1. How Starbucks Crushes It on Social Media
Photo Credit: Ariana Gastelum

2. ● 37.32 million Facebook likes
● 6.56 million Twitter followers
● 2.98 million Instagram fans
● 2.86 million Google+ followers
● 160K Pinterest followers
● 32K YouTube subscribers
Starbucks is known for lots of things: great coffee, friendly baristas, and a near-
complete takeover of practically every street corner in America.
Those numbers are staggering but well-earned. There’s no doubt Starbucks
is crushing social media, but how do they do it? Let’s take a look.
Did you know Starbucks is also known for it’s killer social media strategy?
It’s true! Take a look at some of these stats:
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com/JESHOOTS

3. Facebook interestingly, the
Starbucks social media management
team doesn’t post Facebook updates
all that often..
When they do, however, they’re
usually eye-catching and ultra-clever.
The posts strike a good balance
between fun contests, helpful tips for
the java-loving crowd, and subtle
sales messages to its customers
Photo Credit: Starbucks Facebook Page

4. Twitter Starbucks has a fascinating
and unique approach to Twitter
updates.
All Tweets are directed at specific Twitter users who’ve “spoken” to Starbucks in
their own timeline, sometimes with a complaint or negative feedback. The Starbucks
team checks in several times a day and encourages dissatisfied customers to get in
touch with the company for follow-up using a Twitter-specific email address. It’s an
unorthodox but smart approach to deal with customer complaints before they have
a chance to get out of hand.
They don’t do them all the time
rather strategically! Fans who
connect to the company on Twitter to
catch the latest news and updates
are in for a surprise.
The team does post unique content
but also uses the Twitter as a service
to reach out to customers talking
about their in-store or product
experiences.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Rosaura Ochoa

5. A big part of the coffee culture
is about beautifully decorated
espressos and fancy cups to
drink your favorite cuppa.
Starbucks really shines on
visually-oriented social sites
like Pinterest and Instagram
where they can post
appealing beverage-related
eye candy.
The company maintains
several Pinboards featuring
tea rituals, coffee gadgets,
and soothing spaces to get
cozy in while you sip.
Instagram, on the other hand, is an assortment of cool
images related to the coffee community and culture.
Pinterest and Instagram
Photo Credit: Starbucks Pinterest board

6. What Starbucks knows about social media
Getting customers is good. Keeping
customers is great. With over 21,000
stores in more than 65 countries, its a
safe bet that anyone with even a passing
interest in coffee already knows
Starbucks exists. The company has
reached critical mass in terms of
advertising so its challenge at this point is
keeping customers loyal so they’re not
swayed by competitors with similar
offerings.
The Starbucks social media team is great
at offering the customer service of local
coffee shop on a grand scale over its
social media channels. Even though
they’re a huge company, they still give
customers individual attention, which no
doubt goes a long way toward keeping
them coming back for more.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com/John86

7. Coffee is made for socializing. One of the reasons behind Starbucks’ social media success
is that drinking coffee is a social activity. People love to meet over coffee, bring each other
coffee, swap stories about coffee, and build coffee acquisition into their morning routines.
What Starbucks knows about social media
By extension, sharing the coffee-drinking
experience is a natural fit for platforms like
Twitter and Facebook. In a classic case of “build it
and they will come,” all Starbucks has to do is
create places for coffee drinkers to congregate
online and they will happily oblige.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Larissa S

8. Consistent branding is key. No matter what Starbucks social platform you visit, the
Starbucks touch is evident. The company’s social channels all have the same look, feel,
and tone as their stores. Although the marketing team takes a slightly approach from
Twitter to Instagram to Facebook, the content is consistently unified around the
company’s mission, message, and goals.
What Starbucks knows about social media
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com/Pearchina

9. Whether you’re a fan of the Starbucks product line or not, their
social media success is undeniable. As with every other aspect of
the company, their attention to detail and customer-centric
messaging is what makes their social outreach some of the best
in the business.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Marco Pakoeningrat