Unsuccessful Application: Example One

Feedback

  • The word count limit was exceeded by 145 words. 
  • A very broad organisational background is given in the beginning, instead of answering the research question directly.
  • No focused examples of user-generated content were used, only some social media channels were mentioned.
  • Very generic and unspecific recommendation. Almost no criticism.
  • The essay uses American-English rather than UK-English (e.g. "organization" instead of "organisation")
  • Weak and few references. No page numbers were used in the referencing, despite being required.

 

Essay: User-generated content strategy of FedEx

Introduction

FedEx has managed to excel through the current difficult economic times and came out successfully in 2017. At the beginning of 2017, the company’s profits were not impressive, but it was able to turn it around. The company’s share price went up from $54.34 to $84.52, indicating 50% increase during the year and defeating other market giants such as S&P 500 and the DJIA (FedEx: Annual report, 2017).

First established as Federal Express, the company is now among most popular brands for their express delivery system, providing strategic guide and consolidated financial reporting to organizations globally (Shutan, Bruce 2017).

Today, unlike other companies such as S&P 500 and the DJIA, FedEx offers the same delivery services on a wide scale, with the help of improved modern marketing strategy: social media (Drew Bailey, 2016). The company is able to lure many customers, emit social signals and offer unerring customer service due to its use of many social media channels, developing and curating shareable content.

 

Why the company has been successful on social media 

The Concept: Owning Social

 As part of its strategy, the company made social media important area of its brand. From corporate communications to marketing, FedEx opted to work as single voice (Thornley, Joseph 2017). Due to this, its success on social media is pegged on the company’s collective responsibility. It is the company’s resolve that their social media platform should not be under the control of one person; but everyone has a duty to ensure the success of their brands.

To help incorporate their employees into social media space, the company provided online training with 18 courses. Over 600 employees successfully accomplished the course in 17 months and the company said that it made the right decision (Renee Horne, 2017).

Having managed to put its staff members under single voice, working to achieve common goal, the company’s social media has been successful.

 

Execution: Social Media and Content Curation

Having several social media accounts, the company’s Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube accounts have important followers and are controlling their customers and audience. The company adopts these accounts to connect and communicate with their clients, improve their brand through digital storytelling, and be able to handle challenges arising. By using content curation into the company’s strategy, its Pinterest platform shows pictures, infographics and topics which indicate what they intend to achieve and benefit their customers.

Their facebook account provides both service and medium for FedEx’s products by helping the society and offering important apps. The app enables American facebook subscribers to arrange and pay for shipment. This has become convinient service that connects easily with their customers on facebook leading to their success in social media (Drew Bailey, 2016). The company also uses YouTube to communicate to their online audience, publish their commercials and manage crisis. In 2012 for exmaple, the company used YouTube to manage a crisis that led to a viral video going online involving a man throwing a computer monitor over client’s fence. The company handled that crisis well and was applauded by all public relations experts (Matthew Thornton, 2017).

The company’s five twitter accounts are only used for client service purposes, every of these accounts is meant to address questions, communicate to clients and improve engagements between FedEx brand and audience.

 

What should be done differently?

The company should address redundancies, overlaps and lack of proper communication that is keeping its content marketers from providing excellent content experience for FedEx customers (Drew Bailey, 2016).

 

Recommendations

  • The company should put the right tools and processes in place because this is important for FedEx’s content marketing. By establishing lines of communication and removing complications, the company will achieve even excellent content marketing.
  • FedEx should conduct more offline research by visiting other successful organizations such as the American Red Cross and NASCAR. This would allow them to visualize what is possible.

 

References

Shutan, Bruce.  "Instant delivery: FedEx uses social media to connect workforce.” Employee Benefit News  1 Aug. 2016.

Thornley, Joseph. "Employee Communications" Exploring Social Media and Public Relations. ProPR, n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

www.smartblogs.com/social-media/2012/08/15/andys-answers-how-fedex-manages-social-media/ \www.