Last week GM CEO Fritz Henderson made a big announcement, but before he held a press conference information was already out via social media.
Henderson announced the gas mileage of the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt. Even without an official announcement there was already a buzz on the internet. It started with “what it 230” – a viral marketing campaign that made its rounds on Youtube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. If you want to see what I mean, search for it on Google, or type in #whatis230 on Twitter.
My point: the Big 3 are blogging, tweeting and interacting. Of course they aren’t the only companies taking advantage of social media but I think it’s worth taking a look at them specifically.
As a journalist and a Michiganian I was both excited and interested in this topic. I wanted to follow the actions of these American automakers through social media, especially during this unprecedented time for them. I think the Big 3's use of social media is another way to revamp their images. In addition, it creates new opportunities to connect with customers and try to gain future customers. So, the point of this entry is to take a closer look at the ways General Motors, Chrysler and Ford have embraced this new medium. I’ll probably talk about Twitter the most since these companies are using the site to promote other ways they're communicating.
From what I can tell, GM and Ford have the most visible presence on Twitter. The companies use the site to talk about new products but they also direct followers their site and blogs. GM hosts webchats and tweetups. Staff also blog and tweet. And when they tweet they also reply to their followers. You’ll see that Ford has more followers than GM; this could be because GM has more groups on twitter. Ford is also good about replying to followers and staff also host livewebchats.
Chrysler has the smallest amount of followers and the least groups, but they also promote their blog through twitter.
I think the most surprising thing to me is how social media makes these big corporations somewhat accessable. It really creates a new level of transparency to know the Big 3 on a more personal level. I also want to point out this blog post is made up of my observations. In the end it’s hard to measure social media usage. I hope you’ll use this post as an opportunity to follow these companies and make some comparisons for yourself.
Henderson announced the gas mileage of the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt. Even without an official announcement there was already a buzz on the internet. It started with “what it 230” – a viral marketing campaign that made its rounds on Youtube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. If you want to see what I mean, search for it on Google, or type in #whatis230 on Twitter.
My point: the Big 3 are blogging, tweeting and interacting. Of course they aren’t the only companies taking advantage of social media but I think it’s worth taking a look at them specifically.
As a journalist and a Michiganian I was both excited and interested in this topic. I wanted to follow the actions of these American automakers through social media, especially during this unprecedented time for them. I think the Big 3's use of social media is another way to revamp their images. In addition, it creates new opportunities to connect with customers and try to gain future customers. So, the point of this entry is to take a closer look at the ways General Motors, Chrysler and Ford have embraced this new medium. I’ll probably talk about Twitter the most since these companies are using the site to promote other ways they're communicating.
From what I can tell, GM and Ford have the most visible presence on Twitter. The companies use the site to talk about new products but they also direct followers their site and blogs. GM hosts webchats and tweetups. Staff also blog and tweet. And when they tweet they also reply to their followers. You’ll see that Ford has more followers than GM; this could be because GM has more groups on twitter. Ford is also good about replying to followers and staff also host livewebchats.
Chrysler has the smallest amount of followers and the least groups, but they also promote their blog through twitter.
I think the most surprising thing to me is how social media makes these big corporations somewhat accessable. It really creates a new level of transparency to know the Big 3 on a more personal level. I also want to point out this blog post is made up of my observations. In the end it’s hard to measure social media usage. I hope you’ll use this post as an opportunity to follow these companies and make some comparisons for yourself.
