Sunday 17 July 2011

Walmart is indeed America’s shopping place, but sex sells

Facebookers Like Victoria’s Secret Over Walmart

Last month, Victoria’s Secret went out with a bang by garnering more than 14.3 million likes on the popular social networking site, according to the latest data from e-commerce software provider ChannelAdvisor‘s Facebook Commerce Index (FBCI), which tracks fan counts as it relates to retailers. FBCI’s second and third runner-ups were Adidas Originals and Victoria’s Secret Pink, respectively.
How exactly did Victoria’s Secret secure a top spot in the Facebook likes war? The primarily sultry must-have lingerie company used strategic ploys that were sure to lure users to their site, like discounts and sneak peeks at their never-before-seen collections. The clever marketing moves encouraged Facebookers to hit the like button when visiting its site. Victoria’s Secret also customized its Facebook landing page to show links to social media sites and mobile apps, rather than the run-of-the-mill Facebook wall.
Not so fast: Walmart is quickly nipping at the heels of the lingerie seller. The retailer gained 13 percent more fans during the month of June, which inched it closer to fourth place, rather than sixth, on the FBCI.
Walmart is also upping its game to try to gain more likes on its site. Marketing strategies such as the ever-popular giveaways and contests have traditionally been winners with Facebook fans. Promotions such as its latest, tied to Disney film Cars 2, have enabled Walmart to give away free movie tickets and hourly prizes.
It is quite apparent that retailers are quickly realizing that social media like Facebook can only enhance their images, which can translate into big profits — a definite win-win situation for all involved.
Readers, have you been lured by the social media strategies of retailers?

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