In a new series, we’re taking a closer look at some of the UK’s biggest brands, and analysing their social media presence to give small business owners food for thought. The companies have no connection to 99social; the studies are designed purely for educational purposes.
ASDA is one of the UK’s most well-known supermarket chains, with more than 600 stores in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
It’s the third-biggest chain in the country, behind Tesco and Sainsbury’s, and is known for its low prices and family-friendly branding. In 2018, it was revealed ASDA was to merge with Sainsbury’s, pending parliamentary approval.
As a small business owner, there are lots of things you can take from a supermarket such as ASDA, especially if you’re targeting families on a budget.
Below, we’ve put together five of the biggest things the supermarket chain does right on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
User-generated content
Figures show that consumers trust online reviews as much as they do recommendations from their friends and family, which is why companies like ASDA are working hard to encourage their customers to submit user-generated content.
Sharing images and videos from their customers serve as ‘social proof’ that the company is a part of their everyday lives, and gives followers recipe ideas in the process.
What’s more, UGC is free for ASDA – they don’t have to hire a photographer or spend hours coming up with concepts; they can take what’s already been posted about them on social media and use it to promote their products.
Small businesses can utilise user-generated content for their own businesses, asking their customers to tag them in posts or creating a hashtag to include on a leaflet in all deliveries.
You could incentivise UGC by entering customers into a prize draw if you’re struggling.
UGC plays an important role in ASDA’s social media strategy.
Behind the scenes material
It’s easy for a big brand to appear faceless and corporate on social media, which is why ASDA regularly shows off behind the scenes content, showcasing what its staff are getting up to across the United Kingdom.
With more than 145,000 employees in its organisation, ASDA has a lot of people to get through and showcase, meaning its never short on content.
As a small business, you too should pull back the curtain and let your followers see what you are working on.
A restaurant, for example, could take pictures of staff preparing dishes in the kitchen; a driving instructor could snap pictures of their students with their ‘pass’ certificate, and an office-based firm could show people what they get up to day-to-day with a video.
ASDA regularly shows off its workers in the form of pictures, videos, and case studies.
Promoting good causes
Supermarkets are always under scrutiny for one thing or another, whether its plastic waste, its damaging impact on small businesses or its opening hours.
But one thing that ASDA does well is its commitment to good causes and uses social media sites like Twitter and Instagram to shout about what it’s working on.
Sure, the cynic may say that collaborations with charities are nothing more than a marketing ploy, but such posts boost brand engagement and help to put the company in a positive light, both amongst its critics and regular customers.
As a small business owner, you too should be spreading the word about what you’re working on.
Ask charities for a statement, take pictures when you attend their fundraising days, and ask your followers to get involved.
It’ll not only improve your company’s reputation, but show that you’re passionate about good causes and the local community, and enjoy giving back.
ASDA has partnered with several good causes, including Tickled Pink.
Mouth-watering photography
ASDA sells everything from bicycles to bins, but its core product is food.
The supermarket uses Instagram to post stunning photography of recipes from its website. Pretty delicious!
From browsing their Instagram, you’d be mistaken for thinking it was the profile of a high-end restaurant or celebrity chef, but ASDA has honed in on what works on Instagram.
Food is one of the most Instagrammed and liked content types on the platform, and so the company has maximised and pairs professionally-taken shots with quirky captions and hashtags.
In short, presentation is everything.
None of these dishes can be bought from ASDA out of the box – customers have to make their own meals.
But this aspirational approach conforms to the beauty standards of Instagram and makes ASDA a more desirable option for dinner.
ASDA’s Instagram feed is mouth-wateringly good.
A responsive approach
Whether you run a corner shop or a business-to-business company, being responsive is one of the best ways to boost brand awareness, encourage loyalty and engagement, and ensure customers come back to your social media channels time and time again, even if they don’t buy from you straight away.
ASDA does this perfectly, responding to virtually every tweet and Facebook post it receives, whether it’s customer-service related or something just for fun.
By responding to your customers and followers, you can build relationships with them, keep them engaged in future content, and encourage them to check out your website or store.
ASDA’s social media team is happy to have some fun, and their informal approach resonates with customers.
Wrapping up
There you have it – five things ASDA nails on social media.
Of course, there’s always more than companies can do to improve their online presence, and ASDA is no exception, but it’s certainly a good case study and foundation for businesses across a whole host of sectors.
If you’re looking for social media management akin to ASDA’s for your business, contact the social media management experts at 99social today.
Our plans start at just £99 per month – that’s cheaper than a trolley-load of food and drink from your favourite supermarket chain!