As any social media user will tell you, it's not as easy as firing out your thoughts at that point in time. There's a lot to consider. It's not different for companies.
Social media is a corporate football. Every business wants in on the action, but it's constantly being fought over by customer service, marketing, public relations and digital. Wherever it sits, it needs a competent copywriter to craft posts.
If you can write web pages, then you can write for any commercial platform. Social media isn't any different, other than the fact it's time-stamped, part of the national or international conversation and people can interact with it. Here are some general dos and don'ts:
- Think outwardly - leave your opinions and idiosyncrasies at the door
- Talk to the majority, not just your target market
- Represent your brand, but be human.
- Is it the right platform to reach your audience
- How will you use that platform, have a content calendar
- What do you want to achieve, community-building, etc.
- Set KPIs, think about ones outside of shares and likes
I like the micro-blogging platform. It's recently become a place to be trolled for merely having an opinion, but I think the brevity and timeliness of it. It doubled its character count from 140 to 280, but it still makes you think about how to write - cutting out the chaff.
When writing, it's important to remember that people scroll at speed, so be brave and show personality. You'll always have angry customers and begrudged people shouting at you, but give as good as you get with humour (without being offensive or threatening). Social media is your human face, so be human.
The baby boomers have caused Facebook to decline. Its beauty is it keeps you in contact with friends and family without having to do anything, however, brands are using it as a tool to build communities and interact in a way you can't through other platforms.
Using Facebook is more about your content/communications/brand strategy than how you write.
YouTube
I would recommend getting everything you upload on YouTube transcribed, don't rely on its inbuilt functionality, as it can introduce some embarrassing errors, like swear words. I would also put as much support information as possible, don't forget these will out-live the marketing lifecycle, so it's good to have dates, names and information about it for posterity. Other than that, people don't read YouTube, that's not what it's there for.
Instagram and Pinterest
Much like YouTube, you don't go to Instagram or Pinterest to read. Just any relevant location information and what it is with hashtags, that's it.
This is a tricky platform. It's not really found its feet as a social media platform - it's more of a professional address book. You should only really use this platform for business news and careers. Flexing the ton. e is key here. Remember your audience, sound business-like but friendly, authoritarian or apologetic where needed.
Reddit and Tumblr
These aren't really used for business purposes, but in an age of content marketing, it seems like we're missing a trick. It's a great way to build a community that isn't directly affiliated with your business; gain brand advocacy, user-generated content and organic influencers.
Responding
Of course, it's all well and good writing all the sexy, fluffy marketing stuff for social media and watch as it's liked and shared, but there is a beast at the door. The dreaded comment.
People are very vocal on social media. It's easy to abusive to a Twitter handle or Facebook page. It's a place where the British stiff upper lip dies and the mob rules. Anyone who's seen a corporate account knows it tends to be the place customers go to tell you your shit and their terrible experience, regardless of the post is saying.
Companies are starting to nail it, after Tesco Mobile and O2 stormed ahead with witty, cutting and human responses to abuse. Since then, we've had a panoply of brands jumping on-board the tweet train. Here are some ways to do it:
- Mirror the language without the spelling and grammar mistakes
- Be gracious and empathetic, especially if it's an essential service
- Avoid passing people around, deal with the problem quickly and easily without the customer having to do a lot
- Fight back, but don't get personal - keep it to the content of the message
- Engage with other brands and competitors, who can forget the Tesco Mobile, Yorkshire Tea, Jaffa Cake exchange, which is the best thing on social media
- Don't be afraid to talk to the sillies, like Wendy's and the viral chicken nuggets request, which got lots of natural and good publicity, brand awareness and advocacy
- Be arrogant, but don't be a dick - again Wendy's owned this space (is there even a Wendy's in the UK?!)
- Get swept up in the maelstrom of zeitgeist, but approach with caution - who can forget Cinnabon's misjudged Carrie Fisher tweet, but then there's Lidl's superb One Direction split tweet
- Watch your hashtags. I still chortle at #susanalbumparty and of course, they're prone to highjacking - which you can't stop, so just embrace it
