BEAVER FALLS, PA, February 23 — Social media is literally transforming the way people communicate with businesses. One of the most important reasons for this transformation is the exponential growth of blogs, online forums, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and other electronic media that allow customers’ views to be read and compared by millions of readers. For the first time, customers seem to have the ability to greatly influence how people think about businesses and how businesses react to their thoughts.
Over 25 million people access Yelp.com each month for reviews. Approximately six million registered Twitter users have conversations about brands that are important to them – or ones that have failed them. On Facebook, 200 million users join the mix to create an environment where the control lies with the customer. It is no longer possible for companies to ignore the influence social media has on brand reputation.
While some companies panic about this changing mindset (engaging with customers on a real-time basis is foreign to the old world of corporate advertisements and press releases), others are successfully leveraging social media to align with the reason they’re doing business in the first place. It’s all about the customers, right?
Pegasus Associates Lighting is an example of the latter. In the process of designing a new website, the e-commerce lighting distributor took the design templates to the experts on user experience: their customers. The new site will not launch until summer 2010, but early representations and functionality details are available on the company blog. Pegasus Lighting encourages its customers through its Twitter account (@PegasusLighting) and its Pegasus Lighting Facebook fan page to comment on what they like and don’t like about the new designs. Those comments will go right back to the designers to tailor the website to customer preference.
Customer feedback has never been so accessible and valuable. Vice President Chris Johnson says, “Pegasus Lighting thinks that it is imperative to listen to our customers’ thoughts and opinion throughout the entire development of our new website. Being willing to listen to our customers has always been a mainstay of our company philosophy and now the accessibility of social media makes that very easy for us to do.”
About Pegasus Associates Lighting
Founded in 1993, Pegasus Associates Lighting is a lighting distributor with a strong Internet presence selling “unique lighting products for your special needs.” The company, based near Pittsburgh in Beaver Falls, PA, with another office location in Raleigh, NC, attracts both individual and corporate shoppers who value a learning experience in lighting, competitive pricing, and an easy-to-use, intuitive website. For more information, visit www.PegasusAssociates.com.
PR Contact:
Chris Johnson
Vice President
724.846.5137
ChrisJ [at] PegasusAssociates [dot] com
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by Chris Johnson
I manage Pegasus Lighting's technology infrastructure and marketing and public relations efforts. Beyond my day job, my professional interests include small business, technology, web design and development, operations, marketing, and social media. My personal interests include spending time with my two children and wonderful wife, reading presidential history and business books, and striving for my work | life balance.
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