Composed by: Mathew Escobedo
Executive Summary
TopTier is a brick and mortar store located in Macon, Georgia. TopTier offers numerous products such as comic books, collector's statues, and table top games. The company also offers tournaments, cosplay contests, and house club meeting such as anime fans, or imaginative writers. A company in this era of the Internet, needs to have a strong social media presence to be successful. Especially, in the "nerd" society, social media is necessary to push tournaments, contest, and conventions. Word of mouth is extremely important for business success. This social media plan will show what websites, tools, and goals TopTier will use to become a well know store. Being able to use Facebook, Blogger, Twitch, and many other sites to promote events will increase business. The ultimate goal is to become a well know business country wide for supporting gamers, comic readers, and cosplayers. Pushing information on social media sites like Facebook, and posting videos on YouTube will allow people to talk about, and experience the business. Creating an opportunity and place for readers to have a conversation on platforms like blogger or twitter with individual with the same interest will support the goals of the business. The social media marketing plan will give TopTier the opportunity to grow and develop as a better company.
Social Media Presence
Social media presence is important to a business' success. Utilizing websites for information sharing, or video posting will allow viewers to understand what a company like TopTier is about. Giving people the opportunity to share thoughts, and come together with the same interests is the number one goal of the company. TopTier, having a social media presence, will allow the store to reach out, and affect more people. TopTier is going to create a social media presence with the following social media sites. All of the social media sites will promote events such as free comic book day, or gaming tournaments.
- Facebook- Posting photos for marketing product, and tournaments
- LinkedIn - Professional purposes for connecting with other comic retailers
- Blogger - Promote conversation about comic books
- Twitter - Promote conversation about inventory, comic books, and tournaments
- Instagram - Posting photos of inventory and events.
- YouTube - Gaming video showing tournaments
GoalsThe primary goal of developing a plan is to create a positive social media presence to increase sales and attendees for events. Increasing brand awareness will help TopTier create relationships with the community and other retailers to support events. Another goal is to introduce younger teens into comic books and gaming to develop lasting customers. The final goal is to develop a website where the store can accomplish all of the goals in one location. The website will have an online store, comic subscription sign-up, and a blog to discuss subjects with the community.
Strategies
TopTier's main strategy is community development and interaction. Word of mouth, engaging with customers, and booth conventions will build brand awareness. Listening to customers will help determine what products to order, and house in store. Interactions is the most rewarding action the comic shop can preform. It allows the employees to influence, connect and embrace the community for proper growth in the "nerd" industry.
- Listening - Taking note of what the target market wants and concerns.
- Engaging - Using Blogger and Twitter for word-of-mouth conversations
- Interacting - Participating in conventions, events, and social media conversations.
- Influencing - Introducing the industry to new customers
- Connecting - Participating in social media and responding to customers in a quick fashion
- Embracing - creating an accepting no judge atmosphere
TopTier's target market is primary the young adults and teens. We are introducing comics and gaming to younger people who have an interest in the products. Developing the hobby of reading and gaming young will keep the market going into the future. With all of the "super-hero" movies being made will help widen the market, and increase product awareness. With the increasing of people attending the comic conventions and the number of Under 17 comic reader increasing will help TopTier reach the target market easily.
Tools
These are the tools TopTier will try and utilize for proper implementation for the social media plan.
- YouTube - For sharing tournament videos and special events.
- Twitch - Live gaming video feed.
- Facebook - For information sharing about special deals, events, and tournaments.
- Blogger - Discussing various topic for community sharing.
- LinkedIn- Social networking with other retailer or event coordinators.
Blog: Blogger will be the tool for implementing the blogging section. Blogger will provide access to discuss comics book history, events and different topics. Blogger will create a conversation boosting word-of-mouth marketing about the store location.
Information Sharing: Facebook will be the primary source for information sharing with consistent posts about the shop's events, tournaments, and marketing new products. On Facebook the store will create separate "groups" inviting people with interest in the subject. Such as a gaming group posting about tournaments, or a comic group showing new comics for the month. Photo Sharing : Instagram is the photo-sharing tool for TopTier. Instagram is mainly marketing tool for products and events. Instagram will host cosplay competitions with local artist posing at TopTier every three months. The photo with the most hearts will win the quarterly competition.
Video Sharing: Twitch and YouTube will be for video sharing. Twitch will cover live gaming from console gaming to table top gaming. People can view the Twitch account, and communicate about the current game. YouTube will primary be used for cosplay contest, and other events. Those sites will promote word-of-mouth marketing talking about the events in the area.
Social Network: LinkedIn will serve for the social networking. The website will serve as a tool with linking with other stores in the area to coordinate events or tournaments. Hopefully to support Comic Conventions.
Monitoring
Tracking: Tracking will allow TopTier focus on finding and following the proper content in social media. With this five step approach TopTier will be able to successfully narrow down informations and provide the company with influential content.
- Choose Focus Areas: Trying to increase the number of markets TopTier is in will help increase the traffic of search ability. Being a gaming and comic book shop will help with people searching for either one of those in the Middle Georgia area.
- Select Target-Rich Platforms: Using Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube are the most important platforms that have millions of users. Implementing the company name within those social media sites will push the search ability of the company.
- Appropriate Keywords and Phrases: Having the name TopTier will dramatically increase the tracking of the company. "Tier" is used in every competitive gaming dialog for referring the level of competitiveness. Appropriate words include tournaments, comic books, and cosplay. Those words being used in the social media plan will be a positive outcome.
- Restrict or Widen the Search: The best strategy for TopTier is to use the Boolean OR operator that allows views to search for a large number of related items. TopTier will have a massive number of comic books, individual cards, and tournaments. Being able to search for all of the above will push the company into a well know place for nerd fandom.
- Adjust Searches: TopTier will adjust searches when necessary such as market interest shifting in different directions. Adjust search words will help promote new discussion blogs, and tournament videos to promote. Being able to react in the environment in short notice will be to TopTier's advantage.
TopTier will utilize both forms of measurement which includes quantitative and qualitative. The number of post, comments, shares, and likes is important for a social media presence and the marketing plan. Using Key Performance Indicators to actively track return on investments, and marketing goals such as store awareness. Marketing soft goals include increased brand awareness and how many shares a video receives compared to the baseline. The baseline will be established by evaluating what competitors are doing in social. The quantitative KPIs include revenue per customer and popularity on social media sites.
Metrics:
- Hits/Visits/Page Views
- Repeat visits
- Number of followers
- Conversion Rate
- Online Product
- Revenue Per Customer
- Abandoned Shopping Carts
- Profits Per Customer
- Number of Shares
- Share of Voice
- Audience Engagement
- Conversation Reach
- Topic Trends
- Satisfaction Score
- Idea Impact
TopTier will evaluate the social media sites daily, and will review the content of the page. Being able to collect the relevant data will be the main source of evaluation. TopTier will review the goals in place and make adjustments where needed. The TopTier staff will also send out emails, and make posts surveying customers/viewers about the content on the social media sites. That primary research will help the company make needed changes to support the community, and reach the primary goals.
Tuning
Tuning the social media plan will be determined by viewers taste. The "nerd" realm is ever changing with new topics with each game, or comic book that will release. TopTier will need to change have to change strategies to focus on what the new market interest are. Those changing include the topics of discussion boards, and content of video post. Molding the social media plan to focus on the new social media tools, or outlets will help keep TopTier competitive.
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ReplyDeleteGood outline, Matty. Over the next few weeks start building content for the sections we've already covered (i.e., Social Media Presence, Goals/Strategies, Target Market etc.). October 8 is the next "check-point". We will then start building social strategies in Modules 9-14. RMV
ReplyDeleteOverall, good outline started for Vigilante's: Comics and Cafe! I especially liked the figures included in the target market section. I would suggest working on establishing a more creative layout, by incorporating some actual comic images within the background. I also would suggest mentioning the cafe aspect within the marketing plan. As it's a main component to the company, this would also draw in customers on the social media platforms addressed.
ReplyDeleteYour SM plan has come a long way and looks great! Very informative and well thought out. I also like the fact that you followed my suggestion to include comic images within the background. This gives your plan a creative flare, fit for your SM plan. My only constructive criticism is to work on the first two paragraphs (Executive Summary & Social Media Presence). The executive summary sounds great, but has some wording issues. The social media presence also has some wording issues and the information seems to be placed in the wrong section. I felt as though the information was more fitting for the "tools" section, due to it being more of how you'll implement those tools. Rather, the social media presence section should be what platforms the company is currently operating and what they're doing on those platforms. Overall, great work!
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