create a content synergy between floor experience and online connection, that allows them to know they best possible way to connect to the customers.