In just 10 minutes, you can get a really good idea of what a company is doing with Social Media tools – if anything – and the value they put on thier customers. Most businesses that have a strategy should be looking at using social tools to build relationships, extend their reach, broaden their knowledge, or increase their influence. So let’s take a look at a few things that Walmart is doing.
One of the most interesting groups to find on LinkedIn about Walmart is the Mommy bloggers. Walmart has a program called Eleven Moms. They are moms that represent Walmart, but don’t “work” there and are under no obligation to promote Walmart. Their role is to provide feedback and help people save money and live better, whether that be through Walmart or not. This was unexpected and impressive. I was also surprised to only find two other groups within LinkedIn on WalMart. Both were for current and past employees of Walmart.com.
WalMart is lacking the Facebook space. Most of the Facebook groups and pages are ‘slamming’ Walmart and what it stands for… There are 12 WalMart applications built that you can integrate into your Facebook profile.
A search on Twellow, reveals several Mom bloggers on Twitter who are there to represent Walmart. Mom bloggers seem to be a big part of Walmart’s strategy. They do not have many followers, but some are very active, and some are just starting out. It seems like mom Tweeters may be a new strategy.
SlideShare.net
Most of slideshare.net is a collection of financial reports. I could not find anything of value in slideshare.net on Walmart – unless I care about their earnings.
YouTube.com
This seems like a bright spot for Walmart. Even though Facebook and Twitter need a lot of work, their mom bloggers are doing an amazing job at: http://www.youtube.com/user/walmart. The videos are entertaining, personal and relevant to the needs of today’s families. There are several negative videos on Walmart, but I think the 17 million channel views from these moms overshadow many of the negatives.
WalMart Website
The majority of the WalMart website is purely about selling. However, there is a small link on the bottom of the website that takes you to a community section called: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/Community.aspx. This section seems usable and becomes the center of Walmart’s social media presence – mom videos, mom photos on flickr, mom profiles, and mom Q& A.
Other Notes
There is a trend with bloggers and tweeters to live frugal. This is a market they should be tapping into.
What are your thoughts?
Do you use the social web to learn more about companies like Walmart? Are you more or less motivated to buy from Walmart based on what they are doing on the social web?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
If I worked for Walmart, or actually “liked” shopping at Walmart…. I would start a Facebook Fan page/group about “I am frugal and shop at Walmart” or something like that… I honestly hate going there but know that the prices are SO cheap so I make the occasional stop. But I can see a lot of people joining a group like that, especially in today’s economy. Plus some people would maybe share their deals, “I found X today at Walmart for only $5.89!