Introduction
Not every social marketing strategy brings profits to its creators. It might be difficult to continuously create engaging content that will interest a sufficient number of viewers who would choose to use the goods and services of an advertiser. However, Home Depot made an early entry into this scene and managed to gain popularity through online posts. This case study will examine the success of Home Depot’s marketing strategy and its potential for application by other companies.
Main body
The example of this company reveals an essential aspect of online marketing. Home Depot created its channel on YouTube and other platforms for video sharing with the idea that customers seek value from their interaction with companies online without blatant advertisements (Barker et al., 2016). Home Depot began to create purely informative videos with the goal to help any viewer with their issue related to the company’s specialization (Barker et al., 2016). This approach turned out to be highly successful, as viewers were not forced to visit a company’s website but instead could choose to do so after assessing the value of a video they have watched.
In the case of Home Depot, instructional videos are more beneficial than plain commercials. Such marketing also brings more long-time customers since they are able to adequately evaluate a product prior to being encouraged to try it by sellers (Duffett, 2020). Interactions with customers in such a fashion allow the firm to reinforce its reputation as a helper in construction-related issues. As Barker et al. (2016) write, the reputation of being a reliable source of information brings more popularity than “being over-the-top in promoting the specific products” that a company sells (p. 157). This method may be more suitable for a company that sells products that require experience from customers in order to be used appropriately, as they will inevitably seek support from secondary sources. I also believe that the approach chosen by Home Depot is more fitting for any company, as it relies on the virtues of honesty, diligence, and temperance.
While there are other video platforms, YouTube is the essential place for such a marketing move for several reasons. The platform gives a significant advantage to those who use it due to its overwhelmingly greater reach to many audiences across the globe. YouTube provides its users with additional tools for marketing, such as AdSense, adding more value to every video (Duffett, 2020). Moreover, the firm did not implement any popular elements in its video to attract a large crowd of viewers quickly. Instead, it built its reputation slowly through highly informative material, which would be otherwise lost on a less popular website.
The in-store representatives are an essential part of these videos. This method allowed the company to acquire viewers’ trust more efficiently. It also gave its employees an opportunity to become teachers and show their talents to the public. Moreover, I believe Home Depot shows that the company can be trusted that its practices are without deception by using workers instead of actors. The usage of employees in videos creates a feeling of authenticity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Home Depot chose an ideal approach to social media marketing that complements its products. While there are other options that are proven to be efficient, online users value informative videos more than apparent advertisements. YouTube is a platform that every company must view as their primary choice since it already has an extensive userbase. Home Depot’s choice of content and how it is created shows how Christian virtues, such as humility, honesty, and diligence, can also be effective in marketing.
References
Barker, M., Barker, D. I., Bormann, N. F., & Zahay, D. (2016). Social media marketing: A strategic approach (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.
Duffett, R. (2020). The YouTube marketing communication effect on cognitive, affective and behavioural attitudes among Generation Z consumers. Sustainability, 12(12), 5075.