Social media and the brand management component that goes along with it means something very different today than it did in years past. “It’s no longer a broadcast medium,” said Kim Garst, a social media and digital marketing expert based in Tampa. “It’s relationship-based today. And companies have to be committed to doing the work to facilitate the connection.”

Few are willing to actually do what it takes to capitalize on social media, said Garst. That group of exceptional companies that do what it takes totals about 5%, she said. “Then there are those—maybe 50% to 60% of companies—who think they are doing what they need to do with social media but probably are not. And the rest after that are absent.” To truly be in the game today, companies need to focus on engagement, said Garst, and leveraging brand messaging in a meaningful way with (and not to) consumers.

Some convenience store brands are extremely active on social media platforms; others are seemingly still dipping a toe in the water, meaning an account exists but with little activity and largely lacking the kind of engagement Garst references.

Who Tells Your Story?

“I put myself back in the narrative,” sings the character Eliza Schuyler Hamilton in the finale of the musical Hamilton. C-stores don’t have to insert themselves in the kind of high drama the Hamilton cast belts out in “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?” However, Garst said all companies should understand that their story is being told, whether they choose to be a part of that telling or not.

“The conversations about your brand are happening if you are there or not,” said Garst. “If you are there, you can be a part of it.” She cited a Chewy.com social media win when a customer asked to return an unopened bag of dog food after the family dog died. The company refunded the money and sent the customer flowers—a corporate bereavement practice that earned Chewy.com a slew of positive social media comments as customers shared their appreciation and awe at the gesture. Similar stories continue to be shared on personal Facebook pages, noted Garst, and it has become an example of how customers can weave a brand’s story into their personal one. More importantly, she noted, Chewy.com demonstrated it was listening to its customers, a key component to successful social media.

Successful social media efforts go beyond having an active account. Connecting with customers through the content, and often the commentary around it, builds an engaged community around a brand. Sheetz (500+ stores), Wawa (800+ stores) and Kum & Go (400+ stores) are three dominant c-store brands on social media platforms that embrace the idea of engagement.

The conversations about your brand are happening if you are there or not. If you are there, you can be a part of it.

Both Sheetz and Wawa have upward of 1.3 million followers on Facebook—a powerhouse platform for both brands. Sheetz has more than 500,000 followers on Twitter; Wawa’s Twitter followers top 361,000. Each brand also has a presence on Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Sheetz has hosted livestream feeds on Twitch (a popular site with gamers), maintains a Snapchat account (a messaging app that largely appeals to teens), and while it does not officially have a corporate TikTok account, numerous consumers have posted #Sheetz videos (16 million views and counting)—meaning others tell the Sheetz story on that platform.

Kum & Go’s stats may not be as staggering as the numbers from Sheetz and Wawa, but make no mistake: The chain understands how to penetrate social media, and the company is not afraid to put itself out there in terms of sharing opinions in addition to its marketing messages. The chain maintains a bold voice on every platform it penetrates, which includes Facebook (112,000 followers), TikTok (48,000 followers @realkumandgo), Twitter (38,000 followers), LinkedIn (9,500 followers) and Instagram (10,000 followers).

Kum & Go’s Twitter voice takes the lead in terms of, well, attitude. One example, in response to a tweet that read “Career aspirations: Kum & Go social media intern,” Kum & Go tweeted back “dream big.” A couple other tweets showcase a sense of humor while striking a chord with customers in creating content relevant to a moment in time, like the “kum and then go right back home” tweet early into the COVID-19 pandemic, or “all are welcome at kum & go except the murder hornets,” which points to Kum & Go’s inclusive culture.

The playful tone at times crosses over to engage other c-store brands. For example, when a customer tweeted “I miss @Sheetz. All these Midwest gas stations blow,” the Sheetz account answered with “we happen to be friends with @kumandgo.” In turn, Kum & Go followed up with “we’re best friendz actually.”

Those kinds of tweets are interspersed with promotional messaging around products, like its cake shake and Kum & Go merchandise.

The Twitter community has taken notice of the offbeat commentary and often comments on the approach, saying things like the company understands social better than others, and even devoting themselves as Kum & Go consumers because of its social media. The number of retweets and comments after Kum & Go’s June 8 post about being “finally ready to tell the uncensored true story of how we got our name. buckle up because it’s a wild one… ” reached 7,400. That’s 20% engagement from its followers in a medium when many consider a mere 1% engagement from a single tweet a success. It demonstrates just how deeply rooted those connections are becoming between Kum & Go and its social media base. For the record, the tweet took readers to the homepage of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

That blend of messaging and the ability to bounce between lighthearted banter, promoting products and pushing out deeper social commentary—all while maintaining a growing audience on a platform with the goal of connecting customers and in turn driving store sales without offending people to the point they stop following—can prove a complicated recipe indeed. “That’s the tension of the entire role,” said Ariel Rubin, communications director at Kum & Go, who added that he finds fun in building the audience. “Audiences know when it’s corporate speak. What I want any of our social to be is both authentic to the person and the brand.”

One of the good things about the internet, said Rubin, is that it’s the world’s largest free focus group. “People will tell you, for better or worse, what they think. You learn as you go. We are in a good place now.”

A clear corporate philosophy and values ultimately guide the voice on Kum & Go’s social platforms, Rubin said. While he noted that Kum & Go does steer clear of politics, the company does not shy away from social commentary, including posts supporting the LGBTQ community, Black Lives Matter and more. “We have a lot of important things to communicate,” said Rubin. “If we don’t have an audience, we are tweeting to no one.”

Social Reality Check

Don’t be intimidated by the social media presence of the likes of Kum & Go, Sheetz and Wawa, said Chris Blasinsky, NACS content communications strategist. Of course those are great examples to strive for, she noted. “Just know that those brands have been very active on social for a long time,” she said. “They have built that community.”

For those still in the process of building a strong social media presence, Blasinsky recommends paying close attention to the metrics and engagement. “Look at what’s working and resonating,” she said. The beauty of social media, she added, is the ability to revise and revamp a post. “Try a different image or hashtag or tag social media influencers to increase engagement.”

People will tell you, for better or worse, what they think. You learn as you go.

Two-way communication can also prove effective in creating engagement, Blasinky said. “Instead of simply posting about a new flavor, add in a question such as, ‘What’s your favorite flavor?’ to increase engagement. It needs to be a two-way conversation.”

“It’s always good to go back to the human connection,” said Jeff Lenard, vice president, strategic industry initiatives, NACS. “Especially in tough times.”

Tough times brought with it an end to planned in-store promotional events at Weigel’s Farm Stores, a 64-store chain headquartered in Powell, Tennessee. “Since we cannot hold those promotions at stores, we’ve moved a lot of those campaigns to social media,” said Rebecca Gregroy, digital marketing manager for Weigel’s.

The naming of SharkEE, the mascot for the chain’s signature frozen drink, and live events with product giveaways was one of the campaigns that moved online this past summer. “Usually we would go out to stores, but instead we used social media as a gateway to still engage customers.” Weigel’s invited customers to submit names, and after Finnegan was chosen as the mascot’s name, the social media effort continued on Facebook (Weigel’s has 24,000 followers on Facebook). Customers were entered in a drawing to win a color-changing mug and SharkEE refills for a year if they posted a selfie with their SharkEE drink.

Weigel’s uses its social media platforms to engage not only customers but also employees. Employees actively share on Weigel’s Facebook page. “We like to connect with employees and do things to engage them on social media,” said Gregory. “From a store perspective, it’s a nice way to stay connected and not feel isolated.”

A “Tell Us Something Good” Facebook post generated a lot of positive comments from both employees and customers. “We get a lot of organic sharing,” said Gregory. “People seem to thoroughly enjoy interacting.” And social media provides the ideal location to do so in these days of COVID-19.