Social Media Platforms for Your Brand

Platforms … the word that, fairly quickly, went from meaning an awesome pair of shoes to a way to access the wide world of internet. Choosing a relevant social media platform, much unlike choosing the correct shoes, requires you to understand exactly where your target audience is spending the majority of their scrolling time.

HOW your target audience is using social media and WHAT platforms they are populating are inextricably linked to one another. In our last blog, we talked about understanding the how portion of their behavior. Now we can get into understanding which. Again, this depends a lot on age and which generation you are targeting, if you are seeking just one. You will also need to take into account a range of factors when deciding which social media platforms you should focus on. The importance lies in making sure you put all your eggs in the basket that draws in your target audience. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Facebook…it’s almost for everyone

Facebook continues to offer the largest gathering of online eyeballs, with a whopping 2.91 billion active users monthly. Most users are in the 24-35 age group and spend an average of 30 minutes scrolling. Boomers are also likely to use this platform the most. However, Facebook’s growth isn’t flourishing as it once was, as younger users continue to shift their attention elsewhere.

Instagram isn’t just for family photos

If you are targeting Millennials and Gen Z, Instagram is a great bet since it is heavily populated by the 18-35 age group. Within three years, this platform has doubled their active monthly users to reach a massive 2 billion. Instagram offers option to shop directly from its platform, which puts businesses right in front of their target audience at just the right time. Users of this platform likely gravitate toward fun, real, and creative content from brands.

Twitter talk

Twitter is indeed in use, but it doesn’t get nearly the traffic of Facebook and Instagram, with only about 211 million active users daily. Twitter users tend to be highly educated and high-earning; it has become known as a place to find breaking news and discuss events. Many thought leaders gravitate toward Twitter and their loyal fans follow suit.

TikTok has a whole new meaning in 2022

TikTok is revered by the 10-19-year-olds who, believe it or not, have incredible purchasing power. Trendy adults, such as the hip ladies over at P&A, also flock to the Tok. It is a great platform for those who have content that would be enjoyable in a video format. TikTok is a rapidly growing beast where most of the users are female and spend about an hour scrolling per day. That means that you get a lot of exposure when using this platform, but beware … the users are less likely to go for ads and much fonder of authentic, honest, and even humorous content.

LinkedIn for your business

Surprisingly, Millennials dominate this platform of 810 million monthly users. Most of those scrolling LinkedIn are high earning professionals both domestic and international. This platform is less about the fun and more about lead generation, job searches, establishing yourself as a subject matter expert and connecting with others in your industry.

Other great platforms that you may want to check out are SnapChat, YouTube and Pinterest. Again, you will need to be wise to your target audience so that you understand where they are spending their online time. Many of our clients choose three to four outlets and focus on tailoring the message to meet each audience. For example, a post for Instagram may not be appropriate for LinkedIn and so on. In time you may find that the patterns of your target audience change, in which case you will need to rethink where expending your time and effort. It is all an ever-changing landscape, where the internet runs the show … and platform shoes are no longer the coolest statement (but they will make a comeback).

 

Keep Your Swag in the Bag

We’re all a little giddy about the return to in-person events. Pickett & Associates is busy refreshing tradeshow-bound collateral, pop-up banners and branded “swag” … or maybe you call it “tchotchkes.” We’ve also got a few clients with events coming up that we’re helping organize and promote, and that, too, calls for branded materials.

Of course, we’re in “red carpet” season for the entertainment industry, and  the coveted “goodie bags” for both participating and attending celebrities remain a standard. Despite bad behavior … this year’s Academy Award nominees received, according to NBC and E! News:

  • A three-night stay in Scotland’s Turin Castle, worth $50,000, inspired by Denzel Washington being nominated for Best Actor in The Tragedy of Macbeth (butler service *is* included, thanks for checking).
  • A four-night stay at the Golden Door resort in California, worth $15,000.
  • A small plot of land in Scotland, along with the title Lord or Lady of Glencoe.
  • A $12,000 liposuction procedure from Thomas Su, MD, called “Celebrity Arms.”
  • $10,000 of “treatments and rejuvenation procedures” from Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD.
  • A life coaching session with Kayote Joseph, worth $1,200.
  • Popcorn.
  • $25,000 in home renovations from Maison Construction in L.A.

I can’t make this stuff up. In the “gross” category, once upon a time UGG sent swag bags, including their furry boots, to the celebrity friends of Phillip Seymour Huffman, hoping they would wear them to his funeral in a cold and windy New York City. While associating your brand with a celebrity or influencer is a great way to engage your audience, today’s “influencer marketing” makes this a bit of a different (pricey and hard to navigate) venture.

Marketing Swag

Nonetheless, for years organizations have employed the “swag” tactic to get traditional media buzz.

I have always felt a tangible item representing an organization was a valuable marketing tactic. Then I learned something valuable from a travel editor of a national magazine. She shared her tales of “swag bags” … or what a public relations/marketing professional would think of as simply sending product samples. Except the largess of the samples was bordering ridiculous. Examples: A huge case of frozen bakery goods, multiple monogrammed items from various spas and resorts hoping for a visit and a good review, and the usual run of logo-ed coolers, mugs, and travel bags. “Really,” she said, “why on earth would I want four coasters and a spa robe emblazoned with your logo?”

So, what do they do with all those goodies? They all go into a closet, confided the editor. And at the holidays, the closet provides the office “white elephant party” with a wide variety of gifts. Yes, they draw numbers and get to pick stuff – aka some poor marketing person’s well-meaning product samples— out of the closet.

Strategic Swag

So, unless you really want to provide entertainment for an editorial staff or have your items go ignored (which is reportedly what happens to most of the goods in the aforementioned Academy Award swag), think strategically before you place an order for the latest, greatest promotional item or decide to send anything randomly to current customers, potential clients or the media.

What does that look like? Ask yourself these four questions before loading stuff into a box and calling the FedEx guy.

  1. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you saying “thank you?” People love a simple, handwritten note these days … no need to send them something they don’t want. Are you trying to attract a new client? If they have no connection to you, why would they want something with your logo? Do you desire media coverage? Sending along well-written information describing your product, service or organization, a link to your website and asking if they’d like samples of your product is perceived as a more reasonable approach.
  2. Did You Ask Permission? Most important when sending product samples to the media. A “food drop” to media outlets is a common practice around special events or restaurant openings. It can garner great chatter and mentions … but do call ahead to make delivery arrangements. Many reporters are not allowed to accept such freebies.
  3. Do you have a specific recipient in mind? When ordering promotional items, do you have a specific purpose or event? Are they for a trade show or health fair? In that case, promotional items are a good way to be remembered – as long as it’s not the same tired item that everyone else is giving away. Avoid the “marked down” items and go for the unique and innovative. And if you are sending a product sample, for heaven’s sake, send to an actual (and appropriate) recipient and not just a general delivery.
  4. Does it represent your brand? Does the promotional item or product sample represent the very best your company can offer? And how will this item transport? The only thing worse than sending someone an unsolicited product sample or promotional item is sending a broken or tainted product sample or promotional item.

In conclusion, product samples and promotional items can be an awesome way to build brand awareness and create a buzz about your company. But it can also be a huge waste of time and effort. Until you have a clear strategy as outlined above, keep your swag in the bag!

Engaging Your Target Social Media Audience

Today’s social media audience is wiser than ever. Most consumers know the difference between authenticity and an ad. They understand if a business is just trying to sell them something within the first few seconds of seeing it or actually trying to establish a relationship. Today’s customers are looking for high quality experiences and interactions with the brands they love. They want great customer service, clever and entertaining campaigns, and they don’t have a lot of time to waste. You need to be spot on if you want to catch the attention of your target audience.

Walk a Mile in Your Customer’s Shoes

If you have followed along with this series, you now have the tools to set SMART goals for your business, measure your success and find your target audience. Now comes the part most businesses think of as the start of a great strategy: understanding your target audience. When it comes to touting an impressive social media marketing strategy, the simple act of engaging the target audience requires some knowledge and nuance, which is what you will develop during this phase.

Before you reach your target audience, you must find them. Different audiences engage with the plethora of social media platforms in different ways. Younger users will generally gravitate toward SnapChat, Instagram and TikTok. Middle aged users tend toward Facebook and Instagram. Does anyone use Twitter anymore? And what about Linked In … important for B2B, but is that all? We will dive deeper into specific social media platforms next week.

For now, let’s talk about HOW your target audience uses social media

Demographics weigh in heavily in terms of where your audience is “playing” on social media. It is as if the internet has created more and more differences between consumers who may have been born just a few years apart. It’s an unfortunate phenomenon for parents and businesses alike.

Boomers (born between 1956-1963)

This generation, now mostly known as grandma and grandpa, are surprisingly savvy when it comes to tech. They not only keep in touch with family using social media platforms, but they also pursue purchases this way. They spend much less time, however, following influencers or seeking out the latest trends. After all, they were the original trendsetters! If you are targeting this population, you will need to direct them to your website, as they are more likely to purchase this way or through TV.

Gen X (born between 1964-1982) and Millennials (born between 1983-1996)

Both of these generations have remarkably similar usage across social media platforms. They are active in every way, keeping in touch with family, following the latest trends (although not quite as much as the newest generation), reading stories and following content they enjoy from family, celebrities, and athletes. They may be worried they spend too much, which makes sense since many of the people in these generations are now parents, trying to stay financially responsible while running a household. Finding a deal while scrolling may appeal to them more than others.

Gen Z (born between 1997-2003)

This generation was the first to be brought up in our modern digital age, with social media available from childhood. They are more likely to use these platforms to make new contacts, follow new stories, keep in touch with family, make purchases and catch the latest trends from an influencer, celebrity or gamer they like. They are less likely to click on an ad just for the sake of it, maybe because they have street smarts that translate into internet savvy. That said, they are comfortable making purchases directly from social media or your website.

Keep in mind that social media usage will also vary depending on their sex, job, lifestyle and more. You will need to dig deep into your target audience to see how they are using social media based on these factors as well. Put yourself in their shoes and walk around for a while. Do some detective work on your own social media page by setting up and tracking analytics. All this prep work requires so much research, we know, but believe us when we say that it makes a huge difference between a social media campaign that is a bust versus one that is a huge success!

 

Market Your Brand with Instagram Stories, Reels

Why are Instagram stories and reels important to your business marketing?

Instagram is booming with 2.9 billion visits per month. If you are a business, big or small, that is a whole bunch of visibility. When you combine these stats with the fact that video is an increasingly popular form of marketing amongst consumers, you have the perfect reason to try out those Instagram stories and reels just waiting for you on your homepage.

Why video?

An Instagram story is a vertical series of pictures or videos that disappear after 24 hours unless users choose to feature it at the top of their profile as a highlight. Consumers love a clever add, but stories provide them with something even more: a moving, living picture of your company. It is entertaining, dynamic and attention grabbing. Not only that, when your consumers watch a story reel, they are spending more time with your brand than they would if they simply scrolled past your static post. Brands capitalize on this feature to share with their target audience more about their products and services as well as other information related to their industry.

How do I dive in?

There are multitudes of Instagram story tutorials on the web, and most are free. We will let you dive into those on your own, while we take this blog time to focus more on what content to include in order to have a successful story campaign. As with any marketing strategy, knowing your goals and target audience are a solid place to start before heading into the realm of content. Once you have those figured out, next comes the best part: time to get creative.

Answer and ask questions

One fun way to engage your audience on Insta is to answer their questions about your product, ask new questions, or introduce a poll or quiz. This is also a great way for you to get to know your consumers with some well thought-out market research capabilities built right into your social media. Pretty genius right? Consumers these days seek out brands that not only provide a product or service they feel excited about, but also ones that will listen. Take your customer feedback on social media seriously, even if you present it in the form of a fun quiz or poll.

Promote

Whether you are launching a new product or have an upcoming event, you can use Instagram stories to promote interest from your target audience. Talk about your new product, have an unboxing video, include a countdown feature, and give some teasers so users get excited right along with you. This, combined with static posts, is a great way to grow engagement with your company’s new projects.

Takeovers

Have a coworker, influencer, customer, staff member or other account take over your stories for a day. Provide some fun for users and prove that your product is hot while you are at it. By having someone else take over, you will also create new content, kind of like a breath of fresh air for your followers.

Go live!

One fun part of engaging with Instagram stories on your company’s social media page is that you can go live and offer consumers a glimpse into your brand. How to videos, tutorials, etc. can make a big splash in numbers for your follower engagement. Going live is a great way to engage customers immediately and directly in the moment. Users will be able to see your live stream as an Instagram story if they miss the chance IRL.

If you are planning to get these ideas rolling, then make sure to also follow these tips:

  • Use hashtags
  • Stay authentic to yourself and your brand
  • Stay on top of new features as they become available
  • Use Insta highlights on your main page to provide more content to customers

Sometimes, it can be difficult to try something new or foreign, but once you get the hang of incorporating Insta Stories into your social media marketing strategy you will be glad you did. They can provide a wealth of opportunities for followers to interact with your brand, stimulating awareness of your business across this thriving social media platform.

Your Target Audience is the Bullseye of Your Marketing Strategy

How do you identify your target audience? “What does my customer/client look like?” should be the first question you ask as you zero in on your bullseye target audience.

It’s the P&A “22 in 22” social media tip No. 3! Once you have determined your goals and figured out how you would like to measure your progress, it is time to reach some real people. By that, we mean to skip out on buying fake Instagram followers and focus on reaching your target audience. These are the consumers who will interact with your brand to help you reach your SMART goals.

This may sound simple, but it can be a complex thing to wade through the field of customers out there who are ready and raring to eat up all that you have to offer. This blog isn’t about how to reach your target audience either (we will save that for next time), but instead how you figure out who your target audience is. It is an important step that is often missed by companies who launch into their social media strategies with gusto, wanting to cast as wide of a net as possible.

Who am I targeting?

A target audience is a group of people defined by certain demographics and behaviors. Understanding the target audience specific to your brand can help you to focus on crafting your unique message and branding to suit this population of people. For example, if you are selling specialty equipment for the aging population, you probably don’t want to target someone who is in their 20s and just moved out of their parent’s house.

You can start figuring out your target audience by brainstorming your ideal customer, getting as specific as possible about gender, age, education, type of work, income level, where they live, whether they have children and what their aspirations are as well as what they like to do in their free time. From there, you can begin to look for your ideal customer online. Which Facebook pages do they gravitate towards? What are their social media scrolling habits? Are they more likely to engage with posts involving humor or a sale? Who do they aspire to be like or identify with?

If you already have followers who you feel are part of your target audience, you can send an email survey campaign to get more information about their social media preferences as well as what drives them to purchase a product. This research will go a long way in making sure you are not casting too wide of a net, just hoping to grab the right people. Instead, you will be strategically planning your social media so that you know you are.

You can sell to everyone

An important idea to keep in mind is that you are simply looking for a target audience so that you can tailor your content, messaging and other parts of your social media strategy specifically toward those who will become customers. This will streamline all that you do relative to your social media marketing strategy. It doesn’t, however, mean that you can’t sell to those outside of your target audience. In fact, anyone who wants to can (and is more than welcome) to interact with your brand, right?

Marketing bullseye

Finding your ideal target audience is vital to the success of your social media marketing campaign, no matter your brand or business. Afterall, there is no point in having a huge number of followers if none of them will end up interacting with your brand with the intention of purchasing your product or service and helping you to achieve those SMART goals you have created.

Now, get to work brainstorming about your ideal customer, and we will meet back here next time to talk about how to reach this consumer in a way that will be impactful and create movement for your business. As a shameless plug, Pickett & Associates has a proven process for drilling down to identify your target audience. For more information, feel free to contact us!

The Power of Public Relations

While the power of public relations and the role played by the traditional media has shifted considerably in the last decade, PR still remains a useful and relevant tool for strategic communications.

When “old Miss Pat” ventured into marketing and public relations in 2005, it followed years spent as a reporter, editor and publisher. I’d wanted to write since I could hold a pencil. Journalism fulfilled that passion as well as my natural inclination for general nosiness … but it was not exactly a great career for a single lady with two teenage kids.

After 20-plus years covering city council meetings and elections, writing home and garden features, profiling local, regional and national folks of note and lastly covering Hamilton County businesses, I joined a local communications firm in 2005. I shall forever be grateful to them for taking a chance on this reporter. There were a couple of us there at the time, and we (sort of) laughingly referred to ourselves as “recovering journalists.”

While I wasn’t in the know on communication strategy (yet), I did know what made a good “pitch” and news release. And thus began a career that has served me well with a modicum of success.

Fast forward to 2022. Eleven years after launching my own “PR firm,” I’m now more inclined to refer to Pickett and Associates as a “strategic communications agency.” No longer is landing a segment on a news cast or capturing some column inches in the local paper our ultimate goal. As I came to learn during my preparation for my APR credential, those are “outputs.” As victorious as they might feel, what value do they really bring to a business or organization? Today our clients are looking for measured outcomes … whether that be driving sales and leads or building brand recognition. And there are so many ways to do that now in the digital sphere – social media, websites, targeting emails, etc. – that news releases are often overlooked.

Pickett and Associates continues to utilize the PR tactics of pitching stories to media outlets and writing and sending news releases as an important part of an overall communication strategy. First off, let’s define the difference between a “pitch” and a “news release.”

Pitch vs. News Release

A “pitch” is a personalized note to a reporter/editor/producer that relates a timely, interesting, or unique idea for an article/on-air segment that includes a business or organization. There are several nuances in a successful approach (including thinking holistically about what the audience might like to see and not just about your business), but the first and most important rule of thumb is to send this information to the correct person. Sending a pitch about technology to an education reporter will most likely result in the use of the “delete” button.

A news release is a fully drafted document – typically featuring the “who, what, when, where, why & how” in the lede paragraph. In general, a news release includes the most pertinent information about something important at an organization, ideally in 400 words or less; remove the fluff and pare down. A news release should also include a contact for more information and an “about us boilerplate.”

Ideally, a link to an electronic press kit/media room that resides on your website with company photos, logo, and general background information is included in every news release. (We will explore the elements of great online media rooms later this year.) If not, providing a link to a Google Drive or Dropbox with that downloadable content makes everyone’s life easier. Reporters/editors are looking for something visual to go along with a story. Sending a photo or video link increases the chances of the news release being used. Do NOT send an attachment. Ever. Likewise, do NOT send a PDF of the news release. Please. Begging you on behalf of editors everywhere.

While a pitch may also include a news release for background information purposes, they are not interchangeable and serve different purposes.

Pitches are used specifically to get a story placed that includes your business or organization. Period. (Pro tip No. 1: It is okay to email the recipient after a few days and ask if you can provide any additional information. This gives the journalist the opportunity to respond that they received it, are considering it (or not) and ask any questions. Pro tip No. 2: Do NOT call a reporter and asked if they received your email.)

When to Use a News Release

News releases should not be sent with the expectation that they will actually generate news; they rarely do (unless you are a large company, organization, municipality or public figure). News releases work when:

  • They are sent to trade/specialty media that are more likely to pick up industry news than a general circulation media outlet.
  • They are used for optimized content on a company website providing an SEO boost.
  • They are used as part of a social media content strategy.
  • They are used as communication to organizational stakeholders.
  • They display subject matter expertise.

Popular topics for news releases include:

  • Personnel changes and promotions
  • Company milestones
  • New products and/or services
  • Sharing news of awards or other accolades
  • Addressing an issue or company crisis
  • Sharing the results of a survey or other pertinent data generated by or about an organization
  • Announcing an upcoming event

A news release is different from drafting an article or column for a media outlet (a great tactic, but a different style of writing) or writing a blog. We’ll take a deeper dive into those topics in the future. In the meantime, consider using news releases as part of your overall communication strategy in 2022. And if you need help with the strategy or tactics like news releases, shoot me an email. I’d love to chat about how P&A can support your organization!

Social Media Tip #2: Don’t Skip the Metrics

If you are following along with our social media marketing strategies series, you know why setting SMART goals is an important first step to success. Now, you need a way to ensure that your goals are working for you in numbers. That means it is time to determine which metrics you will use to gauge your progress.

Many times, companies will be so excited to begin implementing their new social media strategy that they will forget how important it is to establish a way to measure progress. Sure, that picture of your new storefront got a ton of likes and the text of the post was all at once witty and informational, but how do you know if your target audience was the ones engaged?

Every brand or business needs to measure their growth and success differently. It will depend on your goals and what you are trying to achieve, another reason that goal setting needs to be the number one task above everything else. Trying to determine your growth without knowing what you are aiming for is like buying a round trip ticket using all of your life savings to a destination you don’t even know. Where will you end up? Will it be a tropical beach (Yes, please!) or a hippo-infested delta (I’ll pass)?

A word about vanity metrics

Vanity metrics, like how many followers you have, aren’t necessarily where you want to place your focus when measuring your success. It can be tempting to see the numbers of followers and likes rise and fall and think that a gain will equate to more business on your end. Not only that, it is easy to judge other brands by the number of the followers they have on their social media account. Followers and likes are becoming a less measurable way to determine success because companies can buy followers, which dilutes the number’s importance. In the long run, followers aren’t everything, and you will need to work harder than gaining more eyeballs if you want to see results.

So, what metrics should we target?

Every social media platform has its own native analytics for you to utilize in measuring the success of marketing your brand, including campaigns and other strategies. You will need to establish/move to a business account before you are able to use associated metrics. From there, the sky is the limit, again depending on your goals and what you are trying to achieve.

  • Engagement — This category includes likes, comments, shares and clicks. You can track engagement to find out how involved your target audience is in the conversations you are starting on social media. You can answer questions relating to how much your consumers are interacting with your social account and how often. This one metric is used often, but it may not give you the whole story, which is why you should combine it with looking to other metrics for signs you are reaching your goals.
  • Awareness — This metric involves both your impressions, or how many times a post shows up in someone’s timeline, and reach, the potential unique viewers a post could have. Both impressions and reach can tell you a lot about how visible you are on the social media platform.
  • Share of Voice — Volume and sentiment are included under this category, which indicates how much of the online sphere your brand is taking part in. If you are a pizza place, for example, how many consumers are looking at your restaurant as compared to others? This metric will help you to understand how you are reaching your goals of capturing more market attention.
  • ROI — Return on investment, like in other areas of business, questions what you are getting in return for the effort and money you are putting toward your social media. This is an incredibly important metric and includes both referrals and conversions. A referral is how a user lands on your website. Was it through your #linkinbio on Instagram, for example? Or did they find you via your Facebook events page? Conversions are a fancy word for a consumer purchasing something through your website. This is the whole point of many social media strategies, to increase purchases by the target market, so these metrics should be consistently checked to ensure your continued success on any social media platform.
  • Click Through Rate (CTR) — Along with referrals and conversions comes CTR, a handy way to measure how many times someone clicks on your link versus how many conversions you receive. A high CTR would mean you have run a very effective ad.
  • Customer Care — Response rate and time are important in your brand’s overall interaction with the target market. Consumers these days are looking for great customer experience and that doesn’t end when they leave your brick-and-mortar store or your web page. Use metrics like response rate and time to check how quickly your team is replying to the consumer.

We believe it is vital that we help our clients to see the progress they are gaining thanks to the implementation of their marketing strategy. Metrics, then, are our good friends. (Hey, look at our tagline! “Strategic Approach. Measurable Results.”) Identifying the correct metrics for your brand, based on the SMART goals you have established, will help you to easily see your progress and understand how your business is growing in relation to competitors in the social media stratosphere. When it comes down to it, a smart social media strategy is your way to win 2022.

Know the Hate to Spread the Love

When was the last time you saw a well-meaning public figure cluelessly spreading a message of hate or ignorance?

Have you taken a photo at a work event and posted it on social media only to notice someone is flashing some weird hand sign? And you  later discover it is considered a symbol of white supremacy?

As public relations professionals, we find it incredibly important to have our fingers on the pulse of our our world when it comes to the ever-changing dynamic of talking about suppressed or misrepresented groups as well as “trending” symbols of hate.

Is loving your fellow human too much to ask?

Thanks to the internet and a variety of social media platforms, our world now feels smaller than ever. The need to find ways in which to co-exist has never been more important. As humans who display a dizzying myriad of personality traits, dispositions, beliefs, orientations, and abilities, we are going to have to do some really hard work to share what is feeling like a smaller and smaller planet.

“I didn’t know” is not an excuse

If you are managing communications – and particularly social media accounts  –  for your business or organization, it is profoundly important to educate yourself about the unseemly side of culture. From mildly embarrassing double entendre (like a headline reading “Debutantes Rest Between Two Big Balls” … true story) to cringe-worthy racial gaffes to the absolutely-not-funny symbols of racism. When it comes to your company/organization’s communication and reputation, being naïve just doesn’t cut it as an excuse.

Education is key. That same internet that is fraught with hate and vitriol also contains valuable information that allows individuals to educate themselves and ultimately STOP the hate.

Tools to Stop the Hate

For instance, the Anti-Defamation League has a compiled a Hate on Display™ Hate Symbols Database that literally has photos and descriptions of hundreds of symbols used by hate groups. A review of general knowledge and a note on the social media checklist to “scan crowds” will go a long way to prevent an embarrassment.

Last year, we wrote “Words Matter: Putting People First” addressing the importance of “people first language.” According to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN), “Rather than defining people primarily by their disability, people-first language conveys respect by emphasizing the fact that people with disabilities are first and foremost just that—people.” (Check out that blog for a handy infographic!)  It seems that this approach can cover many areas of difference because, at the end of the day, we are all people.

It is important to understand how to interact in ways that embrace our differences while allowing everyone to feel seen and respected. Exploring different ethnicities and cultures while initiating open, honest dialogue is key. You can find more about language and how to refer to people of varying ethnicities in a respectful and appropriate way here.

Likewise, sexuality and identity have risen to the forefront of our culture. While your beliefs may be different from someone else’s, in the words of Marlo Thomas, “We’re Free to Be You and Me.” You can find lots of ways to create a more inclusive workplace by checking out this guide.

Finding Common Ground

 “As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has- or ever will have- something inside that is unique to all time.” -Fred Rogers

In her book Braving the Wilderness, author, professor. and lecturer Brene Brown talks about changing your perspective when dealing with others who are different from yourself. She believes that many times we get caught up in this world of news stories, social media posts and the fake personas they create, when in reality, we are all just people. When we zoom in and see people who, just like us, have good days and bad, care about their loved ones and are looking for meaning in their life, rather than someone on the news we can’t find common ground with, it changes how we think about that person. We can use ideas like this when trying to be inclusive with others who have different backgrounds and experiences of life than we ourselves do.

The tricky part for some people, it seems, is holding both truths that we are all people AND we all have different experiences of life. In trying to remember that we are all similar in many ways, it is also important to understand and celebrate our differences

As PR professionals, we often find ourselves dealing with missteps and mistakes as folks navigate inclusive language. That is one level of messaging and sometimes crisis management. Going deeper, it’s difficult for most of us to comprehend the level of hate that comes with white supremacy. But it is on the increase, and as communications professionals, it’s our job to ensure it receives as little oxygen as possible to fan the flames.  We must be vigilant in creating a world in which everyone feels accepted and loved.

This Valentine’s Day, take some time to educate yourself using our links and guides above so that you can spread the love far and wide.

 

Social Media Tip No. 1: Get SMART

We told you we would be bringing some goods to the table in 2022, and we never back out on a promise. If you are trying to outperform your competition and grow your social media marketing strategy this year, your first step is to set some SMART goals.

Although we wish we would have been the ones to invent this amazing concept, it is simply a tried-and-true series of tactics all rolled up into a great acronym to ensure your goals will be more effective.  SMART stands for:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant
  • Time-based

What does this have to do with social media?

What many businesses do, when it comes to social media strategy, is start posting, hope for the best and change directions whenever they feel a nudge. Although this is a great option when you are sailing a boat, it doesn’t necessarily work in our modern-day ocean of consumers. To successfully make use of the myriad of social media platforms and all the exposure they offer, you need to set relevant and realistic marketing goals. These goals should fit seamlessly into your overarching business strategy so that your consumers are not confused about your message, no matter if they are checking their Instagram, looking directly at your website, or speaking to a customer service representative.

Let’s break it down so you can better understand how to make your SMART goals work for your business’s overall strategy.

Specific

Here is where you get honest with yourself about what you want to see happen in 2022. Do you want to increase your presence on social media by gaining a certain number of followers? Do you want to achieve more sales and would like to use social media to advertise and market your brand? Make sure you are specific so that at the end of the year you can see, without a doubt, whether you have achieved or missed these goals. Being specific will also take the guesswork out of your strategy when it comes to marketing your business.

Measurable

While you are creating your specific goals you should try to make them measurable by including numbers, figures and facts. Do you want to gain followers on Instagram? Give a ballpark figure so you can measure your company’s progress as the year evolves. Would you like a certain portion of your sales to come from your website versus in-store? Write down the numbers. Are you in need of more fundraising for your non-profit? Speak to your board about a specific dollar amount that you and your volunteers or employees can aim to produce in 2022. Once you have the numbers, you will feel even more empowered to get your marketing strategy up and running.

Attainable

When you are creating your goals, try to keep your feet on the ground. Setting unrealistic goals will only provide you with a dose of unnecessary failure and could possibly contribute to wasted resources. If you are hoping to grow followers for your social media accounts, for example, don’t set your sights on one million people if a more realistic number for your might be 100,000. Consider this letter of the SMART acronym to be a serious reality check.

Relevant

When it comes to social media, it can feel overwhelming to think of the sheer number of consumers out there ready and waiting to discover your brand. Not only that, but the number of platforms also continues to grow and trying to keep up with all of them can create confusion and dilute your message. Instead of trying to cast the largest net you can into the metaphoric ocean, try to focus on the target audiences, platforms and messages that will be relevant to your company. Your goals should reflect your overarching marketing strategy so they have staying power when it comes to the inevitable changes your business may endure this year.

Time-based

Work hard to achieve your strategical social media goals but give yourself an end date. Whether it is six months from now or the end of 2022, knowing that you have a finite amount of time can help you to work harder toward achieving the SMART goals you set for yourself. Social media is an ever-changing landscape, so it is incredibly important to take breaks between goal setting to get a handle on what is working and what is not.

SMART goals aren’t just a good template for devising social media marketing strategies, they also help you and your team to remain focused so that you are delivering a clear and concise message across all outlets. Consumers today are inundated with more information than ever. They also have more choices when it comes to spending their money or time. If you want to make an impact (and achieve those SMART goals!), you need to ensure that there is no confusion when it comes to your brand’s story, message, purpose, and overall strategy.

Instagram: What’s All the Fuss About #LinkInBio?

One of our favorite platforms to use to increase our client’s visibility to potential and current target audiences is Instagram. Not too long ago, it was just another new social media outlet.  Since partnering with Facebook, Instagram has become the 7th most visited website in the world and boasts a whopping 2.9 billion total visits per month. That is the type of exposure we just can’t let our clients pass up.

It’s a jungle out there

Surviving Instagram, just like trekking through a dense forest, comes with various tricks of the trade and almost always a bit of troubleshooting. You may have noticed, for instance, that many accounts use the term “link in bio” at the end of their post’s text. Instagram doesn’t allow links to be published directly into the text of a post, but, instead, has the user paste one (and only one) link directly into their profile. This may not matter for the personal user who is posting pictures of Friday’s get together with friends or their one-year old’s birthday party, but it matters a lot of you are a business trying to direct consumers to your website.

Most businesses will put their website address in their profile, which is helpful for customers who see something they like and want to get to a shop or site quickly. That way, they can use the hashtag #linkinbio or simply let wondering eyes know to click on the link in their profile. Our client, Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County, for instance, had their website linked in their profile so volunteers, donors and those in need could easily find their way with just one click.

Gimme more, gimme more

The problem comes, however, when you are trying to make your social content feel more robust by including industry articles, blogs, event links and more. Let’s take the same client, Meals on Wheels, who has multiple fundraising events and ticket sales throughout the year as well as newsletters, press releases and information they need to disseminate to streamline their marketing strategy and increase community engagement. How do they put all these links into their bio?

There are a many different companies out there who are vying to solve the dilemma of Instagram’s measly one-link-in-bio problem. One of the first companies was Linktree. With this handy service, you get one link to add to your Instagram account, but it leads to a page full of curated links chosen by you to round out your social media content. Our client, Meals on Wheels, can post links for tickets to multiple events, specific pages from their website for donations or volunteer applications, web addresses to press releases and even article or recipe shares. Other companies have tried, and succeeded in, creating something similar to Linktree, with the top sites being Shorby, Pallyy, Tap.bio and Shortstack, among others.

Use it or lose it

So, all of this to say, you should use that link in your bio to its fullest advantage. If you are wondering why this is so important, just think of it as ensuring that the many eyeballs that land on your Instagram post will have an easier way to get to your website and beyond. Consumers are all about time efficiency and ease of use these days, and if you don’t have your link right there, chances are they may not explore what you have to offer. If you don’t use your link in bio the right way, you might end up losing business.

You see, the thing is, your competition is on Instagram too. Regardless of how unique your brand is, chances are there is someone out there doing the same thing. We live in a highly virtual world where everyone is seeking exposure, so potential customers are faced with multiple options at every click or swipe. Many times, Instagram users will opt out on choosing a business that doesn’t offer an easy road to its website.

Use that link in bio to direct your customers exactly where you want them to go. Then, go one step further by creating an account with one of the many companies launching platforms to host pages containing multiple links. This way, Instagram becomes just a jumping off point for your consumers to explore all the ins and outs of your brand and business.