It started with my friend @TedCoine. Ted decided to experiment with his Twitter presence one day before buying a pair of running shoes. In early November, Ted decided to tweet shoe companies to see who would respond. Kicking tires, he called it.
I watched with curiosity; I’ve tried similar experiments and been disappointed at the response (lack of response) I’ve seen.
Topo Athletic, a shoe company headquartered in Newton Mass, won the battle for Ted’s business.
I eavesdropped on the conversation. I joined in. I talked to @topoathletic about my plan for a half marathon in a few days. The day of my race, I got this tweet from Topo Athletic:
Impressive! This exchanged showed me the excellence with which Topo Athletic is listening and responding to customers (and potential customers) on Twitter.
So, while writing a news release about effective social media use during the holidays, I referenced the exchange with Topo Athletic. When the piece got picked up by Fox Small Business, I sent more tweets to the company.
Their response?
Just six days later, an awe-inspiring package arrived at my door.
Suffice it to say that I can’t imagine buying any other running shoes, ever. I’m going to go lace on my Topos and go for a run.
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
I love this story Becky – It paints such a clear picture of the benefits of Social Media. …And a picture is worth 1000 words!
The screenshots tell the story better than I can! Chery, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season — wherever you spend it. Hugs!
That’s very cool, Becky. The fact that they marked/remembered your race is a big deal!
A big deal, indeed! I can’t wait to run my first race in my new Topos!
Nice experiment. Thanks for sharing Ted’s experiment and your own results. Hmmm, wonder what I’ll try.
Be sure to share what you discover, Dan!