As social creatures, social media is inherently interesting because it is an outlet to express our individual thoughts, feelings and stances on everything from breakfast to cute animal videos to politics. Plus, we love hearing what our friends like, think of what we’ve posted or have to say on current events. News stories, political happenings, sporting events, and any other current events typically create massive spikes on social media because everyone is logging on and chiming in. Luckily, when done correctly, we can leverage the power of social media and the news cycle to gain exposure and further solidify our brand.
EMBRACE THE HASHTAG
The world of social media is fast paced. It can be distracting, overwhelming and confusing. With Facebook’s nearly 1.5 billion active monthly users, Twitter with over 304 million monthly users, Instagram’s exponential growth and new networks rolling out every day, you have to pick your platform and embrace the hashtag.
The hashtag, as represented by the pound sign “#”, is simply a way of tagging your post and becoming part of the conversation. For example, if you were on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any number of other social platforms and you wanted to jump in the conversation about the Gators you could simply add the hashtag #Gators to your post. By adding that tag your post will be seen when others look to see who is talking about the Gators. You should get creative and add other relevant hashtags that will help you get discovered just make sure they make sense and are applicable.
THINK ABOUT HOT TOPICS AND SCHEDULED EVENTS
We all know when the Super Bowl, Olympics, Gator sports, elections and holidays are scheduled to happen. Since we know this we can get creative ahead of time. Are you an avid bobsled fan? Do you love the political buzz during election season? Or do you decorate your office like Santa’s workshop each December? These are all great things to share on social media.
It’s best to balance pre-scheduled posts with on-the-fly posts because you never know what unexpected events may occur during these larger happenings or independent from them. For example, no one knew the lights were going to go out at the Super Bowl XLVII, but because Oreo’s team was ready they rolled out the brilliant “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet that, in my opinion, won the Super Bowl. Plan with your pre-scheduled posts but be part of the conversation in real time if you can.
BE REAL
It’s easy to worry about offending someone and choose to remain neutral. There is certainly a line that you must walk in order to maintain the integrity of your brand while expressing your personality through chiming in on timely topics. My advice is to think about where your comfort level is ahead of time.
Some brands tend to be a bit more outspoken. They use polarization as a means to create raving fans (and raving opposers). They’re comfortable with that positioning. If you aren’t so comfortable being so outspoken, consider where you draw the line. But, let me challenge you to express your opinion and show some personality where you can because, as the old adage goes, when you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. Besides, being team #LeftTwix or weighing in on #TheDress is much less polarizing and really just indicative of your personality and willingness to have a little fun.
TAKE ACTION
Take a look at the calendar and think about events you are interested in discussing. Consider your comfort level within the scope of your brand and your opinions. Schedule out some pre-loaded posts on social media that correspond with scheduled events. Make sure they show your personality and include relevant hashtags. Then, keep an eye on current events that matter to you. If something is interesting jump in the conversation with your two cents and a hashtag.
Stephanie Gordon is the founder and CEO of Psych’d Marketing, a boutique marketing firm based in Gainesville, Florida. She holds degrees in both psychology and business from the University of Florida. Psych’d offers full service, concierge marketing solutions for small to medium sized businesses. Stephanie prides herself on connecting phenomenal businesses with the people who need them. www.PsychdMarketing.com