Anyone else feeling a tiny bit burnt out on social media as we stare down the end of 2015? There's so much to cycle through. Facebook. Snapchat. Imgur. Reddit. Insta. Twitter. It's a little overwhelming, even for a professional junkie like me. Noise. Distraction. I'm ready to move forward and explore what's next. Over the next year, I suspect we may see a shift in social advertising that is quieter- giving consumers relief from the deluge.
Over the years I've built social campaigns and managed multiple brands personally, professionally, and as volunteer work. I've watched the rise and fall of Facebook for brands- the early swell of open engagement and the subsequent tightening of the noose. Nothing comes for free, friends.
These days most marketers, myself included, can set your brand up for social. Anyone with a brain, Google, and a halfway decent writing style can enlighten you on the differences and values of varying platforms, curate some content, and suddenly, you have a social presence! Welcome to 2015. Showing up is no longer enough.
How are brands are winning the game, garnering those elusive likes, shares, clicks, and views these days? It's not through traditional Facebook posts- this past month showed a discouraging and drastic drop in engagement across the space.
Some brands are looking ahead. They are finding trends and showing up where their audience is playing, drawing patterns. conclusions, and stepping outside the box to reach for something new. They are tapping into creative outlets and producing beautiful, quality, interesting work. They are thinking and acting strategically.
A major part of my skill set lies in creative brand and social strategy. To me, strategy means sifting through culture, history, and archetype to find the meaning and story behind a brand, developing a consistent voice and personality that rings true to that brand's essence, looking ahead to forge an intentional path. It's making smart choices and finding patterns to achieve something meaningful in your marketing. It is rising above the noise, capturing attention and winning affection from potential customers.
Growth for growth's sake is the path of a cancer cell. Our audiences are growing weary of the noise and starting to tune out. How do we engage in a more authentic way?
Three brands have hit advertising home runs over the last month. The first: Pepsi's collaboration with the hit show Empire. Jamal Lyons crafting the perfect Pepsi jingle makes sense. It fits seamlessly into the story without taking too much attention away or seeming forced- and the segue from show to ad in the season finale (sorry for the spoiler!) was unbelievably perfect. People don't mind product placement when it's unobtrusive and works in context.
Two: Target's Adele ads on Hulu- watched during Empire! They weren't ads at all- just 30 second clips of her new record with a branded art card at the end. No words. No promotions. The subtlety of the ad made me notice and appreciate the silence- each ad spot was a different clip from the album. It wasn't grating or repetitive (I'm looking at you, every other Hulu commercial in existence). I can't wait to get 25 on vinyl, and yes, I will shop at Target first.
Last but not least - Old Spice's foray into Imgur. For those not in theknow, this platform is the beginning of the viral Internet. Every hilarious meme you see on Facebook is uploaded to Imgur days earlier. There are countless Facebook pages, websites, and Instagram feeds that exist solely to scrape original content from this anonymous black hole of creativity and regurgitate it (with or without attribution, TheFatJew) for profit. It is the playground for nerdy young men- the target demo for Old Spice. Over the last three months, this brand's inserted themselves into the conversation by creating Photoshop GIF battles with their hilarious spokes dudes. Some members balked at Old Spice's presence, but many moreappreciated being reached on their level, in their language. They definitely made some new fans of the brand.
So how does this outsized work scale down to the thousands of brands and companies out there with fractions of the budget and manpower of these behemoths? Take the rest of December to put some strategy behind your output. Now is the time to review what's working, what's not, and look around to see how your content can be a breath of fresh air to consumers drowning in mediocre noise. Can your company be a champion for an artist that embodies your values and deserves the spotlight- and helps you create content worth sharing? Maybe it's cutting down on quantity so each post is truly quality- and putting money being it to ensure its visibility.
Maybe it's dropping a platform that isn't working (outside of basic SEO purposes) to focus where your message resonates best. Maybe it's looking outside the Big Three platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or even towards something more traditional, as a way to make waves in your space. How about email? Take a breath, look around, notice the empty spaces where you can fit in a way that isn't forced. Stop shouting, and we will listen.
Trends swing on a pendulum, and my sense is that 2016 may point consumers back towards the analog, or at the very least, get a little quieter. Whatever you do, be strategic and intentional about it. Take the time to develop a plan. Don't worry about missing out- the river of social noise will be waiting for you whenever you're ready to jump back into it. Let's greet the new year with a refreshed outlook and new ways to tell our stories.
And if you find your team struggling with finding your voice, discovering your story, or developing a plan? Holler at me. This is what I do.