Why Social Media is Your Strongest Storyteller

Frances RoyFebruary 19, 2018
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Why social media is your strongest storyteller:

 

 

Social media, at its core, is all about stories. When social media surfaced, it was originally adopted by adolescent classmates in order to catch up with each other’s lives. Now, platforms are a powerful tool for brands to showcase their unique personalities and missions every day. Each brand has its unique story to tell and using social media effectively can help you tell that story to the world. Here are tips on how to utilize social media for your brand:

 

  • Find the platform that is the right fit for your brand. Find the social media platform that aligns with your company’s brand and goals. A major aspect of this is to determine your audience demographic. Be sure to also use lingo/phrases commonly used by your specific demographic. We’ve outlined the demographics from popular platforms below.
    1. Facebook: 35-55 year old women
    2. Instagram: 18-30 women and men
    3. Snapchat: 14-25 women and men
    4. Twitter: CEOs, media - 18-29, men and women, but predominantly male
  • Show what you do in a creative way. Visual aesthetic, especially on Instagram, is crucial. Create unique videos and picture content that showcases your brand’s personality. Another creative way to grasp your audience’s attention is to take them behind the scenes. Show the process behind your product/service and how it relates to your brand’s mission. You can also show how you come up with ideas. For example, share pictures from brainstorming sessions, event planning, etc.
  • Make sure your visuals are consistent. Consistency is vital in social media. People should be able to recognize your brand and its unique personality on each platform. To do this, choose a color palette that compliments your logo/branding. Choose specific colors to optimize the recognition of your brand. If filters must be used, stick to one or two filters in order to keep your feed organized. Another tip is to use templates to help organize and lay out your social media feed. Make  sure your logo/profile pictures are consistent across the board.
  • Develop a voice that reflects your values. Since this is your story, make sure your social media accounts reflect your brand’s values. Incorporate your brand’s personality - what you stand for, what service(s) you provide, and what makes you unique as a brand. Show that through branded hashtags, creative captions and intriguing photos. It is also critical to not engage in too many topics. Too much interaction with various topics will turn your brand’s platform into white noise. It is imperative to not engage in topics irrelevant to your brand. Of course, keep your hashtags and captions consistent and on-brand.
  • Post regularly. Here is the catch-22 of social media: you want to post regularly, but you don’t want to become white noise. Below,  we’ve outlined how often you should post on each platform to optimize your engagement.
    1. Facebook - 2-3 times per week (or else your content will not be weighed as much, under the new algorithm)
    2. Twitter - 3-30 times per day, tweets have a short shelf life so it is important to spread them out throughout the day
    3. Instagram - once per day

  • Connect with influencers. Influencers already possess  expertise and a connection with their audience, so partnering with them will generate  more traction to your brand. Influencers relevant to your brand will garner  even more access to your platform. Your influencer should be active/engaging, authentic, and an “expert” in social media (i.e. have great visuals/ aesthetic and know how to connect with their demographic).
  • Don’t waste your bio. A bio is a great opportunity to showcase your brand and draw in new followers. Your bio should be a fresh, catchy, two-sentence description of your brand and your product/service. Avoid hashtags and inspirational quotes, as these are irrelevant and take up valuable space. Also, avoid mundane, cliche bios, as these are boring and will not set your platform apart. Do not waste the link in your bio. Update it often, with links to videos, blog posts, new deals, etc. You can also include a post about your new updated link and encourage your audience to check it out. Include contact information so you can easily be accessed.
  • Engage with your audience/create campaigns. This is especially relevant for Facebook, since the new algorithm puts more weight on posts with more engagement (check out our blog post on the new Facebook algorithm for more information). Respond to your audience, talk to other companies, and don’t be shy! The best accounts are those that take risks and insert humor as much as possible, as long as it aligns with the brand. For example, Merriam-Webster, Wendy’s, and Netflix all engage with their audiences in a humorous way. Another way to increase engagement is to create campaigns. You can promote events/products on various platforms using similar hashtags and pictures. This will build anticipation and engagement amongst multiple platforms. While you promote campaigns, create exclusivity. Give social media users a first glance or special deals. This will motivate users to follow and engage with your brand.
  • Provide valuable and shareable content. Craft a feed consistent of relevant and creative content that spurs your audience to engage/share it. Be sure to use content you are comfortable with and know how to use appropriately. For example, memes are effective but make sure you know how to use them to convey your message. Make sure your content is fresh and up to date. Nothing is worse than a brand that posts not only outdated but grossly overused memes. Use content that is most likely to gain visibility with your demographic. Observe what posts have gotten good traction in brands like yours and which of your posts have gotten the most interaction.

Social media is the most powerful tool for businesses to tell their story. Audiences can peek into the everyday life of a brand of entity, learn where founders and employees get inspiration from, and learn about new products and services from your brand. There are many tips and tricks for how to be successful in social media, but above all, be authentic to your brand. Each brand has its unique story to tell, so be sure to share that in any way you can!

 

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