How Walmart's Twitter Tactic Leveraged Earned Media

I discussed this very smart social media/public relations tactic by Walmart during Episode 298 of my Beyond Social Media Show podcast.

Beyond Social Media Show Segment Transcript

I responded to a headline last week. I tweeted a Bloomberg story by Matthew Boyle about Walmart's new in-store Health Center.

Walmart Care Clinics

Walmart is rolling out these pilots that apparently have in-store health centers where shoppers can get:

• A $30 medical checkup,
• $25 teeth cleaning,
• Talk about their anxieties with the counselor for $1 a minute.

The prices are clearly listed so you know exactly what you're going to pay for. They accept walk-ins but you can book online beforehand. They don't require insurance.

Walmart's Social Media Tactic: Twitter Reply Harnesses Earned Media

So I tweeted the Bloomberg article and then a day later, Walmart replied to my tweet. They replied saying:

"Walmart Care Clinics are primary care clinics which offer diagnosis and treatment of chronic acute illnesses. preventive services, such as immunizations, physicals and additional health screening. Our expanded scope of services enables us to be your primary medical provider."

Walmart Extends News Coverage To Extend Message Reach

It was just fascinating that they replied. But they are very smart because they got exactly what they wanted their messaging to be to, one, the person who who tweeted that article, me. But also any of my followers who had read the article from my feed, as well. So I thought it was a very smart earned media tactic to extend their messaging and refine and get the exact messaging they wanted out of that story.