About Zappos

Zappos’ Business Model

Zappos was launched in 1999 as an online shoe shop and is now one of the most significant companies in e-commerce. Zappos stresses a business culture that encourages socializing and long-term relationships, and has been named one of the finest places to work in the world. Much of the company’s success may be credited to its business model, which focuses on giving clients with the finest online shopping experience possible, with the expectation that satisfied customers will refer the company to their friends. The rise of social networking websites gave a fantastic platform for Zappos to communicate with its customers, significantly expanding the company’s reach and annual revenues (Hanna, Rohm & Crittenden, 2011).

Zappos’ Unique Social Media Strategy

Zappos social media strategy is unique in that the company focuses more on engaging with the customers at a more personal level rather than promoting brands and products on the company’s social media page. Unlike most companies which use social media only for official purposes, Zappos adds a personal touch to its social media pages by posting items that are interesting and rarely related to their products and services. This method creates an atmosphere of trust between the customers and the company as the customer feels that the company is not simply interested in their money.

Employee Engagement on Social Media

Also, contrary to other institutions, Zappos does not prohibit employees to use social media while at the workplace. Furthermore, Zappos does not dictate what the employees post on social media, as long as the message does not contradict the company’s core values. As such, the employees can interact with the customers freely and share experiences that can be useful in improving customer experience or developing new products and services. This strategy also enables the employees to engage more with the customers at a personal level, which builds trust between the company and its customers.

References

Hanna, R., Rohm, A., & Crittenden, V. L. (2011). We’re all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem. Business horizons, 54(3), 265-273.