Staying Hip in a Multigenerational Social World
In today’s day and age, it seems like everyone and their dog owns an online device. If you would have told me ten years ago that my grandparents would become bigger Facebook fans than I was, I would have called you crazy. The evolution of social media continues to grow – connecting humans of all ages along the way.
This is the first time in history that 4 generations will be able
to share the invention of Social Media together.
Due to the maximized engagement of Social Media, brands must accompany a variety of demographics. Every product or service is unique, however and it is important to produce influential online engagement. I have created a list of 5 necessary tips to follow when creating your businesses online content:
1. Consistency
No matter what anyone says, a little bit of routine in your life is important. Your brain depends on predictable events, which is why consistency is so essential. Social Media should maintain a dependable pattern of content for viewers so that online engagement remains influential. A consumer expects content on a regular basis. Without it, negativity towards a brands online exposure will occur.
National Geographic has an Instagram account under the name, @natgeo. National Geographic posts 2-5 photos per day showcasing adventures across the globe. As a follower of their Instagram account, I expect to see their content on a regular basis. If the content stops, or slows down, I will be unsatisfied with their lack of creative imagery. If their posts occur to often, I will be overwhelmed with their over exposure.
It is important to pick a number and stick to it. Depending on the size & type of your business, these numbers will change. If you choose to post once a day, be sure to follow this trend – even when life gets in the way.
2. Engaging Content
Evidently, Social Media is much like the social world. You retain relationships with those whom you impress. It is your eye-catching exterior, your interesting personality, and your morals that will generate the fan base your business is looking for. This is why it is crucial that the content you post on social media is engaging to the viewer.
Red Bull is active on many different Social Media Channels. I am not the biggest fan of liquid energy, however, I am a committed fan of their Social Media content. Red Bull maintains an appealing variety of creative photographs and video clips, which engages the viewer to experience their product. I am continuously tagging friends in exciting Red Bull posts and commenting on their impressive social feed.
It is vital to expose exciting social content to your fan base. This will not only increase your brands image, but it will generate a larger social following. The more opportunities for engagement you provide, the greater the feedback you will gain in return.
3. Variety
Social Media is affected by boredom, which is why it is important to keep your followers excited about your brand. It is not beneficial to post similar content over and over again. This will trigger the emotion of dullness, resulting in a negative opinion about your businesses online social image. It is necessary to post a variety of images relating to your brands products, services, attitude, community, and interactions.
Let us analyze Pepsi for example. Nobody wants to see the common Pepsi logo time and time again. It is important for Pepsi to deliver a unique approach to visually promoting their product. Pepsi does an amazing job of incorporating their logo into a wide variety of creative content. Pepsi content incorporates their cola product into a pictorial story, which attracts the viewer. For the upcoming 2016 summer alone, Pepsi has created 100 5-second emoji themed commercial spots to run globally paired with the hashtag, #sayitwithpepsi
Variety keeps the audience entertained. This entertainment is what drives consumer sales and shapes the overall brand image.
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4. Quality
Quality is appreciated in the internet world. A high-resolution photograph is going to experience a greater online life cycle than a low-resolution photograph because of its ability to maintain a valued appearance. Users subconsciously recognize quality imagery, which is why it is so essential to merit content. When posting an image online, it is important to ensure the dimensions of the image are greater than 650×650. This is my rule of thumb.
Destination British Columbia is an excellent example of an organization posting quality images. Their instagram account is known as @hellobc, and has over 246K followers. This Instagram feed is made up of astonishing high-resolution photographs capturing British Columbia’s finest features. Destination British Columbia ensures that their online content is delivered with excellent quality. You will not find a blurry, or low quality photograph posted anywhere. Followers expect to see exciting content, with clear motives.
Quality imagery promotes quality products or services. Who you represent yourself as will follow you as a brand. The more professional your social media feed is – the more professional you will appear.
5. Interest
As humans, we like to engage in things that interest us. If someone is interested in food, they are most likely passionate about ingredients, beverages, restaurants, recipes, health, travel, and the list goes on. One single interest branches off into several different topics. It is important when creating online content to develop a variety of posts relating to the initial interest connected to your brand. Incorporating an assortment of information into your social media channels will keep your fans excited about your social profiles.
Lululemon athletica makes technical clothing for yoga, running, and most other sweaty pursuits. However, their Facebook page includes a variety of different topics relating back to their main theme of athletics. Their page includes topics such as photography, athletes, exercise routines, personal stories and so much more. This sense of variety keeps followers excited about the content they will see next.
Maintaining variety throughout your social media channels is important for your businesses. It will keep your customers engaged and wanting more. Think outside the box – what excites you, will excite them.