Up Your Social Media Game

Being social on a social media network seems like a no brainer. As individuals, most of us have no problem sharing our daily activities, achievements, memories or moments that make us smile via pictures, videos or shared experiences. As organizations, however, we can sometimes forget the social part, and instead emphasize the promotional. We tend to do more telling than we do sharing with, or listening to, our target audiences. That needs to change.

Know Your Network

Want to get the conversation started or amplify what your company is doing? First things first, you need to know what network or networks are best for your organization. It will depend on who you are, who your target audience is, and what you want them to do that will determine where you should be. Let’s take a look at the most popular social networks in order of popularity based on unique monthly visitors, and their characteristics.

  • Facebook. Hands down, Facebook is the most popular social networking site across the board. Most users are age 25+, but worldwide they still have 50 million users under the age of 25. For Facebook users, it is all about them: their pictures, their stories, their ideas, worries and concerns. If you are going to be posting on Facebook, your content has to speak directly to the issues, news and views your target audience is interested in and engaging with regularly. How does your product or service address their concerns, get them excited or answer their questions? Those are the questions you need to answer and the approach you need to take on Facebook.
  • Twitter. Twitter is all about what is happening right now and the majority of its users are age 18 – 29. Twitter users want to be part of the conversation that is happening in real time, and when commenting or questioning, expect a response in real time as well. Twitter chats are an effective use of the network in that conversations can be focused and relevant to audience segments. It also provides access to your organization and its thought leaders online that isn’t typically available offline.
  • Pinterest. If it is women you are targeting, then Pinterest is the place to be as 80 percent of its users are female. The greatest percentage of its users are 18 -49 and they are there to buy. Pinterest is a planning tool that its users can go back to with direct links to make online purchases whether for an item, an event, a recipe or information. You can segment your audiences with different pin boards, keeping in mind this network relies on visuals in a highly scannable environment.
  • Instagram. As 37 percent of its users are between 18 – 29, Instagram is also known as the “happy hour network.” Visual marketing is the key and you have to be mobile to play—you cannot post from a desktop browser. It is about creating brand affinity through visual storytelling. Your visual identity takes center stage in the conversation, grounded by either a branded hashtag or connecting your product or service to a trending hashtag.

Give Them Something to Talk About

Now that you know how the most popular social networks are used, and who is using them, it is time to engage. While at the end of the day the ultimate goal is about advancing your brand, social media is where you live it by showcasing your organization’s personality.

  • How To. While the purpose of your product or service may seem obvious, the key here is not simply to tell people about it, but show them how it enhances their life. Take jewelry as an example. It is not simply about selling a necklace, but completing an outfit, making a statement or being on trend. The same is true with food. Nutella has created online communities by moving the chocolate hazelnut spread beyond a simple slice of bread. By demonstrating how your product fits into the bigger picture, makes it more personal and relevant to individual users. It sparks ideas, elicits emotion and creates conversation.
  • Customer Service. If your organization prides itself on its customer service, then social media is where the rubber meets the road. More and more people are going online to share the good and the bad. The key is to respond to all comments. Thank those for sharing the good and demonstrating your mission in action, but also show empathy and give answers to those whose experience with your brand fell short of expectations.
  • User Generated. Let your customers create and share content about your brand for you. The #ShareaCoke campaign quickly comes to mind as an example. It encouraged Coke drinkers to share photos and stories about when, where and with who they enjoyed a Coke. The campaign not only demonstrates, but creates, community by tapping into consumer feelings about the product.
  • Spotlight People. Behind every successful brand are people. Think of the television ads for Honey Bunches of Oats. The goal is to sell cereal, but the ad focuses on the people making and packaging the cereal. Personalize your brand by featuring those who design, build or deliver your product or service. For an airline it might be the ground crew. In healthcare, go beyond the white coat and give patients a sense of who their provider is outside the hospital. For a utility it’s the line crew who responds at a moment’s notice when there is an outage. People relate to people. Give life to your brand by showcasing the people behind it.
  • Offer an Experience. Further building on people connecting with people, don’t tell someone what it feels like to complete a marathon, a triathlon or an obstacle course. Show them. Put them in the moment. Connect with their emotions about the thrill of finishing or being defeated, but trying again. Travel to new places, reunite with family or make possible the impossible. Through a shared, virtual experience, you can inspire people to rise up, sign up or show up.

Ready to Share?

Being social on social media is all about the human experience and connecting with people emotionally. It’s about walking the talk and giving your brand life beyond the product or service you offer. Need help? A professional marketing agency can help elevate your social media game. Let’s connect. Email [email protected] or call 877-873-7445.

Videos Captivate Our Attention

Question: As you scroll through your Facebook newsfeed, how long does it take before you see video content that seems worth watching? A good bet is less than 10 seconds and not more than three posts in, you’ve already stopped scrolling, and what you see next will determine whether you engage with the video further by clicking on it to hear the sound.

It kind of reminds me of the Daily Prophet from the Harry Potter movies. It was a newspaper with moving pictures (Maybe that’s what the newspaper industry needs to do to revitalize and revolutionize the industry! But I digress.) The characters reacted to the pictures first and the words second. The same is true in our rapidly changing online world.

Creating Video Content is Key For Your Business

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, quality video content is worth . . . A lot!

According to HubSpot video accounts for 50% of all online content, and is expected to capture 79% of all online traffic by 2018 based on stats compiled by WebDAM. Other fun facts to consider:

Kind of funny when you think about it. After all, it was pictures drawn on rocks and cave walls that told the story of those that walked the earth before us. But again, I digress. Or do I?

Maximize Your Visual Assets

A digital marketing team at work

Compelling visuals draw you in, make you feel something, connect you literally, emotionally and/or spiritually to a moment in time and compel you to react—liking or disliking, sharing online or in person, and commenting to join the conversation. Whether or not you know who the people are in the photos above, I don’t need words to tell you what is going on. You get the picture.

With quality video content you can take that to the next level, and as marketing and public relations people we are always looking for new and different ways to connect our products and ideas with target audiences. Sometimes it can be visually literal, by showcasing the product/service/outcome, or sometimes it is a more covert approach. Consider the following ad video. It had the most shares, 6,432,941 share to be exact, across Twitter, Facebook and blogs in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnVuqfXohxc

As you know it is Android’s Friends Furever ad. Let’s talk about why it is so engaging.

  • It’s short, with 1:01 run time
  • It features animals.
  • It features animals from different species being unlikely friends.
  • It has music that helps connect emotionally with the visuals.
  • There are only five words in the whole video.
  • The words underscore the message of the visuals and the music.
  • The video content is captivating and holds your attention. You don’t know until the very end who the ad is for (at least you didn’t the first time you watched it).
  • It tells a story. And therein lies the secret of its success.

What’s Your Story?

Not once do you see a tablet or phone on an Android platform featured in this ad, but you certainly understand the message that everyone can be together online without having to use the same device. It’s what sets the Android operating system apart from Apple.

Large or small, businesses need to set themselves apart in a crowded marketplace, especially in our fast-moving, mobile, online world. But the clock is ticking, so if video content isn’t part of your promotional strategy today, here are some options to consider:

  • Demonstrate. Use engaging video content to show how your product or service can make a difference in the lives of your consumer. How-to videos can also simplify the assembly process if it is a product that isn’t usable straight out of the box. Or you can position yourself as an expert in your field by offering tips or tricks and keep your name out in front. Seeing is believing.
  • Humanize. If you’re an organization trying to gain support and make a difference in the world, show what you are doing. Maybe it’s bringing clean drinking water to people in third world countries. Showing people the challenges you are trying to help overcome, and the benefits of your efforts, will take viewers to a place they aren’t like to visit themselves, and help them relate through a shared experience.
  • Testify. One of the most powerful ways to share your message is to let your customers do it for you. Take doctors for example. Your knee hurts. Who do you go see? People don’t usually look for specialists until they need one, and we know word-of-mouth from family and friends drives many patient referrals. If you feature a patient whose knee surgery from a particular doctor in your hospital got them back in the game, so to speak, and provide compelling visuals to highlight the success of the surgery and how happy the patient is post-operation, that’s the story you would want to tell.
  • Introduce. Video biographies are a great way to introduce your organization and its people to prospective consumers, while giving your existing ones a way to refer or promote you online. From doctors to realtors, and even college professors, you can give people a better sense of who you are before meeting them in person, leading to a stronger connection.
  • Diversify. Remember, it is about mixing up your marketing. Video content is another way to tell the same story in a different way. Think about how you can take the focus of a press release, print ad or even radio spot and turn it into a visual piece that connects online.

Lights, Camera, Action

So now you know you need to start rolling with video, but need help with a strategy and/or production? Millennium is here to help you reach audiences online and across platforms. Let’s connect at [email protected] or call 1-877-873-7445.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customer’s buying decision, giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the branding and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business.  Visit www.mill.agency or book time here.