(sources: Twitter button, Facebook button, and Blogger button http://www.newmissionacupuncture.com/; Google+ button - http://www.buzzom.com/2011/08/googles-1-button-gets-more-social-with-friend-annotations/; Linkedin button - http://www.jourisdictiondesigns.com/services3.html)
With these in place you can follow, be notified, and/or check for the latest information through a variety of social media. So let’s check Netflix’s home page.
(Source https://www.netflix.com/Default?mqso=80015652&mkwid=sTKO1SwZG&pcrid=7033233444&gclid=CNKrocXdnawCFUdn5QodPSc94A)
Uh oh! No buttons! Not a one! (That is unless you’re interested in signing up.) Netflix wants to get personal by streaming their content onto your personal devices and the TV in your living room but are they that social?
It turns out that you can follow Netflix on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/netflix), friend or like them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/netflix) or Google+ (https://plus.google.com/100777944721719582051/posts), or get all business like with them on Linkedin (http://www.linkedin.com/company/netflix). However, to do all this takes a bit of work on your part. Netflix doesn’t make it convenient for you to just click a button on their page, instead you’re the one that has to want to get social with them by chasing down their social media on the web. Wonder why?
Now if it is information you want, I mean the chatty, friendly kind, it can be found on their website. Look real close in the middle at the bottom part of the page. Strain your eyes enough and you’ll make out a button titled, “Blog.” Yes! There is an active blog on the Netflix site (http://blog.netflix.com/) that is eager to share with Canadians that Breaking Bad is now available north of the border. Also Netflix wants you to know that it is now available on Nook and that they are expanding their presence on Android devices. Plus, DVDs are still around if you really want those wonderful shiny little relics of the last century. But can you respond to a post? Not that I can see. So this information flows one way only.
Is it hubris that Netflix is so cavalier in its attitude toward social media? After all they are all over TV in commercials, all over the web in ads, and often in the news. Do they really need to push their brand and image that much more? On the other hand it is prudent to aggressively stake out as large a presence as possible in all types of media. Of course Netflix could argue that they are already there. You can find them on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linkedin, but not Blogger since they have their own on their site.
The lack of aggressiveness on Netflix’s part in the realm of social media could mean that they are much more interested in pushing their product and controlling their message than in being social. If that is the case then for a company that really wants to be Web 2.0 they seem to be smack in the middle of a Web 1.0 mentality with that attitude. What do you think?
I hear you Joel. I now look specifically for the buttons for Facebook and Twitter when I go onto websites.
ReplyDeleteStrange. I would have thought a company like Netflix would be far more aggressive in terms of their social networking. They might want to consider stepping it up a bit in light of some of their recent bizarre business decisions.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're hiding from people BECAUSE of their "recent bizarre business decisions" to quote you, Jon. Or at least making it tough for customers to reach them. Goodness, I hope they don't have any more quirky moves that will annoy customers.
ReplyDeleteGood job, Joel. You've done a good analysis with a lot of your own critique behind it. From all you've said to this point, I suspect they need to re-consider their business philosophy a bit. Their problem is that, like most companies, they've got their eyes on their profit line. They just don't get that they've got to radically expand their field of vision.
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