The Sam's Club approach to social media.

This post was written in collaboration with Lyndsey Walton.

We conducted a social media audit of the Sam’s Club brand in class recently. We looked at the platforms they are active on, the content they post, and how they interact with their audiences.

Platforms

Sam’s Club is active on Twitter, Facebook, Google + and Instagram, and have inactive accounts on YouTube and Pinterest.

The brand posts four to seven times a week on its active accounts but has not posted anything for several months on their inactive account.

Sam’s Club has a mobile app but only current members can use this app, so it does not engage with prospective consumers. 

We also don’t know if the app interacts with other platforms.

Content

Sam’s Club does an excellent job producing original content and cross-promoting it on their platforms. 

For example, when they had samples of Sea Cuisine’s fish tacos, they posted an enticing picture in their posts, mentioning the brand @SeaCuisine on applicable platforms.




We did notice that Sam’s Club posted a video about tailgating gear on Facebook but not on YouTube. 

This seems like a missed opportunity of easy cross-promotion.

Interactions

Each Sam’s Club post has a call to action (CTA), encouraging their audiences to engage with the brand. Most of the CTAs are to visit local Sam’s Club locations and try samples or buy products.

Instead of responding to individual posts or tweets, Sam’s Club generally asks those with questions or concerns to directly message the brand so they can respond privately and with personal answers.

Sam’s Club maintains a very professional and concise tone on social media. They use short sentences to convey clear messages, although the brand does use hashtags on Instagram to keep content relevant in current discussions.

Impressions

While Sam’s Club does a great job cross-promoting their original content, we would encourage the brand to utilize a more personal touch, like hashtags and more public engagement with their audience. 

Because Sam’s Club is a retailer and most of the brand’s posts are about products, we also think Pinterest would be an ideal platform for this brand to develop and be more active on.


Ready for us to present our analysis,
The Purple Writer

I could be a smart phone photographer.

It seems pretty easy to take a good photograph these days.

Especially with the fancy cameras inside our smart phones and the convenient filters on sites like Instagram.


Although sometimes the ease of filters can make posting photos more difficult.

It can be such a struggle to choose between Valencia, X-Pro II, or just going with maxed-out Lux.

It turns out several people were curious about the most popular filters so Noisey created this breakdown showing several top musicians and which filters they use.

So now we know.

Thanks Noisey.

But what does it really take to be a good photographer, beyond filters? 

Here are some tips from Tonja Hagy, a professional photographer and the marketing manager for LHUCA:

• Nothing sells a product better than a good photograph

• A picture really is worth a thousand words
• Don't be lazy

My photo, with a little bit of depth

• Set the scene and be aware of your fore-, mid-, and background

• Keep your photo simple
• Show depth in your photos
• Shoot from a low angle to bring the foreground closer to you
• Align your subject diagonally to add movement and energy, and to provide natural lines for eyes to follow

• Show the subject

My photo: an uncluttered fountain!

• Don't lose your subject in its environment or clutter
• Show what the world looks like from your subject's point of view
• Zoom with your feet; auto-zooming will pixelate the photo and emphasize any shakiness
• Either line up every element precisely or don't try to shoot a symmetrical photograph

My photo: lots of texture/patterns

• Set the mood with extra details

• Capture textures and shadows to get the best out of your subject
• Use repetitive patterns to create interest
• Use negative space (but not blank space) as an element
• Be sure that what you include reinforces your photograph

My photo: I lost the ground

• Be prepared

• Invest in small gadgets like tripods and lenses 
• Keep your phone charged and always carry an extra mobile battery
• Avoid taking pictures on sunny afternoons as most smart phones can't handle bright lights and will lose the details and textures

Most photography techniques can be easily translated into taking photos with your smart phone. 

There is always be more to learn, but as with most things, the best way to figure out how to take the best pictures is to go out and experiment.

There are also lots of resources on the internet giving advice and tips. One example is this blog which focuses solely on learning how to take the best pictures with smart phones. You can also go on YouTube and find lots of videos with photography tips.

With all these resources, your well-equipped smart phone, and a desire to document the world around you, there is no reason why you shouldn't become a fantastic smart phone photographer!

Heading out to experiment with photography,
The Purple Writer