Content. It’s the most vital component of successful social media. And it’s often the piece that brands really struggle with.
Why the difficulty? After all, great content is really only two things: a solid strategy and provocative writing. Easy, right? Evidently not.
Proper social media strategy involves understanding the medium and how it can fit into the overall brand strategy. If you see social media merely as a channel to push out information, you’ll turn off your followers in a big hurry. Social media is a chance to intimately connect with your audience. They’ve allowed you to be part of their conversation. Start by simply listening. When you’re ready to join with an observation, solution or offer, make sure your posts and links are done with the proper voice and tone.
And that leads to the writing portion of the equation. You’re in a dialogue, so make it interesting, if not entertaining. At the very least, make sure the messaging is on-brand and complements the other pieces of the campaign.
Most brands tend to undervalue social media. It’s both revealing and frustrating to hear clients dismiss it with excuses like, “I don’t use Facebook. That’s for my kids.” Well guess what? It’s also being used by your customers and competitors.
So, who does social media well? Several brands, actually. One of the best is Skittles. Admittedly, it’s a quirky brand without a lot of product depth but in some respects, that makes it more difficult. They succeed with humorously crafted posts that employ the proper brand “voice.” And their engagement numbers (the number of “likes” a Facebook post receives) are ridiculous. Consider that the post “You know summer is on the way when stores start selling out of rainbow toenail polish” received nearly 2,000 likes and you begin to see that the brand has figured out how to entertain on-brand. (Notice the use of “rainbow” to tie into the brand’s theme line, “Taste the Rainbow.”)
One last word – don’t assume that because your niece is on Facebook all day that she’s qualified to handle your brand’s social media. Seek the help of marketing professionals who can, at the very least, put your brand on the proper social media path. Your audience will know, and appreciate, the difference.
