Back in the 70s before computers and social media existed marketing strategies were simple and looked something like this:
Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little but the digital age has certainly changed how businesses can connect with consumers and this post is going to explore how social media is currently used by Hammer City Cycle, a Hamilton bicycle shop. This post, along with a previous post, is an ongoing project for my social media course that is transforming me from bumbling social media idiot to quasi competent professional.
Who Doesn’t Use Social Media?
In this day and age most companies use social media. The bigger question becomes, how well are they using it?
Hammer City Cycle, like a few other Hamilton area bike shops, uses a few of the social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter and Flickr icons are found on their website and obviously link to their accounts.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Their Facebook page is by far the most interactive of the three platforms. Posts are commented on, liked, & shared. Pictures are used, information is given about product recalls, status of group bike rides, happenings at the shop, local riders in competitions, etc The site is updated regularly, solicits followers to comme
nt, and advertises contests. People are exchanging ideas with the shop and with each other. The site is light-hearted, entertaining and informative – all qualities, at least in my mind, that make Hamiltonians want to connect with Hammer City Cycle on FB.
Moving on to Twitter I couldn’t help but notice the wonderful banter and engagement found on FB between the bike shop and its followers is missing here. The tweets are consistent and informative but are really just messages broadcast to its followers rather than a means of getting people to engage in conversations. Hammer City Cycle has some good influencers following them, however, these influencers are not really talking about them, retweeting or engaging with them. Their twitonomy profile (an anaylitics tool) displays this fact:
| 2.49 tweets per day | 148 retweets 9% | |
| 177 user mentions 0.11 | 32 replies 2% | |
| 731 links 0.46 | 49 hashtags 0.03 | |
| 29 tweets retweeted 1.8% a total of 32 times 1.10 | ||
Looking at another metrics tool, their Klout profile has them as influencial on bikes (thank goodness) and vegetarianism, but their fairly low score of 20 indicates they “need to engage more with others or be more active to gain influence”. Also their klout style is categorized as casual and listening rather than focused and consistent.
And finally, their Flickr account is really only one page of a few really cool photos but has no outside comments, no activity, no social engagement.
SWOT Team Would Look Great in Some Cycling Jerseys
Hammer City Cycling has some positive communications strengths like appropriate messaging with a humourous and entertaining style. They never come off as pretentious. More importantly their social media platforms are linked for consistent messaging. Being a small shop weaknesses include a lack of time & resources to use the existing platforms to their full potential along with additional social media platforms.
Given the relative limited use of social media there are opportunities to create a presence on numerous linked platforms that establishes Hammer City Cycle as the place to go to get biking information and ultimately as the place to go to buy a bike and accessories. Conversely, the threats include spending valuable time online that may not translate into an increase in reputation and sales. Also, the followers and influencers might not want to engage on all platforms to help develop this reputation.
What Does It All Mean?
Hammer City Cycle has established a good social me
dia base which can act as a launching pad for some more strategic objectives that will support their goal of being the place to go when it comes to cycling in the Hammer.
A Social Media Experiment 
haha – I like the Sesame Street video! It’s true, all of the marketing opportunities that present themselves with social media! Looks like Hammer City Cycle is making use of those tools well. Twitter is a good place to be conversational too, like you said they are on their Facebook page. That would be a good tactic to get more followers on Twitter and make better use of that platform. Looking forward to reading what you come up with!
I like the sesame street video as well. It helped me occupy my niece while reading your post. I had not heard of twitonomy before. Interesting tool. I found the same thing with my company in terms of interaction on facebook, and lack there of on twitter. I also think, this is an important component if using Twitter, it really is the whole point of it.