Digital bytes: The sound of thunder

So you’ve got a social media presence. Your nursery has its own Facebook page, or Twitter account, or maybe you’re on one of the photo-heavy sites like Tumblr, Instagram or Pinterest.

You’ve read last month’s article on why you should care about social media (bit.ly/1swj4rc). You’ve devoted some time to building an online following, and you spend a little bit of time each day posting to those social networks. But you’re not getting the results you want. Perhaps you could use a signal boost?

Social media marketing is a challenge. It’s tough to rise above the noise and make sure your message actually gets heard and leads to action. A new platform called Thunderclap is attempting to increase the odds that all your hard work is rewarded.

The Thunderclap platform calls itself an “online flash mob.” Basically, it’s a website that allows a group of people to pledge to post a message to their social network of choice on the same day, at the exact same time, in order to achieve the maximum effect.

The key to the success of a Thunderclap campaign is recruiting lots of supporters. You’ll need to promote your campaign with social media, email, and word of mouth to gain the traction you’ll need to reach your goals.

The social reach of a Thunderclap is determined by calculating the sum total of the friends and followers of a campaign’s supporters. Many factors influence the reach of a social media campaign including the time of day a message is posted, the filtering algorithm of the platform (Facebook filters, Twitter and Tumblr currently do not), and how engaging the content may be. If a post is heavily liked or retweeted for example, its reach could extend well beyond the initial audience.

There is no charge to set up a basic Thunderclap, but the company does have premium paid options. The basic “Spark” plan allows approval within three days, but the “Lightning” “Storm” and “Pro” plans offer advanced features like expedited approval, customizable campaign page, analytics, and the ability to export a list of your supporters’ e-mail addresses.

Have you tried Thunderclap, or another cool digital marketing platform? Tell me about it at mmcclellan@gie.net.
 

For more: www.thunderclap.it

 

Podcast playlist

This month’s playlist covers several exciting new varieties from our New Plant Pavilion digest, poinsettia growing tips, and the tale of a greenhouse that filled a void with a robust hanging basket business. Remember, you can subscribe to the Grower Radio Network on iTunes to have the podcasts delivered automatically. If you have questions, comments, or podcast suggestions, tweet @NurseryMag or e-mail us at mmcclellan@gie.net.