Case Studies: H&M

How did H&M use Google+ to captivate and engage an audience?

There are several critics who claim that Google+ is not a place to engage an audience, and that it is a veritable ghost town in the social media world. Like any form or medium of marketing, it is not necessarily a question of where you are, but how you plan to use your surroundings to your advantage. That is fashion retail giant H&M’s approach to Google+, and they have managed to engage an audience of nearly a million users.

There are a few key features that make H&M an interesting case study for Google+. First, there is the close, personal attention H&M pays to its fans on the network along with the exclusive content they share. Second, H&M monitors their data closely and modifies their Google+ strategy. And third, H&M integrates several key add-ons that help the brand generate business from the network.

Engagement

The devotion H&M has shown to its fans on Google+ should be noted by any marketer looking to build brand loyalty. H&M fans on Google+ are encouraged to share content, which the brand then features on their page.

Conversations are also started by the brand, and visual content is shared on a regular basis in an effort to drive fans to landing pages. Furthermore, much of this content is exclusive to Google+.

It is important to reward your fans. We discussed this recently in an article about Cadbury’s big ‘Thank You’ to their fans. The difference with H&M, however, is that the fashion brand focuses on thanking their Google+ fans with exclusive content. This is an excellent way to engage an audience, and H&M has the numbers to prove it.

Data

The ‘Ripples’ feature on Google+ can be one of your most powerful weapons in developing a strong Google+ campaign – if you know how to use it.

H&M monitors the data in the backend of Google+ in order to understand how, where and when their content is being shared and make the necessary modifications to their strategy in order to ensure that their engagement and share rates remain high. Any marketer will tell you that data and reporting will make or break a campaign. It is important that whenever possible you examine the data you have, and ‘Ripples’ are a powerful feature on Google+.

Integration

Did we mention that Google+ is owned by Google? H&M realizes that and they integrated their AdWords campaigns with their Google+ efforts. The results? Only a 22% CTR (click-through rate) uplift. Not too shabby.

It is important to streamline your processes wherever possible. If the whole machine is functioning together, you stand to produce far better results than if every part is trying to work on its own.

Do you actively use Google+ to engage an audience? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!