Monetizing Social Interactions

Highlight the Brains Behind the Brand
Relationships are a two-way street; building social ties with customers sometimes calls on retailers to share some of themselves. Merchants should find ways to spotlight the people who power their brand, both internally and among its followers. Rather than asking consumers to connect with a nameless, faceless organization, brands that spotlight individuals give shoppers the opportunity to connect on a personal level.

Athletic women's wear retailer Title Nine uses its blog for behind-the-scenes snapshots and videos that let shoppers in on the adventurous outdoor exploits of staff experts, demonstrating how their employees embody the brand.

Online retailers will continue to experiment with novel ways to engage their customers through social media. Thankfully they have more powerful tools than ever to make sure the buzz they're generating on social sites is building customer relationships that will ring up sales for years to come.

Ken Burke is the founder and executive chairman of MarketLive, an on-demand e-commerce platform and solutions provider. Ken can be reached at ken@marketlive.com.