The b.good Shake Truck in front of 38 Everett
Behold, the power of social media marketing! Yesterday afternoon @BostonTweet tweeted that:
Tomorrow the @b_good_ Shake Truck will be delivering free Local Blueberry Smoothies to companies in Boston. Where should they go?
— BostonTweet (@BostonTweet) July 31, 2013
“Free smoothies and a chance to engage with a local Boston business, tied together through social media efforts? What could be better?” we at Overdrive thought.
Within minutes there were emails circulating the office, encouraging each other to tweet at @BostonTweet. “@b_good_ Your shake truck should come to @Ovrdrv #yum #prettyplease!!” wrote @cupcake_couture (a.k.a. Social Media Specialist Emily Attwood), to which @cargillcreative (a.k.a. Social Media Director Bob Cargill) cleverly added “@BostonTweet We would “b” so happy to see the @b_good_ Shake Truck tomorrow at @ovrdrv at 38 Everett St. in Allston!”
There are many different ways in which social media can be leveraged to reach, engage and reward potential and existing customers. This quick campaign is an example of the popular method of involving a third party in order to widen one’s audience. While many of us here in Boston know all about the incredible fresh, healthy food served at b.good Restaurants, the company is still relatively small, with only 13 locations and 3,430 Twitter followers. This is where @BostonTweet (known to some as Tom O’Keefe) and his 92,571 followers come in. According to boston.com, O’Keefe created @BostonTweet in 2008 “as a way to create awareness for local businesses in a down economy.” His loves for food, fun and all things Boston are reflected in his tweets, many of which promote Boston area sports, businesses, news and events.
Harvey is blending shakes today for @ThePaintBar @ovrdrv @CogoLabs @theimproper and @AFHBoston. Just DM us your contact information!
— b.good (@b_good_) August 1, 2013
Whether this Twitter contest was conceived and initiated by b.good or @BostonTweet, I do not know. What I do know, however, is that this campaign successfully demonstrated two important facts about social media marketing. First, it showed that social media marketing — like social media in general — can be a collaborative effort. By involving @BostonTweet, b.good reached 89,140 more followers than they would have if the same tweet had been posted by @b_good_ itself!
In addition, this short campaign proved that social engagement can benefit both a business and its audience. b.good essentially asked, via @BostonTweet, for Twitter users to identify themselves as possible customers. Because @BostonTweet tagged @b_good_ in its original tweet, all replies were automatically sent to @b_good_ in addition to @BostonTweet, enabeling @b_good_ to capture the Twitter handle of every prospective consumer who responded to @BostonTweet’s tweet. We at Overdrive, along with four other Boston area companies, benefitted from our own engagement by getting cups upon cups of delicious blueberry smoothies — for free!
Although the b.good Shake Truck obliged only the first half of @LauraPopcorn‘s (a.k.a. Account Executie Laura Mortenson) request that “@BostonTweet @b_good_ Please come to @ovrdrv! Nothing better than the #DrunkElvis!” (a peanut butter/banana milkshake), she was pleasantly surprised by her blueberry smoothie — as were we all. Here are some photos of the midday excitement:
Happy to have their smoothies.
Here comes Harvey!
Who wants seconds?
Thanks to Tess, Aubree, Senna, the b.good team and @BostonTweet!
