Twittering for deals

Who said money can’t buy friendship? Or followers? More and more companies are using social media to interact with customers and build a loyal online community every day. Retailers and travel industry suppliers alike are cleverly utilizing social networking sites by offering exclusive deals to fans, friends and followers.

For instance, shoe retailer Zappos.com periodically gives passes for free overnight shipping through both Facebook and Twitter. Some companies also use giveaways on the sites to generate a buzz. This winter, Burger King created quite a stir (even invading dinner party conversation) when it offered free Whopper coupons to anyone who deleted 10 friends from Facebook.

In true Dubai fashion, The InterContinental Dubai is launching one of the largest ever giveaways over Twitter: From Thursday 7th May, it will begin a summer of amazing prize giveaways, launching the first treasure hunt in Dubai to be directed by Twitter alerts. Every second Thursday until the 13th August 2009, the hotel will place a series of ‘Keast Tweets’ on its Twitter profile informing the followers of the location and time where they can collect their stunning gift from InterContinental’s Chief Concierge, Adam Keast. The locations will change, however they will always be near an accessible Dubai landmark. Followers will have to stay poised for the ‘Keast Tweet’ alerts, which will be posted every 2 weeks for 16 weeks, to learn where and when the fastest person may claim each of the prizes. Prizes are promised to be extremely attractive, ranging from a stay in the Presidential Suite  complete with dinner at the award winning restaurant ‘Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire’, to spa treatments and helicopter  tour packages. The contents of each prize will be announced to all Twitter followers of the hotel, before the ‘Keast Tweet’ clue is revealed. Brilliant!

Many companies are still trying to figure this marketing strategy out, but to begin, the goal is to build a community of relevant followers and start interacting with them in a meaningful way. Once this first goal is accomplished, the challenge then becomes managing a high volume of tweets, direct messages and replies. Never before has there been such a medium that has the ability to create such instantaneous consumer buzz.

by Chelsea Orth, KWE group