It sounds obvious doesn't it, but you'd be surprised as to how many brands apply the copy + paste approach across their social channels.
So, when it comes to getting value from their social media efforts, brands must first understand the role of the channel and why their consumers are using it.
We all know organic reach is null and void on Facebook forcing brands with pages into the "Pay to Play" model, but with a better understanding of the channels' true value to your consumers, you can still get organic reach, engagement and value from your consumers through a well thought-out content strategy focused on relevancy.
Looking at Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, it's easy to see how your fans are using the channels for value in their daily lives. Social in it's essence is an online conversation. So take a group of friends who are out in a bar talking...their conversation will have past, present and future subject areas...all topics of interest to the group.
"Did you see that game last night? ...It was insane!" - PAST
OR
"Check out that couple at the end of the bar" - PRESENT
OR
"Hey, there's a new restaurant that just opened up around the corner and the menu looks amazing, we should check it out next weekend" - FUTURE.
And some of the most popular channels provide the perfect place for brands to engage in this way.
- FACEBOOK: "What I've Done"
- Your fans are posting their activities, experiences and stuff they find entertaining that they want to share with their friends. What this means is that they are seeking acknowledgement through a like or a comment to reassure themselves that their friends care and are paying attention.
- TWITTER: "What I'm Doing"
- Letting your followers know what you're engaged in at that particular moment and being able to comment and be involved in live news and events, is all part of the experience.
- PINTEREST: "What I'm Going To Do"
- This channel is all about discovery and looking for things that you would like to do in the future to add value and enrichment to your life. It's a creative and experiential planner if you like. Which makes it great for commerce for brands.
So with this understanding in mind...why would a brand copy + paste the same content verbatim? Seems crazy huh? Of course, it can be the same message and overall type of content, it just needs packaging and delivering in a unique way to ensure it's relevant, on point, gets noticed and the consumer takes action.
Each of these channels have some cool features (and some decent native analytics too) to help you learn, improve and optimize. It's also important to note that embedding content into the channel not only provides convenience to the consumer (they don't have to leave the channel), but, and it's a big but, that channel will give it a better weighting and ranking within it's algorithm helping your reach and engagement no end. For example, it's clear Facebook is putting a premium on native video rather than linking out to YouTube.
So, there's plenty of tips, tricks and insights out there from commentators and specialists that you should be looking at. I've picked a few here (on the channels above) to help get you started:
And remember... be relevant with your audience at all times.