My 4 favorites: Social Media done right!

I’m very much a brand loyalist. I have a mild addiction to shopping at Victoria’s Secret, Whataburger is the only hamburger I know, Dos Equis is the only beer I would ever consider ordering, I never leave the house without a spritz of Burberry, and if Nike was considered business casual, I would wear gym clothes every day. And let’s not forget my strong devotion to Starbucks; on a road trip, I once drove 30 minutes off-route just to grab my favorite double tall, non-fat vanilla latte.

Brands create lifestyles. And with social media, now we can easily connect and engage with all our favorite brands from anywhere. 

Here’s a look at some of my personal favorite brands to follow on social media. Take notes because these places are doing social media right!  

Apricot Lane – Best. Fashion. Facebook. Page. Ever. Seriously. This fashion boutique carries all the favorites from MissMe jeans to cute tops and dresses that fit just right. But aside from the great apparel and accessories, the store’s social media strategy is excellent. As a regular shopper, I remember when I was first given a heart-shaped “Like us on Facebook” flyer with my receipt. (BTW that’s a great idea for launching a new social media page and raising awareness!) As a recent college grad in Public Relations and a social media lover, I checked out their page right away. The best feature: the store regularly posts pictures of the newest arrivals and updates on the sizes available. When I saw “Only one small left!” posted on a picture of a beautiful two-toned cocktail dress, I was there that afternoon to buy it (and it ended up being the perfect graduation dress). If there is an award for the best fashion retail timeline, Apricot Lane should win! They talk and engage with their fans, and the Apricot Lane in Dallas even has an interactive “Shop Now” tab on their Facebook page. Apricot Lane definitely knows who their audience is and how to engage them. 

NBC DFW – Breaking news, local news, Hollywood news, cheesy morning-show news, consumer news, you name it, I’ll read it. In today’s world, you have to be on top of the news if you want to survive. So how can you manage all this news without losing your mind? Yep, you guessed it: Facebook and Twitter. Even while living in Waco, I’ve always loved following @NBCDFW or the station's Facebook page, for two distinct reasons. Relevance and entertainment. As I scroll through my Facebook newsfeed or Twitter timeline, posts from NBC DFW always catch my eye or make me smile. One of my favorite features is the daily “Caption This” photo, where viewers send in cute or goofy pictures, then Facebook fans comment and suggest clever captions. It’s a great way to involve the audience! And if fans are lucky, their caption will appear on the NBC Weekend show. The key to connecting with social media followers is having a voice. A real-life, human voice. Instead of constant automated news headlines, NBC DFW talks to their audience, asks questions, shares interests and shows emotions. It really shows that they value their audience and viewers! And NBC's DFW station has over 23,000 followers on Twitter and over 92,000 fans on Facebook; they definitely know social media.

(Texas Monthly and The Dallas Observer are great to follow too!)

Scruffy Murphy’s – If you went to Baylor or have had a night out in the wonderful town of Waco, Texas, you might be familiar with this neighborhood college bar. Scruffs. The place full of Baylor pride and good times. During my last semester as a student, good ole Scuffys got a Twitter, and surprisingly, he’s an expert tweeter! So what makes @ScruffyMuphys1 so special? Replies and retweets. Twitter is all about engaging with followers, and Scruffs gets that! Throughout the week, I’ll see retweets that look something like this: “Wish I was at Scruffs right now!” or “Couldn’t get my Scruffs stamp off, must’ve been a great night!” (and FYI, that stamp really takes a lot of effort to get off!) The bottom line, Scruffs knows their audience and promotes their events accordingly. They support Baylor University athletics via Twitter and always retweet or reply to their more than 1,300 loyal followers (who are in turn, loyal customers). If you follow Scruffs, you will know when it’s party time with their hashtags, like: #karaokewednesday or #happyhour. Whether you’re daydreaming during class, cheering on the Baylor Bears or getting ready for a night out in Waco, Texas, Scruffs will be there to serve and retweet you! It’s a great example of social media engagement and customer loyalty.

And the best part about all these social media tactics: mobility. When I first moved into my apartment, I was without cable and wifi for over two weeks, which must sound unthinkable, but with iPhone apps and my favorite brands on social media, I didn't miss a beat, post, tweet or opportunity.

Okay now it’s your turn, what are some of your favorite brands to follow on #socialmedia?