1. Google
2. Target
3. Disney
4. Oreo
5. Amazon
6. Pepsi
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Model Citizens
In my opinion, you can learn a whole lot more about social media marketing by actually seeing some examples of brands knocking it out of the park. So, this post is going to based solely on the content of other people. Makes my job easy. But, seriously, check out these brands and really think about what they are doing and how they are doing it. Do you agree that they are doing it right?
1. Google
2. Target
3. Disney
4. Oreo
5. Amazon
6. Pepsi
1. Google
2. Target
3. Disney
4. Oreo
5. Amazon
6. Pepsi
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Eyes on the Prize
We tweet words. We make Facebook statuses with words. We email with words. While all of that is fine and dandy, sometimes you need to mix it up a bit with some visuals. Today's world is rich with graphics and videos and content that is not text heavy. What our eyes find as pleasing it what we choose to consume. We don't have the time to read an entire 5 page article, so instead we may watch a quick video clip or glance over an infographic. Sounds easy enough, right? Slap a picture into our social media routine every once a while and we're good. Well, its a little more complicated than that. For the content to be successful and transfer to dollars, it has to be done well. Here are 3 general guidelines to follow when considering visual content.
1. Balance
There must be a balance between the background and the text. Whether this comes in the form of symmetry or asymmetry (both are beautiful if done correctly), there must be a balance among the elements. Having a scattered focus may lead the consumer's eye away from where you really want it to be and your objective will not be achieved. Make sure there is an all encompassing balancing throughout.
2. Framing
Framing is very important. It is the process of creating a special white space around the content that no words or elements can be placed. It's a matter of the brain really. You see, our brains immediately look for structure when we see something. If right off the bat we can see structure, we can interpret the message faster and with less stress. This creates a positive end result for all parties.
3. Contrast
This may be a no brainer, but it is still vital. There must be enough contrast between the various elements of the content so that the viewer can identify them without too much effort or strain. With visual content on social media, the purpose is to communicate some sort of message. If that message cannot be identified, you are just wasting your time and money. So, for this element to be demonstrated, there must be a noticeable difference between the background the subject matter.
1. Balance
There must be a balance between the background and the text. Whether this comes in the form of symmetry or asymmetry (both are beautiful if done correctly), there must be a balance among the elements. Having a scattered focus may lead the consumer's eye away from where you really want it to be and your objective will not be achieved. Make sure there is an all encompassing balancing throughout.
2. Framing
Framing is very important. It is the process of creating a special white space around the content that no words or elements can be placed. It's a matter of the brain really. You see, our brains immediately look for structure when we see something. If right off the bat we can see structure, we can interpret the message faster and with less stress. This creates a positive end result for all parties.
3. Contrast
This may be a no brainer, but it is still vital. There must be enough contrast between the various elements of the content so that the viewer can identify them without too much effort or strain. With visual content on social media, the purpose is to communicate some sort of message. If that message cannot be identified, you are just wasting your time and money. So, for this element to be demonstrated, there must be a noticeable difference between the background the subject matter.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
"Dressing" for Success
Most of the tips I have been giving in helping get you to a solid social media presence for your brand have involved being thought out and doing some planning. Well, for this post, throw that out the window.
Social media is constantly changing. Some platforms, such as Twitter, have posts with lifespans of less than an hour. To stay up to date with trends and topics, you have to be adaptable and able to think on your feet. One of the best things you can do as a brand is stay current. This means posting about something that just broke in the news/is trending in the media/etc. You know where I'm going with this don't you? If you don't, let me give you a little hint: it has a little something to do with a dress that changed the world.
The Buzzfeed Dress. Yes, it has a name now. And it is breaking up families, causing world wars, and making people question reality. Regardless of what colors you see (and the colors are without a doubt gold and white, you idiots), there is one thing that is undeniable and indisputable: Brands that incorporated the dress into their social media posts absolutely struck gold (just like the color of the dress.)
In my opinion, Lego got it right, among many others. But I really appreciate that Lego had the ability to incorporate both dress color combinations as well as including a sort of call to action - "You can have both." Lego tweeted this in the midst of the social buzz surrounding the dress. By inserting themselves into the conversation, they were able to stay current and even provide some entertainment involving a situation that literally the entire world was talking about. Props to them.
Lego, along with the countless other brands that tweeted about the dress, didn't plan this. No one has a magical crystal ball that can tell them about all the things that will be trending and news worthy in the future. Planning tweets and social media posts in advance can sometimes fall short. This is why having a dedicated, creative social media team is VITAL. What would have happened if Lego's social media team would have missed the moment? Nothing detrimental would have happened, but they would have blown a perfect opportunity to increase their social engagement the way they did. Having a creative team allowed Lego to compose an in-the-moment tweet that was entertaining as well as relevant - 2 very important factors in social media.
To sum it up, you can plan your social media posts until you are blue in the face (which just so happens to NOT be the color of the dress, FYI), but that will only get you so far. Being flexible and being able to adapt to the trending topics will put you way above your competition.
Social media is constantly changing. Some platforms, such as Twitter, have posts with lifespans of less than an hour. To stay up to date with trends and topics, you have to be adaptable and able to think on your feet. One of the best things you can do as a brand is stay current. This means posting about something that just broke in the news/is trending in the media/etc. You know where I'm going with this don't you? If you don't, let me give you a little hint: it has a little something to do with a dress that changed the world.
The Buzzfeed Dress. Yes, it has a name now. And it is breaking up families, causing world wars, and making people question reality. Regardless of what colors you see (and the colors are without a doubt gold and white, you idiots), there is one thing that is undeniable and indisputable: Brands that incorporated the dress into their social media posts absolutely struck gold (just like the color of the dress.)
In my opinion, Lego got it right, among many others. But I really appreciate that Lego had the ability to incorporate both dress color combinations as well as including a sort of call to action - "You can have both." Lego tweeted this in the midst of the social buzz surrounding the dress. By inserting themselves into the conversation, they were able to stay current and even provide some entertainment involving a situation that literally the entire world was talking about. Props to them.
Lego, along with the countless other brands that tweeted about the dress, didn't plan this. No one has a magical crystal ball that can tell them about all the things that will be trending and news worthy in the future. Planning tweets and social media posts in advance can sometimes fall short. This is why having a dedicated, creative social media team is VITAL. What would have happened if Lego's social media team would have missed the moment? Nothing detrimental would have happened, but they would have blown a perfect opportunity to increase their social engagement the way they did. Having a creative team allowed Lego to compose an in-the-moment tweet that was entertaining as well as relevant - 2 very important factors in social media.
To sum it up, you can plan your social media posts until you are blue in the face (which just so happens to NOT be the color of the dress, FYI), but that will only get you so far. Being flexible and being able to adapt to the trending topics will put you way above your competition.
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