2. DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS REQUIRE DIFFERENT
TACTICS AND CONTENT.
“How do we sell something to people they don’t even
know they need?”
“What if we create something that educates, entertains,
informs and gets people talking about us? We could
give it away for free and if it works we could even start
to charge for it!”
Believe it or not, this was no strategy session at Nike or
Red Bull, but a conversation that (might have)
happened 114 years ago in Paris about how to sell
more tyres.The result was the world-famous Michelin
Guide, which now sells 14 editions in 90 countries.
Fast forward to Chicago in 1930 and the radio series
‘Painted Dreams’ debuted on WGN Radio. Billed as a
radio show for female audiences, it was actually
conceived as an initiative to get advertisers to sponsor
shows. Procter & Gamble's Oxydol soap powder took
the first slot and the term ‘soap opera’ was born.
These two events have one thing in common: they
were the first forays by brands into what we now call
content marketing. Bill Gates summed it up perfectly in
1999.“Content is where I expect much of the real
money will be made on the internet… Those who
succeed will propel the internet forward as a market-
place of ideas, experiences, and products – a market-
place of content.”
According to The Custom Content Council this
marketplace now accounts for 39 per cent of all
marketing budgets, is used by 88 per cent of all brands
and has a spend over £43bn – content is indeed king.
3. DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS REQUIRE DIFFERENT
TACTICS AND CONTENT.
But if content marketing has been around for over a
century, why is it only now on everybody’s lips? Jay Baer
puts it best ‘If content is fire, social media is gasoline’.We
have reached a perfect storm where storytelling meets
advertising meets technology.
The distributive nature of social means that not only can
people participate in the conceptualization, the production,
and the development of content but they can also share
both on and offline and ultimately create the holy grail of
brand advocacy.
However as Econsultancy recently found whilst 90% of
marketers believe that content marketing is very impor-
tant only 38% have a strategy in place.Worse, many
brands have the wrong strategy.You only have to look at
the thousands of likes on the ‘Condescending Brand Page’
on Facebook to see evidence of this.
Given the huge rise in number of channels, as well as the
explosion in content, it is vitally important to consider your
strategy carefully:
· Understand your audience to ensure rele-
vance via entertainment, utility and education.
· Consider the brand story that you want to
tell – ensuring quality, authenticity and trans-
parency.
· Balance your coverage in channel selection.
· Establish metrics by which to judge results.
Highly visual content, catchy headlines and consumer
incentives can only take you so far. Success in social media
is predicated on understanding the different platforms and
the context in which content is delivered.As Jon Steinberg
of Buzzfeed said, "Content is king but distribution is queen
and she wears the pants." Choose your platforms wisely.
So what are the opportunities for each social platform?And
who is winning? Let’s take a look.
4. FACEBOOK
The social behemoth is now the go-to social channel for every brand but
careful consideration must be given to the channel and the typical user’s
mindset.According to Facebook the average user checks in 14 times a day
with nearly half doing this either whilst shopping,at the gym,cooking or at
the movies – even on the toilet,and only half of that time is spent browsing
the News Feed.
With the rest of the time being divided between Facebook messaging and
posting updates, this means getting attention is key and content is central
to this.
At Social MediaWeek,Asda's Head of Social, Dominic Burch, admitted
Asda“delete updates if they do not get 100 'Likes' within one minute."
Their use of‘thumbs up’,‘true or false’,‘pick A, B or C’, and‘yes or no’
resonates with its audience as they post three times a day and get an
average of 500 'Likes' per post.The strategy is bold but it works.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.You have to find one that works for you
– and engages your target audience. Facebook posting depends on your
objective, whether that's engagement, acquisition or reach. But broadly
speaking light, shareable, highly visual content that connects to real-time
events works best.Also, don’t forget that consumers are more likely to
share things that enhance their own‘personal brand’. So provide content
that helps them get‘brand me’ across.
5. TWITTER
With a billionTweets posted every five days by more than
115 million active users,Twitter is a cultural phenomenon. But
it can be hit and miss - for every funny or informative tweet,
there are 20 taking up time you'll never get back and the‘half
life’ of a tweet is between just 18 minutes and three hours. It’s
a platform that’s focused on‘the now’.
Retweets are the currency ofTwitter; observations on your
journey to work or the weather are all very well, butTwitter
content should be useful, clever, funny and unpredictable. In
short, it should add value and this should drive your strategy.
Don’t post what you want. Post what your audience wants to
hear. Entertain them. Inform them. Give them a reason to
retweet.
This is why we love @BetfairPoker. From the refreshingly
unexpected to the downright unintelligible, Betfair Poker
blatantly avoids anything poker-related.What it does provide is
a wonderful persona that reels in its target audience by
offering them content they actually want to connect with.
With nearly 30k followers actively retweeting Betfair’s posts,
achieving great reach, this account is generating great
word-of-mouth response.
6. YOUTUBE
YouTube is fast becoming the most influential social channel. Not only is
it the second largest search engine but video is one of the most
shareable types of content on social media.A study by Pixability showed
that brands doingYouTube well“averaged over 10,000 per cent more
Tweets and 5,000 per cent more Facebook activity” than those who
weren’t. UnlikeTwitter, where posts have a short half-life, a third of
YouTube views coming 12 weeks after publishing.
Most importantly,YouTube isn’t a one way street. Passionate fans are
interacting directly with brands: 92 per cent of Oreo’s views and 99
percent of Revlon’s views come from fan content.
Red Bull are the kings of content andYouTube is their kingdom.With
nearly three million subscribers, they blow number two PlayStation (with
two million) out of the sky. Red Bull Stratos activity alone drove average
subscribers from 2,000 per day to 87,801 in a single day.
Their channel is a case study in the power of visual branded content.
Over 100 of their videos have at least a million views.The channel
integrates seamlessly alongside a magazine, a record label and two film
studios. Cisco believes that video usage will outperformTwitter and
Facebook by 2017. If Red Bull’s channel is anything to go by, we think it
will be sooner.
7. PINTEREST
This three-year-old is now an integral social media channel
with over 70 million users (two million from the UK.) And it
packs a punch.According to Shareaholic, Pinterest is now the
second biggest referrer after Facebook. Like many youngsters,
this newcomer is one of the most misunderstood social
networks, with a huge untapped potential not just in terms of
brand awareness and equity-building but in its potential for
ecommerce.
Brands used to view Facebook as a broadcast channel.
Unfortunately many of them are stuck in the same mindset
when it comes to Pinterest. It’s not enough to create a few
boards, upload some images and leave it, especially when you
consider a study byVision Critical highlighting the concept of
‘reverse showrooming’ where consumers use Pinterest to
browse and then visit the actual store to purchase.
One of the best examples of a great use for Pinterest is the
current‘DearTop Shop’ activity asking customers to create
boards highlighting the ultimate Christmas gift guide covering
everything from decorations, a dream dress, their ultimate
festive tree, and hopefully even a fewTopshop products.The
campaign is integrated withTopshop’s other digital and social
channels, with top pinned products being featured each day –
giving consumers, literally, what they want.
8. SNAPCHAT
Perhaps most famous for turning down a $3 billion offer from
Facebook, Snapchat is an increasingly popular app among
Millennials, allowing users to send photos and videos that
disappear within 10 seconds. Millennials love it because their
parents aren’t on it and for that reason it’s a great place to
engage with them.The platform is growing. In September,
Snapchat announced that its 8 million users were sending 350
million 'snaps' daily (up from 200 million in June).
But how do you reach this audience?The intimacy of private
messaging makes brand involvement more awkward, which is
probably the reason brands have yet to fully take advantage of
Snapchat.That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. It just requires the
right strategy.
MTV used the platform to engage its audience in visual
dialogue about 'Geordie Shore' by sending snaps to friends of
exclusive images and video clips, reminding people to tune in.
Taco Bell took advantage of the new feature, 'Stories', which
stitches snaps together to show a series of photos and videos
telling the story of a group of friends’ journey toTaco Bell.
The mobile nature of the platform, the trend towards erasable
media as a backlash against the permanent records of other
platforms, and the fact that it has been adopted by a key
demographic means Snapchat is not going to disappear
anytime soon.
9. VINE
This new kid on the block was only launched in
January 2013 and quickly became a brand darling.
It’s easy to see why.Vine’s six-second-loop video
format makes it easy to film, upload and share
videos to social.The beauty ofVine is that it allows
you to unleash your inner creative using only your
smartphone.
According to 7th Chamber, fiveTweets a second
contain aVine link, and studies show that a branded
Vine is four times more likely to be seen than a
branded video – any brand not usingVine risks
losing out on some serious social media exposure.
The opportunities for innovation are endless – just
look at Samsung, Oreo andVW for how the
platform can share content in an engaging, endear-
ing and ultimately entertaining manner.
Sadly there are also some disasters out there –
stand in the corner American Apparel and Channel
4 Racing.To avoid them, remember it’s only six
seconds so don’t try to cram too much in. Make
use of stop-motion and don’t forget to use hashtags
so others can find your video.Vines are designed for
sharing.
10. INSTAGRAM
According to a report from social media analytics company Simply
Measured, Instagram is fast becoming one of the hottest networks around
for major brands to engage with customers with 71 of the top 100
brands using Instagram.
Whilst Instagram adoption among top brands is still the lowest among the
5 major social networks, it is the fastest growing platform for marketers
Worldwide increasing by 55% since last October.Also the majority of
brands aren’t just on Instagram, but they are using it frequently. 57% of the
top 100 brands are posting at least once a week, over a third of now have
over 10,000 followers and 19% have a huge 100,000 followers or more.
Because of this blitz, user engagement is also on the rise with a 350%
increase in total engagement (likes and comments) year on year - so
whilst it may be a struggle for sectors such as B2B and financial services as
well as some FMCG companies with less visually stunning offerings, who in
their right mind isn’t using Instagram?
Mercedes-Benz has found a wonderful way to make Instagram photos
stand out by making them the centerpiece of a unique social media
installation called #Untamed, which premiered in Paris.The company,
guided by the unconventional, unusual and untamed elements of the new
CLA asked fans to contribute to this experience by submitting their
interpretations of the word‘Untamed’ and displayed this to an internation-
al audience of art enthusiasts in a redesigned urban loft space where the
vibrant, colourful and unique Instagram images became backdrops for fully
designed living spaces.
11. VIMEO
The video-sharing siteVimeo was founded nearly a decade ago as a platform
for film makers to share their work in a clean and beautiful space and it quickly
earned a reputation for high-quality content.The factVimeo videos don’t have
the pre-roll or banner ads that annoy so much onYouTube means the focal
point is the video itself and this, in association with some dedicated curating,
makes it a channel that is worth investing in.
Vimeo appeals to a niche but highly engaged community of 120 million
unique visitors each month, who are ready to offer feedback, engage in
conversation and even watch full-length films.According to comScore, users
spend an average of 28 minutes on the site during each session which is
testimony to the great content that lures you in.
Car makers in particular have embracedVimeo with Honda using the
platform to its best effect with their stunning‘making of ’Let it Shine’ ad And
BMW have used it in their film‘Man and Machine’ to support their sponsor-
ship of the 2012 Paralympic Games to show how DavidWeir’s seamless
connection with his chair is a core principle it delivers to drivers of their cars.
12. IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU,
GET IN TOUCH ANDREW@GRAVITYTHINKING.COM
OR VISIT GRAVITYTHINKING.COM
Content has come a long way in the last century to
deliver on the ‘marketplace of ideas, experiences, and
products’ that Bill predicted.The opportunities for brands
to take advantage of the huge number of different
platforms are as exciting as they are complex.
Looking forward the continued demands of real time
marketing will place new pressures on brand teams and
agencies alike – as Jonathan Mildenhall at Coke recently
commented at the CMA "We have started to recruit
conversation managers, coders, creators, photographers
and film makers… so that we can develop content that is
both agile and excellent”
The growth in multi channel access points as dual screen
becomes the norm in many households brings with it the
challenges of transmedia communication – in this instance
social media becomes the glue that binds these experi-
ences and content is core to this.
In short the same principles that applied to the Michelin
Brothers in 1900 apply today – be relevant, consider
context and focus on the objective – the big challenge is
that the landscape has changed a little since then but only
for the better - bring on 2014 !
SUMMARY
