Two stories.
Story One. I was walking around a mall recently when I decided to check-in on Foursquare. To my glee, American Eagle was having a Foursquare special. For checking in, I qualified for 15% off my entire purchase.
With my new jeans in hand, I showed the salesperson behind the register the Foursquare special on my phone. His response went about like this:
“What is that? Wait, isn’t that the Foursquare thing. Wow. Um…I don’t know how to do that. Just a minute. Let me get a manager.”
Story Two. My wife and I were purchasing a purse at a small boutique. A sign on the counter read, “Check-in on Facebook on your iPhone and win $100!” Curious, I asked how I was supposed to check-in and why it was limited to iPhone users. The conversation:
Her: “Yeah, just check-in on Facebook.”
Me: “With what? There’s several ways I could check-in on Facebook.”
Her: “I don’t know. Just check-in.”
Me: “Well, I don’t have an iPhone. I have an Android device. Is there any reason that would matter?”
Her: “Yeah, you have to do it on an iPhone.”
Me: “Why?”
Her: “I don’t know. You just have to.”
Hopefully my point is evident. If you want to implement a successful social media campaign, then train your people so that they know what to expect and how to answer questions. Don’t come up with a brilliant marketing plan and then leave your most important people in the dark.