Charitable Work is great Public relations
I have chosen to write my blog on the Telus Mobility Facebook page in comparison to Bell Canada’s Facebook page. Upon first impression, both brands have multiple charitable posts and promote giving back to the consumer through programs such as Telus Mobility’s “Rise Above” campaign and Bell Canada’s “Lets Talk” initiative. However, Bell Canada promotes their products far more on their social media page using conventional methods, compared to Telus, who takes a more personal approach of advertising through stories of satisfied customers. The marketing efforts of Telus Mobility sparks conversation in the ‘comment’ sections with users sharing their own personal stories. Both companies are interactive in the ‘comment’ sections, and ensure to answer consumers’ questions and offer insight. In addition, both Telus Mobility and Bell Canada upload feeds every few days.
A Brand Canada can relate to
After investigation of Telus Mobility’s social media, I can see a clear message that connects to Canadian consumers through a variety of methods, such as Canadian sports or donating to Canadian communities. This message resonates with the consumer, making Telus Mobility feel like a home brand. Bell Canada’s social media focuses more on television and Hollywood, showing multiple show clips or broadcasting the red carpet. The message Bell Canada sends is informative in what they deliver as a product, but it doesn’t connect to consumers like Telus Mobility does. Telus goes out of its way to inform the consumers of important problems, such as the increasing garbage pollution in Canadian parks, and releases inspiring videos of the parks and their efforts in restoring nature. Although Bell raises awareness about important Canadian issues as well, it’s presented in the form of text written messages of how they donated to the wildfire disaster in British Colombia. The difference in the delivery of these messages makes all the difference, with Telus connecting and inspiring, and Bell merely informing.
Raising awareness vs Connecting with Consumer
The difference between the social media platforms of these two companies is evident, with Telus focusing more on the earned public relation pillar of digital marketing, and Bell focusing on the paid advertisement to drive traffic pillar. These strategies differ in the main objectives, with Telus aiming to build loyalty with its consumers, and Bell focusing on raising awareness of products with consumers. Both companies’ posts strategically keep word counts small and use eye-catching content, however, Telus offers far more valuable content by connecting with the consumer. This tactic allows Telus’ messages to resonate with more people then the traditional advertisements that Bell is using. The strategy utilized to get more Facebook shares is clearly proving to be effective, as almost all of Telus’ video feeds receive hundreds to thousands of shares, while Bell’s videos only receive ten, and sometimes hundreds, of shares. They also share similar strategies regarding posting times, with both companies posting primarily within the hours of 12 PM – 10 PM, which seems to be the most effective time. Bell however, utilizes weekends more efficiently by posting the majority of their feed on Fridays and Saturdays, in comparison to Telus that posts on weekdays.
The Winner is Telus!
The results are evident. Telus Mobility’s social media Facebook page is far more effective then Bell Canada’s, as they possess more than half a million more likes and follows. This is due to their ability to connect with their audience through interactive story-telling and personable video advertisements that not only promote their products, but also keep the consumer entertained through sports and/or heart-warming stories. Bell, however does a good job with maintaining a clear message and brand voice, although, it’s not one that resonates with the consumer on a level the way Telus does. Nevertheless, Telus could improve their social media by implementing strategies such as uploading content on weekends and weekdays to increase video traffic, which would ultimately prove to be more effective. In conclusion, I can firmly state that I would follow Telus Mobility’s Facebook page any day over Bell Canada’s.
