Many, many years ago… when I played in bands, and all my friends played in bands, we’d go to a few different music stores… Lincoln Music was on the south side, and Record Head was a pawn shop where you could get a cheap guitar, but one of the coolest places was Cascio. It was huge, and they never seemed to mind that we’d want to play every instrument in the store.
Since I had to get a trumpet for my daughter recently, and I’ve been dissatisfied with a previous instrument rental with The White House of Music (which took over Beihoff Music) I ended up asking a question on Twitter:
…and with a few people telling me Interstate was good, I went there… and I remembered how much I liked it!
And yes, Interstate Music is on Twitter, and I do follow them, and about a week ago, they held a little contest on Twitter, and I happened to win it. (Though I was worried @Pezzettino might beat me to it!) They let me know that I won a Josh Rouse CD, and when I talked to them on the phone, they also mentioned a gift card they would throw in. (Good way to get me into the store, eh?) When my package arrived, there was also an Archer hat in the box. Nice!
This is a good lesson in how companies can use Twitter (or any social media) to interact with it’s customers, or potential customers. I know it may seem like a small and simple thing, but it’s a conversation instead of a broadcast, it’s a company getting involved in a dialog with people, and not just blatant promotion of a brand, which some companies tend to do. Striking a balance is the sweet spot.