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THE ART OF SOCIAL MEDIA

ENGAGE, INFORM, ENTERTAIN, CONVERT

“Plastics. There’s a great future in plastics. Enough said.”

That’s the legendary advice Ben Braddock gets during this 24-second scene in the phenomenal film The Graduate

Flip social media for plastics to get just about the perfect analog for this generation, but it’s a recent college graduate putting their arm around an older person and explaining: “Social media. You need social media. Enough said.”

Memo to you folks who haven’t seen that film — do it. It’s one of the best.

Why is social media so important? The folks over at Sprout Social report that 55% of consumers learn about new brands on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Let’s do the math. That’s more than half.

Plus, social media puts you and your customers in direct contact seamlessly and at their convenience. That’s something that advertising, PR, or email marketing can’t promise. Sprout Social reports a whopping 68% of consumers say that’s important to them.

Getting Started with Social Media

As with all things, it’s essential to start with a strategy. We begin all marketing or communications campaigns by taking a deep dive into a company’s story, learning about its target audience, and taking a hard look at the industry and competition. Then we look at growth and engagement goals and marry those to our best practices.

You’ll want to do that research to uncover where your audience is and what kind of information they’ll want to consume. Remember, the key is engagement, not volume. 

Okay, it’s time to ensure your accounts are ready for the spotlight when you’ve completed the research and strategy work. Optimize your pages with good images, content that communicates your singular promise, and CTAs that drive engagement.

There are times when you might have to open new accounts — many people start with only Facebook but need to add Twitter and YouTube. We recommend consistent account names to help potential clients, fans, and followers find you.

What Network is Best?

Gone are the days when one-size-fits-all content creation was good enough. Each network demands unique messages at different times and relies on individual fan/follower engagement types. And it’s different if you’re a B2C or B2B company.

Let’s talk about how you’d use each network:

Facebook — the granddaddy of ‘em all and perhaps the best known. B2C companies should use Facebook to introduce new products and services, show off customer experiences, and build a story around the company. Facebook is equally important in B2B instances because it adds a human face to a corporation, gives visitors an eye into your culture, and offers access to current and potential customers.

Instagram — the beautiful platform, great for both B2C and B2B businesses. Show off products, people, lifestyles, inspirations, and experiences. Ensure any image you post to Instagram looks great on its own because that’s what captures the attention of scrollers worldwide. 

LinkedIn — a MUST for those in the B2B world, but equally important for B2C companies. Use LinkedIn to communicate with employees, shareholders, and investors and tell the business side of your story. Publish case studies or your company’s perspective on industry news. This is the one channel where content (including video) overpowers pretty pictures. 

Twitter — once known as merely a micro-blogging website, has become a place where B2B companies can dive into industry-wide conversations, deliver perspectives on current news, share case studies, and convey a clear point of view. Often Twitter is where disgruntled customers come to vent on B2C companies. Rather than avoiding those conversations, our position is to engage and solve a person’s problem with your product or service. You’ll build loyalty and credibility while learning more about your customers and how your products are used.

YouTube — is quickly becoming one of the most important social media channels for B2C and B2B businesses. Tap into the power of video to show off expertise, produce usages, how-tos, tell customer stories, and so much more. It’s interesting that people seemingly retain more information when conveyed via video than almost anything else. 

Of course, that’s just the top five. Tik Tok is wildly popular and a great place to show personality and work culture, not to mention real-life product demos. Pinterest is great for a specific demographic and product mix. We’ve had some clients use Pinterest in a B2B setting, but we don’t see its usefulness there. Then there’s the AMA granddaddy of ‘em all — Reddit. 

Determining what network to use to connect with your audience depends on your goals and strategy.

Reach out for help. We’re here.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

The Five Basics:

  1. Pick two networks and master them

  2. Create GOOD, NEW content REGULARLY (yes, we’re yelling that)

  3. Double down on what’s getting engagement, kill the rest 

  4. Watch what’s happening in your industry and join the conversation

  5. Keep learning, evolving, and going

The Important Takeaways:

  1. Don’t shortchange the power of defining your company’s voice and look for each network. A messaging framework will help you be consistent and effective

  2. Aim for engagement over any other metric. Fan and follower numbers are great, but if no one joins in on your conversation, you’re in a vanity campaign. Nobody wins there.

  3. Schedule everything. 

  4. Be there when they’re there. Test post times to uncover when your audience is watching and engaging.

  5. Imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend, showing them the best photos ever.

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