Microsoft has some interesting features in its Bing iPhone app, which have the potential to give social media marketers a way to reach people and influence them to try or buy products, never before available.
Basically, the new Bing iPhone app lets you connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts to the Bing search engine, giving it access to all the content your friends have chosen to share with you. So, imagine you’re going to do some research on a potential product buy, say a new HD Television. If you search for it by name, the results will include the regular search results like, manufacturer’s blogs and product pages, articles and device information, reviews, but along with this anything your friends have shared on Twitter and Facebook about the product or service you searched about.
Now, let your mind wonder a bit on how useful this is to you as a business marketing HD Televisions, or actually any product or service. . .
. . . If you can influence people by rewarding them in some way to talk highly about your products or services on Twitter and or Facebook, this would be picked up by the new Bing iPhone app along with the regular search, but what do you think there going to find more appealing? I think, the social word-of-mouth from their friends!
I think this would obviously be an attractive arena for marketers to get involved in. It’s not hard to imagine a system where marketers reward people for influencing their friends’ and followers online behavior, including purchases, through social search.
Example: You own a restaurant, by creating a table tent with the words “Follow us on Twitter @BobsBistro and Tweet the Great time your having right now with your friends and show it to your waiter and you’ll receive a FREE round of Onion Rings”. . . You get the idea.
Just think outside the box as they say, and post your ideas, on how this new social search app could be used below in the comments section.
Until next time,
Great idea Mike. Easier and less expensive than setting up a SMS campaign. Then when it works for the client or patron a email capture or SMS campaign would have a high opt in rate due to the the recent success of the last effort by the patron.
Thanks for the heads up on this cool opportunity to help our clients.
I agree, this is a great way to start your clients or patrons into your marketing funnel, and build from that point on.