Zappos vows to wow you. And it does...by talking!

Open this link to the loyalty rankings for the top 100 brands and you won’t have to scroll down too long to spot Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer. It is not surprising as, judging by its web-presence, the company knows how to act effectively in the groundswell natural habitat – social media.

What can we learn from Zappos?

To begin with, the company’s approach to customers is highly personalized. They are not viewed as a crowd that should be targeted but individuals with their own feelings and concerns. You may say that most corporations treat their customers in the same way. More than that, even corporations hold this belief. However, it is not true. According to the study conducted by Econsultancy, only 37% out of 1135 respondents admitted that brands understand their needs, i.e. they are perceived as personalities. 

Therefore, Zappos’ customer relationship is considered to be outstanding. It incorporates customer service phone calls and emails, but most importantly, Zappos is engaged in ongoing conversations with customers via social media channels. Let’s take a closer look at how the company talks with the groundswell.

Regarding the Facebook page, the first striking thing is Zapponians’ (that’s what employees call themselves) responsiveness to comments. Leaving almost none of them unanswered, they create a two-way digital dialogue that encourages customers to engage in conversation. They publicly share their feelings and life events, like past travelling experiences as they would comment on a close friend’s page.

This gives Zappos the insight into the most unique aspects of each individual which contributes to a better understanding of their customers’ needs.

Another distinctive thing is that most posts taken from Zappos’ blog are not commercialized but consist of pertinent and casual information. This strategy comes directly from the company’s awareness of whom they want to reach and what objectives they want to pursue (Li, Bernoff, p.115). Clearly, they want their customers to know that they are regarded as their friends, thus Zappos aims at building companionship not boosting sales. Zappos’ employees create personalized posts like “6 Calming Things To Do On A Soggy Sunday Afternoon,” through which they strive to bond with the audience on the common struggle of coping with bad weather, for example. What they say is “Look, we are just like you.” There may be product placement in their posts, but it is done in a very subtle way and doesn’t resemble “shouting” at all, as Li and Bernoff call it. Isn’t this a brilliant form of involvement in blogosphere?

It would be a shame for Zappos not to take advantage of Instagram and interact with the groundswell in the same out-of-the-box manner. Following the idea that brands do not stay within the company and that the public’s opinions take priority (Li, Bernoff, p.79), Zappos gives its customers an opportunity to get to know what stands behind the brand - unique corporate culture.

Sneaky pics of how life inside Zappos looks like allow customers to see not just the retail company but a company made up of individuals, which makes the conversation interpersonal.

All in all, Zappos has successfully penetrated social media, striving to listen to and talk with the groundswell. Due to this, customers perceive the brand as not something remote and abstract, but as a fellow with whom you can discuss where to hike, where to go on a fall break and what to wear for these trips.

Now I have a question for you. Do you feel so close to any brand that you are eager to share your personal experiences with it by posting some meaningful comment or do you confine yourself to unsubstantial testimonials like “This is a good quality product”? Why is that?