Groundswell Chapters 3 and 4 (original blog post #2)

The Groundswell in a bigger Picture:

Basically the groundswell is made possible due to peoples eagerness to connect with each other. Lets face it communication and connectivity is one of the traits that have enabled the survival of our kind. As human beings communication is a means through which we can get what we don't have. With Technological advances and social media connectivity has been revolutionized and so has the groundswell.

My understanding of the word "Groundswell"...
   
  DEF:Groundswell ...
(Group of people using social media elements to keep connected to one another and help solve each others problems...)

Better  Defined in Chapter 1 of Groundswell by Charline Li and Josh Bernoff .

A social trend in which people  use technologies to get things that they need from each other , rather than from traditional institutions like corporations

This has become such an important tool in advertisement and marketing in recent years. Companies that want to tap into this world of endless customer posts and reviews, blog posts, forums and twitter posts have invested heavily and have categorized social media users as; Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners or Spectators.

Strategies of tapping into the Ground swell further more Listening to the Groundswell.

Through listening to these different categories of social media users companies can in turn drive sales. For example: Trudy Hardy, by then CEO of Mini USA  was faced with an interesting challenge. In the car making business you only stay relevant by producing newer models. MiniUSA wasn't to realize anew Mini.
Of course, she expected her competitors Honda and Volkswagen to take advantage of this obvious shortcoming  She used principles of the groundswell and was able to boost the online presence and connectivity of Mini Owners. Trudy made Mini BMW owners feel special so to speak;  Most importantly she gave them a voice...That sense of belonging a chance to connect and it paid off.
Mini USA sent mini owners decoder packages and created ads with coded messages that only they could read. This in its self made the mini owners feel part of a team and eventually increased the buzz of the Mini BMW's on social media,word of mouth campaigns where owners encouraged their friends to join the "Mini BMW family". This endeavor worked for her. 2006 was the year for the MiniBMW. Inspite. of every thing Trudy made a brave choice and even with out a new model Mini car out at the time the car did a good job on its own.
( Ref; Groundswell by  Charline Li and Josh Bernoff Groundswell.. )

Listening to the ground swell is one of the most effective and best chance companies have of tapping into what their customers want and how their customers behave. No doubt this brings us to the most pertinent questions.. How is listening in or engaging the groundswell relate to company sale further more how does it help market a company.

Matell Home builders is an Atlantic Canadian custom homebuilder. In the past, Martell relied heavily on realtors to keep their business moving forward. However, once they embraced social media, they were able to create a direct-to-consumer model where they were no longer reliant on a middleman to bring them business.

Martell started a content creation and blogging strategy to focus on their homebuyers’ needs. With topics such as  “14 Must-Have Tools for New Homeowners    and “Home Staging Tips & Techniques,” Martell was able to grab the attention of homebuyers. Today, about 86% of all their leads come directly from consumers.

Notice in the image below the placement of their email capture box as well as their social media channel buttons. Prime placement of both components (above the fold and in the right sidebar) is the key to grabbing attention and encouraging interaction.

Note: Studies show that more people subscribe to blogs by email than RSS feed readers. Martell’s call to action ”Get the blog sent to your inbox. Enter your email” is a smart move to capture leads while promising value in the form of new blog updates.

Martell also takes advantage of geolocation technology by mounting GPS tracking devices on their contractors’ vehicles, making it easy for their customers to always know where their contractor is when on the job. This eases the customer’s mind and allows Martell to extend even greater customer service.

With innovative strategies, Martell has made the home building experience social. One great strategy is their use of photo galleries of the clients’ homes being built. Not only can the home buyer watch the progress in pictures, but also they can share their excitement with their family and friends on social networks. This is not only a great experience for their clients, but Martell is able to gain excellent social proof and even more visibility online via these photos as seen below.