The Monthly Retail Social Juice Index Spotlight: Wayfair.com, King Arthur Flour, Barnes & Noble

Takeaways from this month's RSJI spotlight include the following:

• Ask fans what they want. Instead of relying strictly on engagement numbers (or worse, guesswork!), King Arthur Flour went straight to its fans to find out if a specific kind of content (Throwback Thursdays) should stay or go. The post containing the inquiry was one of the brand's most engaged posts for the month.
• Notice when fans stop paying attention. Wayfair's initial posts about each weekly giveaway earned high engagement, but after even a couple repetitions, likes and shares dropped off considerably. Instead of following the same pace/frequency each week, create a different rhythm or try framing the content in a different way.
• Establish rules. Post community guidelines in the "About" section of your Facebook page. It may be Barnes & Noble's approach to let fans have their say on the brand's Timeline, but within what parameters? And how will the brand participate in the conversation, if at all? Lots of brands post rules for community behavior, and many help fans/followers know what to expect from the brand, including identifying which platforms are for customer service and indicating if/when the brand will delete fan posts.
• Take advantage of quirky celebrations and interesting commemorations when appropriate. For obvious reasons, King Arthur Flour celebrated a number of these, including Pound Cake Day and Flour Month, which have obvious relevance to the brand. Can brands recognize occasions with less obvious connections? Yes. Wayfair earned high engagement on March 2 with this: "Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!" Fans loved it. Although the home-goods retailer probably wouldn't have been praised by fans for "Pound Cake Day," the Dr. Seuss commemoration worked because it was being celebrated and talked about all over Facebook. The brand simply joined the conversation.
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Media Logic's RSJI has been measuring social engagement for hundreds of national retailers since November 2011.