I Heart Shoes… and Social Media Videos

As mentioned in my last blog post, I love shoes. Heels, flats, sneakers, boots- You name it I love them. Unfortunately, many shoe companies, who make the shoes I love, use overseas vendors to make their shoes- most of whom are paid a fraction of what they would be paid in the United States. In addition to this, many companies use chemicals and materials that are harmful to our environment and the shoe-makers. So what does this have to do with social media? In my quest to find eco-friendly shoes, I found Simple Shoes.

Not only are Simple shoes fabulous, but they are eco friendly! Many of their shoes are made with used car tires, bike tires, hemp and other natural materials. What really sets them apart though is the video they created about their company. Having a video, which explains the details of a company, is an easy and unique way to promote business. This is one of the better ‘Our Story’ videos I’ve seen. Videos should be creative and entertaining— anything other than that people will not watch. Simple shoes’ video is a bit long, but I think it works. What do you think?

Also… I’m going to buy this pair!!

Make it work

As Tim Gunn says in project runway, “Make it work.” With the evolution of social media and social networking, companies are having to make social media work for their genre, products and capabilities. Listed below are three companies who are making social media work!

The power of a picture:

Picture blogs are some of the most fascinating blogs out there. They tell stories visually. Imagine opening a site and seeing incredible pictures and then reading why that photo matters. FujiFilm has done just that with their website- “Every Picture Matters.” On the right hand side of the page you will see outstanding photographs taken with FujiFilm cameras. Click on the picture and in in the left corner a button is there that says, “Why this picture matters.” You can read right there from the individuals who submitted the photographs.

FujiFilm has done an excellent job of showing how their camera can be used to capture everything from family moments to vacations to nature. They are proving how their camera is versatile and functional for the average joe on the street.

Need a cup of Joe?:

Starbucks created one of the most interactive blogs for a coffee conglomerate. Its title is “My Starbucks Idea,” and it is a one-stop shop for customers to submit their ideas, discuss others’ ideas and vote on proposed ideas.

A coffee lover myself, I was psyched to see this page. It shows the big corporation world actually caring about their customers. I know it’s $4 for my drink at Starbucks (grande, nonfat, mocha latte), but seeing their willingness to take on customers ideas almost makes me feel like I’m not giving my money to the man. The ideas are split up into categories: Product Ideas, Experience Ideas and Involvement Ideas and customers can like or dislike ideas if they have a login. Why is this genius? They can reach out to those customers via the email they provide when signing up, giving them an opportunity to promote give-aways, deals and their business in general. They also have an Ideas in Action tab, specifying the ideas they are integrating into their business.

Zappos + Twitter = Love

Zappos is one of the leading shoes companies in the world. They are known for selling brand named shoes, typically at a reasonable price via their online website.

Zappos has taken the challenge of social media head on with having all of their employees participate in the companies twitter. They have a Web site dedicated to all tweets about their company and highlight the tweets their employees write. It’s a great way to develop the company’s interaction with their customers and also puts a face on a large company. It is of utmost importance to participate in the conversation instead of just putting information out there. Having employees tweet will promote their business and make their company more business friendly.