A Hootsuite Look Book

12 Small Businesses That Found Success on Social Media

We love talking to our customers about social media. And we love sharing.We talked to 12 small businesses across several industries about their social media goals and how they found success.

Here are their stories:

Retail is Social

78% of consumers say that the posts made by companies on social media influence their purchases.Forbes

Meet DAVIDsTEA.This young and entrepreneurial Canadian retailer celebrates loose leaf tea and knows how to please their customers.

• Increase brand exposure

• Increase customer engagement

• Grow their social business

Their social media goals were to:

DAVIDsTEA finds incredible success by “thinking outside of the box,” sharing fun content generated by customers and staff, and keeping up with conversations.

Hootsuite features used:

Streams Lists

for better listening, engagement, and reporting.

Analytics

“We speak the language of our customer and aren’t afraid to take risks with our responses or tweets.”Youri Hollier, Social Media Manager, DAVIDsTEA

Food is Social

49% of surveyed consumers find out about food through social media. Column Five Media

Meet Bob’s Red Mill.Bob’s Red Mill is a stone milling manufacturer of whole grain and gluten free flours, cereals, and baking mixes.

• Build brand awareness

• Engage with customers

• Showcase customer stories

Their social media goals were to:

Bob’s Red Mill now delivers faster customer service responses, has increased brand awareness, and produces more compelling marketing campaigns.

Hootsuite features used:

Streams

Lists

for improved listening, better customer service, and reporting on success.

Analytics

Keyword Searches

“We use Hootsuite for so many reasons... it allows incredible visibility, has powerful scheduling, and lets team members contribute to social profiles.” Cassidy Stockton, Social Media Manager, Bob’s Red Mill

Meet The Grilled Cheese Truck.Catering to on-the-go foodies looking for a quick and tasty meal, America’s beloved The Grilled Cheese Truck kicks social up a notch.

• Build loyal, local followings across America

• Update customers on their location

• Get people hungry

Their social media goals were to:

“I used to do all of the social ‘à la minute,’ or live, making it hard to run my business.” – Dave Danhi, CEO, Founder, and Chef, The Grilled Cheese Truck

Hootsuite features used:

Streams

Lists

to zoom-in on customer conversations, update locations in a flash, and schedule social beforehand.

Geo-targeting

Keyword Searches

“We’ve since expanded and Hootsuite helps us manage multiple cities and social profiles.”Dave Danhi, CEO, Founder, and Chef, The Grilled Cheese Truck

Travel is Social

85% of leisure travelers use their smartphone abroad. The Impact of Social Media within the Hospitality Industry

Meet Contiki.Contiki Tours is the worldwide leader in tours for 18-to-35-year-old travelers. Their traveling customers are very social, from sharing images to using hashtags abroad.

• Increase brand advocacy

• Be the first travel company to host a YouTube contest

• Build an engaged community

Their social media goals were to:

They successfully launched the #NOREGRETS YouTube contest and monitored engagement on thousands of entries right from their dashboard.

Hootsuite features used:

Scheduler

to foster an engaged community around video and social.

YouTube app integration

Hashtag search Streams

“Our demographic—young travellers—aren’t interested in hearing from known travel industry experts, but from the storytellers themselves. We recognize the value of being present and active in the digital space—it is fundamental to our business.”

Lauren Howard, Marketing Manager, Contiki Canada

Tech is Social

90% of technology companies focus on strengthening relationships with customers by increasing engagement online. PwC US Survey

Meet Hubba.This tech startup helps brands and retailers manage their product data to ensure shoppers make informed buying decisions.

• Create thought leadership channels

• Build a community around tech and retail

• Report on industry trends

Their social media goals were to:

Hubba’s social channels are a key source of retail and tech related content and industry news.

Hootsuite features used:

to source great content, stay on top of conversations, and find influencers.

Streams Lists Klout score

“We share curated content on retail and consumer trends, emerging technology, entrepreneurial advice and development articles to help build a social community around tech startups in retail.” Emma Nemtin, Marketing Director, Hubba

Nonprofits are Social

A recent Facebook experiment encouraged organ donations via Facebook by adding a donation status to one’s timeline. Registrations increased by 2000%.Mediapost.com

Meet Pacific Wild.This nonprofit organization aims to protect one of the world’s last and largest remaining intact temperate rainforests: The Great Bear Rainforest.

• Educate the world• Raise awareness of

their cause• Share rich media

Their social media goals were to:

Pacific Wild has found huge success by sharing real-time media through Hootsuite, such as live-streamed videos and awesome photographs.

Hootsuite features used:

to understand best practices and gain control of their social.

Shared Streams Scheduler

Hootsuite Social Media Coaches

Analytics

“Hootsuite allows us to be organized and collaborate together to spread awareness. It takes a lot of effort to build a following from the ground up, and we can clearly see our progress with analytics.” Sarah Stoner, Director of Strategy and Development, Pacific Wild

Meet Free The Children.This international charity believes in a world where all children are agents of change. Their successful initiative We Day is one of the largest charitable Facebook causes in the world.

• Strategize prior to We Day

• Manage a high volume of content and conversations in real-time

• Monitor campaign performance and show results

Their social media goals were to:

Managing digital communications for a global campaign of this magnitude is no small feat.

Hootsuite features used:

to streamline efforts, engage their audience, and execute a successful event.

Archived responses

Scheduler Custom URLs & Analytics

Keyword & hashtag search Streams

Geo-targeting

“We Day is such an incredible event and everything moves so quickly that having a solid social relationship platform is absolutely essential.”Michael Rajzman, Associate Director of Digital Media, Free The Children

Meet International Bird Rescue.This nonprofit cares for over 5,000 birds every year and leads oiled-wildlife rescue efforts around the globe.

• Promote their cause

• Spread awareness and share success stories

• Keep their online communities well informed

Their social media goals were to:

International Bird Rescue speaks to a niche audience that is invested in the well-being of birds around the world.

Hootsuite features used:

to share content, listen, and engage with their community across multiple social networks.

Keyword SearchesGeo-targeting

Search Streams & Tabs

“People have to feel something before they act to preserve it; to do this, we show them what we do.”Andrew Harmon, Vice Chairman, International Bird Rescue

Arts & Culture is Social

82% of arts organizations use social media to engage with their audience.Digital Technology’s Impact on the Arts; Pew Survey

Meet TEDxSydney.The TEDxSydney event aims to make Asia Pacific a leading platform for the creation of great ideas, storytelling, and actionable innovation, while fostering a deep sense of community.

• Generate widespread buzz around TEDxSydney

• Increase live audience engagement

• Amplify rich media content

Their social media goals were to:

#TEDxSydney had almost one million impressions on the day of the event.

Hootsuite features used:

to streamline event and community management before, during, and after TEDxSydney.

Hashtag search Streams

Bulk Scheduler

RTs live audience tweets

Analytics

Lists

“By monitoring these hashtags and keywords on Hootsuite, we effectively listened and contributed to conversations around us in real time.” Amber Dermoudy, Head of Digital, Launch Management Group (TEDxSydney Agency)

Meet The Roald Dahl Museum.Honoring the late children’s author, The Roald Dahl Museum supports storytelling and creativity using interactive activities and archive materials.

• Manage social media output

• Answer fan inquiries and comments

• Build a global community online

Their social media goals were to:

The Roald Dahl museum has successfully built an international audience online with a social media team of just one person.

Hootsuite features used:

to find customers talking about the brand and maintain social networks anytime and anywhere.

Scheduler

Keyword and geo-targeted search streams

Mobile App

“With such a small team, Hootsuite has some great features that help us manage our social media output.” Kim Osborne, PR & Marketing Assistant, The Roald Dahl Museum

Meet The San Francisco Ballet.San Francisco Ballet is America’s oldest professional ballet company and one of the three largest in the United States.

• Engage with and nurture existing fans

• Expand into new audience bases

• Offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content

Their social media goals were to:

San Francisco Ballet has attracted a global audience with whom they’re constantly engaging with—both on and offstage.

Hootsuite features used:

to find customers talking about the brand and maintain social networks to keep up with all brand conversations.

Scheduler StreamsLists

Custom URL parameters & analytics

“Hootsuite lets us be a good listener—to track and monitor conversations around us and dance in general.” Carly Severn, former Digital Engagement Associate, San Francisco Ballet

Meet Booooooom.One of the largest blogs on the internet, Booooooom.com fosters an community of art enthusiasts with well over three million page views a month by loyal followers worldwide.

• Spread daily inspiration

• Increase brand awareness

• Connect and make relationships online

Their social media goals were to:

By sharing engaging content, Jeff has grown a massive online following. In just a few months, he single-handedly grew a Google+ community from 300 to over 150,000.

Hootsuite features used:

to monitor multiple social networks, jump into conversations easily, and find new artists.

Scheduler Streams & Tabs

Keyword Searches

“I used to actively try to grow my following with best practices, but now I have enough momentum to gain followers without actively seeking them. Now I focus on creating great content, often.” Jeff Hamada, Founder, Booooooom

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Sources“Are Brands Wielding More Influence In Social Media Than We Thought?” – Forbes

Dine and Dish: Are Social Media and Food the Perfect Pairing? - Column Five Media [Infographic]

The Impact of Social Media within the Hospitality Industry

The New Digital Ecosystem Reality: Nine trends rewriting the rules of business – PxC US Survey

Social Media Boosted Organ Donor Registrations 2000% - The Social Graf

Digital Technology’s Impact on the Arts; New Pew Survey - artstomarket