5 questions with Steve Roop, Littlefield Brand Development
BY ROBERT EVATT World staff writer
Friday, February 08, 2013
2/08/13 at 5:28 AM
Steve Roop is director of interactive strategy at Littlefield Brand Development.
1: In general, what are some of the best ways companies can use social media?
Social media is where people spend a large amount of their online time interacting, doing research, asking questions and sharing information. So having a good social-media presence and being involved in those conversations and interactions - where appropriate - is key. It's a great tool to solicit customer feedback, offer customer service and grow a targeted audience that will cost much less to advertise to than traditional media. The best have a unique voice that interacts with their followers on a human level.
Another use, which I think is often overlooked, is the ability employers have to communicate with their employees through Facebook Groups. It's the right price to implement (free), and it privately gets you in the news feed they're looking at all day long anyhow. Win-win.
2: Are there some industries and types of companies that still aren't good fits for a social-media presence?
There are certainly industries where a social-media presence presents more of a challenge, but at the end of the day it's all about communication. Ignoring social media doesn't make the conversations that are happening about your brand or industry go away, it just makes you a non-participant.
3: How much of an impact have changing policies at Facebook and other services had on corporate social-media strategies?
Most of the major platforms are there to make money. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube all have built-in ad experiences unique to their platforms. If anything, most of their changes have been to the benefit of brands and companies looking to get in front of their customers. Additional delivery systems, better personalized targeting, stronger reporting, etc., all strengthen a business page's ability to be effective online.
Of course the average user gets upset at privacy changes and the like, but they generally keep using the service. They usually have too much invested - friends, photos, interactions, history - to leave.
4: In your experience, are many local companies using social media effectively?
I think QuikTrip does a fantastic job, the Tulsa Zoo and Hard Rock do well, too. At Littlefield, we've also helped Ditch Witch achieve high levels of success in the social arena, and I'm pretty proud of that since its content is for a niche audience.
Social media is a living, breathing, 24/7 beast, and most companies just don't dedicate the resources to give it its due. Most have opportunities to do more.
5: What do you think is necessary to attract more tech jobs to Tulsa?
Getting new tech jobs to Tulsa is going to require a combination of local clients willing to take risks and agencies willing to push them in new and bold directions. If we can create an environment where external companies see the work Tulsa's existing tech talent is capable of doing, we'll have the buzz to bring in more business and more talent.
I know we're capable of competing with any city in America; we just have to be brave enough to stand up and do it.
Associated Images:
CHRISTOPHER SMITH/Tulsa World
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