As an emerging promotional product company, I have had to define our voice in the social media and promotional product landscape. Over the past 6 years, we have built an amazing audience of InTandem Fans that have given us grace, guidance and feedback as we move forward in the social landscape. We have developed a few hard-fast rules as we have created and developed our social content and strategy.
Stop the death spiral. Perfection is a myth. Just engage. Stop obsessing. In our office, we have what we call the death spiral. I don’t know if this is something that you go through but for us, this happens when you get caught up on one idea and you can’t seem to stop until it’s perfect. And in the end, the client just wanted that one color, one location pen. Instead, you have developed this presentation that includes tons of genius ideas, suggestions, and other items (including the pen) and you continue to work on the presentation until it’s perfect … where again, the client only wanted a one color/one location pen. So, you have the death spiral. And it’s called the death spiral because essentially your client just wanted a quick response and answer and have now decided to find it from someone else. The same is true with social media. Stop obsessing. Stop messing with the picture, the filters, the caption. I don’t mean don’t spend time on the content that you putting out there. I mean by the time that it is perfect, it’s no longer relevant or you have lost your window. Post the post. Engage!
If you build it, they will come. I receive a number of concerns and questions about building social media. Mostly they are around how much time do you spend and is it worth it. For us, it is part of our marketing budget, priorities and piece of our entire marketing footprint. Yes, it is worth it. Just build it and post it and they will come. There are plenty of times where I am putting out content and I think that it is the most amazing piece of social on the planet and only my mom likes it. And then there are times where I add a social content and I am thinking I don’t know if anyone will get what I am saying. And then sure enough – we get the engagement that we had hoped for. It’s crazy cool! People just want transparency and authenticity. Build it, be authentic, post it, and they will come.
Keep your feed authentic. For every product we post at InTandem Promotions, we also include 1-2 “personal” posts. And we always consider – “If we wouldn’t enjoy it on our feed, will someone else?” Many times, competitors or suppliers will just post pictures from their catalog or their website. That does not make me want to engage with the content or the organization. I am not clicking through the product to learn more (I’ve already learned all that I need to know). Now, I know, I know – I did say just post and it doesn’t have to be perfect, absolutely. But people want to see who your organization really is and the products that you support. If they wanted to view your catalog, they would have gone to your website. Include pictures of products that you actually take home and use. Include your team in the pictures. When you are out and about, take pictures of the promo that you are using in your everyday life. This will help potential prospects and viewers see how they would use the product in their lives. Don’t just post the same type of image, post, quotes, etc (unless that is all that you are about). Don’t copy and paste someone else’s hashtags and use the same ones over and over again and expect to engage your audience. It’s social media – you cannot hide. Stay open and exposed and vulnerable. You are opening yourself up to comments both good and bad. And you have to manage those and the content surrounding them. Prepare yourself for that feedback and manage it accordingly.
Oversharing loses your audience. I don’t know about you but when I start seeing the same people post, post, post several times a day/week – I get annoyed. And then I unfollow. After awhile, the drip, drip, drip to me turns into a waterfall. Again, I know I said just post. You can create content but don’t make people crazy! We focus on 3-4 posts per week and no more than 6 depending on the content (or the events) from the week.
It’s called SOCIAL media! The whole point of social media is to be social. Definitely share, post, engage, like, tag, follow. People love to be loved. How many times have you looked down at your post to see how many likes you received? Or if you have any new followers from a post? The same is true for everyone else that posts. By engaging in your audience, adding comments, and just being human, you are opening yourself up to more engagement and friends.
Mind your likes and follows. This is a housekeeping rule and definitely more of a recommendation than anything – Mind your likes (professionally and personally) unless you simply don’t care. There is nothing personal about social media. There are so many interesting things that you can follow on both Facebook and Instagram. However, everyone can see what you like and follow – including inappropriate content and sites. Maybe it doesn’t bother you or you are convicted in your convictions – and that’s fine too. I’m just saying that what you like and what you follow is what you will attract – and what will repel.
Be consistent – with your voice, your frequency, your style and your messaging. Stay your course and be your own brand – This is the hardest lesson especially when it comes to social. You see, share, and watch multiple brands, ideas, and you can become so wrapped up in the next guy that you can verve off course – don’t. Just be you. Be your own brand. Everything is connected – When we post, we look to keep as much connected throughout all of our social channels that makes sense. This helps with keeping our messaging and branding consistent as well.
See ya online!
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InTandem Promotions is a branding and promotional powerhouse. We work with our clients to focus on branding with purpose and create a targeted approach to your branding needs. We understand that connecting with a target audience is the secret behind every successful promotion. But you want more than a fleeting impression. You want a deep connection with lasting impact. At InTandem, we dive deeper to connect deeper. We take the time to understand your company’s needs and goals. Then we immerse ourselves into understanding your target audience and begin the search for that customized solution that engages on a whole new level. A human level. Let’s connect.
Engage with us online:
Website: http://www.InTandemPromotions.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intandem-promotions-inc-/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/teamintandem/
Instagram: @TeamInTandem
