How Brands Can Go Beyond Photos and Video to Kill It on Social

Q> Why is it important for brands to be more than ‘brands’ on social?

KP> While an image or video on social can showcase a brand’s product, it doesn’t truly touch on the “what’s in it for me?” factor that consumers so often look for. Fans are more likely to engage with your brand if you can offer them value. Adding a social voice to your post gives you the ability to reach your audience and provides a better chance to connect with them on an individual basis. The humanisation of brands is essential on social because it helps to stand out in an ever-changing landscape.

Q> What steps can brands take that will help develop a ‘social voice?”

KP> Tactics such as integrating passion points, incorporating humour, and providing relevant real-time responses can assist with community growth

Q> What brand do you think leads in a strong social voice?

KP> Wendy’s has garnered a lot of attention over the past several months with their snarky tweets and scathing rebuttal. While some may be annoyed or bothered by this persona, the majority of their followers can’t help but retweet and even try to get roasted by the brand themselves. Their ability to stay relevant by discussing current trends and still drive awareness to their products is excellent… even if the trending meme may be terrible. Even in that case, they still maintain their witty personality by responding to negative comments, and generally turning the situation around or getting a laugh or two from other users.

Q> Are there any that use industry-specific content that are excelling?

KP> Casper is no stranger to an excellent social media presence. Their authentic personality and quick response times are what allow them to reach their target audience. The brand posts unexpected and interesting social content through the day and night, because they think it’s a necessity to be on 24/7, as everyone has a different sleep pattern. You’d never think that sleeping could be considered a passion point, but as a mattress company, it’s perfect.

Q> How do you think they’ve been able to build their presence with this strategy?

KP> One interesting thing about this brand’s presence though is that they rarely use images or videos with their snackable content. Most of the media included are either retweets that contain articles on sleep or GIFs in response to comments. Casper even won the 2017 Shorty Award for Twitter Presence, which goes to show that their unique, conversational tone truly has something going for them. (Also, shout out to our sister agency, Carusele, for winning the 2017 Small Agency of the Year at the Shorty Awards!)

Q> Netflix is also pretty notorious for their social content

While Netflix does use a lot of GIFs and content from their own shows included in their content, they also have the knowledge around those shows to interest even the most hardcore fans. The ability to establish and maintain that relevant brand presence means being aware of what is trending, and not revealing any spoilers to those who may be newer viewers as well. Retweeting content from relevant show handles, keeping up with fan theories, recognising fan-favourite characters, and sharing up-to-date information about what will be added/removed from Netflix is crucial in understanding their audience, and yet they do it flawlessly. Did I miss anything? Probably, but Netflix wouldn’t.

Q> How can brands emulate these brands’ strategies?

KP> To create a voice that fits your audience, such as the brands above, think about basing it around your audience’s interests. A brand’s voice is everything from emoji’s and punctuation to the personality and tactics. The right levels for your brand can assist in engaging audiences and growing your community.