You might have heard the
importance of social media a gazillion of times and you're probably wondering
how has it not gone obsolete yet?
But the truth is, social
media is more powerful and needed than ever.
As an individual, we
spend hours everyday running our fingers through the screen, sharing, laughing,
taking in the information, and so much more.
From just an
entertainment house to a platform with powerful voices, brands, and
advertisement, the online world has just shown us the tip of the iceberg. This
is one of the reasons why we have brands rushing to every channel, putting
their name out, posting, and hoping those followers count rises like Kardashian's
bank balance.
But alas, the modern social landscape is not a piece of cake, and you have to tread, plan, and wait for years to have a robust following like those of Starbucks, Wendy's, or even your local food joint.
As a brand, you have to develop an intriguing personality and interesting feed coupled with a strong strategy to even see some numbers. Otherwise, being just another face in the crowd is not what any of us plans to be.
Infact, brand awareness represents social marketers’ top priority right now.
According to Smart Insight, 70% of marketers say that their main goal for using social media is to increase brand awareness, showing that social is about more than sales.
Let's have a look at some of the ways your brand can make a name and earn the fame it has always dreamt of, in the vast world of social media.
Personality, Feed, and Engagement
That's a vast way to
start a point but they all blend when you're trying to create a spot for
yourself.
Let's start with
personality and how do you know if you're overdoing it?
Have you ever met someone that just stayed in your mind for a while even though all you did was say "hello"? Relatable?
That's what we want with
the brand page. Most of the potential consumers and social media users scroll
past the post without even giving it a second look or a chance to prove itself.
Instant attention is
what we are aiming at. For example, if you're planning a Valentine’s Day post
with the very common notion of using hearts and symbols of love, it won't work
out.
But have a look at what
penguin publishers did to wish their readers a Happy Valentine's Day!
The general idea is to
stand out, to be unique and have a flaring personality. You're thinking, this
isn't something new. And, Of course, it's not.
The idea of being unique
has been implemented since centuries but this time the competition and the
audience is much bigger and particular than ever.
When was the last time you followed a brand on social media because they post pictures of their products or services only?
The grind on social media is real, and most brands fall into the robotic cycle; post, use a few relevant hashtags, add a link, and call it a day.
But what's captivating
and engaging for an audience are posts like this:
This does not mean a brand should not post about their goods and services, but to find a fine balance between them is necessary to build an engaging feed.
Talking about feed, make
sure you decide a theme for your feed and stick to it so that it merges with
the idea of your brand. You shouldn't restrict yourself to a certain guideline,
but experiment to show what you can do with your decided theme, and splash
creativity all across the feed.
Have a look at Tiffany
& Co.'s Instagram drool-worthy turquoise themed timeline:
Another very important aspect of having an identity of social media is the tagline. Having a tagline for business gives an idea about what you are as a brand. A catchy tagline becomes the recognition element of the brand. For example: The very famous phrase “Just do it” cannot be used without thinking about Nike. That’s how powerful your tagline should be!
Talk to others
It's not "social" until you engage and build a reputation with others. Brand chit-chat on Twitter is a real thing and you should dive on the bandwagon as soon as you place your social media strategy.
Start with Tagging (@
mentions) to amplify your content and turn heads at the same time. When you tag
a fellow brand or a customer, they receive this notification in real-time,
which makes it more likely that the engagement would be successful.
According to an article
by Forbes, “The reality is, social media should be the pulse of
your company. It’s the thing that keeps your brand human and lets today’s
consumer know that you’re still alive, especially if you’re vying for the
attention of millennials or Gen Z.” Don’t let the pulse of your company die
down simply because social media is too vast.
You can give a shout out or simply initiate a conversation to get the likes and comments going. Brands engaging with one another is a sight that grips everyone's attention and if you're ready, go in for some face-off with a fellow brand.
Another way to build engagement is to comment. Of course, the comments should go beyond "nice" and "cool". You should move past the generic terms to actually show some interest while putting out a comment. With creative commenting, you attract more people to come and check out your deal.
Hashtags, Hashtags, and Hashtags
There is a reason why
everyone populates their social media with hashtags; it's because they trend!
You may have seen many
#challenge hashtags going viral on Instagram and Twitter. Hashtags for issues,
for news, for the good, and the bad.
Hashtags help to get your posts noticed in the sea of swarming posts and videos. It places your posts in a niche and then makes it searchable for dedicated communities and potential fans.
You can also create a brand hashtag to build your own identity and use it to make a space which is addressed to your brand only.
Make it Fit
Decide and divide the posts across different platforms and repurpose them to suit the essence of each channel.
Here's a quick
cheat-sheet to know what works best and where:
Consistency is the key
10 posts on one day and then nothing for a week is not how you want to plan your social media strategy. Every channel adopts an algorithm to decide the visibility of your posts. Consistent posting ensures that you will end in front of your audience's eyes and from there on, build a good follower list.
Plan your calendar in such a way that you have your posts spread out through the week. It is recommended to have the planned calendar a month in advance so you can focus your energy on impromptu posts and observances.
Have a look at Oreo's
post when the electricity went off during SuperBowl in 2013. It became the
biggest and the single most talked and buzz-worthy post.
It's all about hitting the right chords.
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