Admittedly, I’m not much of a social media maven. I’m on Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, and maybe a couple of others, but I don’t actively “work” these sites. I know some think this is the wave of the future, but I’m not seeing much business return at this point.
Having said that, I was a bit surprised by what I saw today. I ordered some shoes at zappos.com, and at the end of the order process, the screen actually asked me if I wanted to write a note on Facebook about my purchase. It even gave me suggestions about what to write (e.g., “I just bought these awesome shoes at Zappos.”).
Now, I’m impressed that Zappos has built this step into their sales process. It probably costs them next to nothing, and it’s good viral marketing. But I gotta tell you, my first response was, “Who the hell cares about the shoes I just bought?”
Then again, my reaction may explain exactly why I don’t spend much time on Facebook.
And for the record, I’m a big Zappos fan.
Hmm … I have to admit I don’t care about your shoes, and if I were on Facebook (which I’m not) I would now distrust everything anyone says about Zappos.
Kevin, I don’t find this as offensive as you seem to. After all, as good marketers, we ask for feedback all the time, including testimonials. And as a marketer, I’m not shy about making suggestions to my clients (or my members, when I was a membership director) about what they might say about me. As long as the sentiment is honest and I’ve received the person’s permission to quote them, I see nothing wrong with “prodding” them on a bit.