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The saying goes: What happens in Vegas, stays on Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Google+, MySpace and every other social media platform available to
man. Johann Gerber speaks to the people responsible for utilising social media
for two of South Africa’s most prominent DIY brands – Mica and Plascon.
Mica has been involved in the social media
sphere for a little more than a year. The
company joined Facebook on 14 April 2011 and
Twitter on 18 April 2011. Now, lets be honest,
there is no guideline to building a successful
online brand portfolio.
Success on the social media stage is
achieved by trying and failing, but trying again.
Add to this all the hoops that Facebook and
Twitter make you jump through to run a simple
competition and you have enough stress to
make your personal financial woes seem like
childsplay.
The reality is that social media is here
to stay and Facebook will become the new
Google, YouTube the new media delivery
system – to understand what I am talking
about, scan the QR Code in the column and
see the power of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
not quite ready for YouTube. This is South Africa
big a DIY following on Twitter as there is on
and many more. With over 7 000 Mica-friends
and we need local content to help local DIY’ers
Facebook. We are not getting the feedback
on Facebook, lets hear what Saranne Williams,
and homeowners. Almost all of the content
from our audience on Twitter as we are on
the person in charge of Mica’s social media
available is for Europe or the States.
Facebook. The big benefit of Facebook is that
footprint has to say.
people are quick to ‘Like’ and interact with your
Q: Since launching Mica on social media
contribution on the platform.
Q: Where is Mica actively involved at the
networks, what challenges have you
moment and where can we expect to see
faced?
Q: How did you manage to overcome these
the brand in the future?
A: The biggest challenge, as I mentioned, is
challenges?
A: At the moment we are on Facebook (http://
local content, however, each platform has its
A: Getting your audience to interact with
www.facebook.com/micahardware) and on
own challenges. For instance on Twitter you
your brand on Facebook is a lot of fun and
Twitter (twitter.com/micahardware). However,
only have 140 characters to write whatever it is
something really simple to do. By asking a
we are busy investigating MySpace, Google+
you want to say. Writing something meaningful
question or running a poll, Facebook users
and YouTube. The problem we have at the
in 140 characters is difficult.
are generally excited to participate. We also
moment is that the DIY industry as a whole is
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HARDWARE AFRICA 2 013
We’ve also noticed that there is not as a
see big spikes in activity when we post