Social marketing can be a tiresome business. One can sometimes feel it’s a largely futile exercise, akin to standing in a frenzied crowd where everyone is jumping up and down simultaneously, yelling, “Look at me! Choose me! Like me!”
And how does a ‘like’ convert to a sale anyway?
The worst thing about social marketing is that it’s not as if you get to take a break. You have to be consistent. You have to be fresh. You have to be relevant. You have to keep going and going and going, especially in today’s social-media-centric universe.
In this Insta-world of ours, snoozing really is losing. Miss a beat and you miss a break. Fall a few posts behind and you’re yesterday’s news. Little wonder there are so many bright, young things dedicated purely to this pursuit. The managing of burgeoning business concerns’ myriad social media accounts has been deemed both a science and an art.
The scene is also constantly evolving. And this creates a set of quandaries and elicits a few tough conversations our company keeps having.
We kept asking ourselves:
- Do we (or one of our clients) need to be on this or that platform?
- Do we/they need to generate more blogs, tweets, chats, emailer communication with clients?
- How much information and sharing is too much? #TMI (tweet that!)
At Lemonade Hub, we’ve made some decisions. And based on these, recommend the two age-old adages: “Less is more” and “keep it simple.”
If you’re going to be consistent, rather focus on fewer channels and master them. Grow and cultivate a following based on the platforms that bring you real business.
Make sure that you generate interesting content and brand stories that help customers identify with your brand. We’ve all got stories to tell, it’s just a question of telling them well.
Choose a style and tone, look and feel that your followers come to recognise as yours. Choose a font. Choose a focus. Choose sincerity. Choose transparency.
Whether you’re looking for B2B business connections via Linked In, or millennials with a disposable income via Instagram, make sure your language is concise, clear and correct. Don’t be glib. Be real.
Choose imagery that evokes an emotional response. Make people sit up and take notice.
Outsource to the experts. If there’s a budget for it, do it. It’s worth it. Let those who specialise in language and communication do what they do best on your behalf. In the end, it will pay in dividends. The experts know how to jump higher and shout louder. They’ll get your brand voice heard.
