Rule # 1: Content is king

Content is everything. Unlike traditional advertising, social media

gave power to people. They vote with their likes, shares, retweets etc. if something is worth seeing or not.

“Earned media” took on a totally different meaning in this new era of social media marketing when people became the biggest

distributors of brands’ advertising messages.

Rule # 1: Content is king

Rule # 2: Respond when spoken to

In the “old advertising times” (about 10 years ago) companies would talk to consumers,

but seldom heard back. Now this two-way conversation is the primary goal of all marketing efforts!

The amount of responses to each interaction is counted in the Engagement Rate and brands are fighting who will be talked to more! Brands which invest effort into conversations with their fans, have a higher Engagement Rate and thus reach more potential consumers.

Rule # 2: Respond when spoken to

Rule # 3: Be a true friend

There are millions of conversations every day involving your brand. Usually most

of fans are divided into three categories : creators, joiners and inactives. It is worth rewarding your most devoted and active creators as well as your fans in general. If people spend their free time commenting on your posts, praising your products or helping other fans resolve their questions or problems, it is worth

showing some appreciation in form of free products, thank you notes or any other ways to show gratitude.

Rule # 3: Be a true friend

Rule # 4: Listen, listen and …listen

Social media and its interactive nature gave marketers an unbelievable opportunity

to see in real time the response to their marketing efforts. Within hours after a

product launch on social media platforms, it is clear how the product is being received by the public. R&D at its best.

This wealth of information is called Big Data. It can be later analyzed and if

used wisely can be processed filtering ideas for product innovations, existing product modifications etc. There are several social media monitoring software available which allow for such information processing.

Rule # 4: Listen, listen and …listen

Rule # 5: Failures and Successes

You don’t know until you try! Social media requires constant, daily innovation. Something what was a “buzz” yesterday, today is an old story. Thanks to the analytics tools available for every social media platform,

evaluation of content’s popularity is easy. For example, on Facebook most of engagement is generated within first 3 hours

from posting. Constant previous campaigns analysis will help you better understand your audience and their needs and cater content which is relevant to them.

Rule # 5: Failures and Successes

Rule # 6: Use all there is to use

Study all functions from a point of view what will bring you more reach / traffic / interaction of fans and what would stimulate more activity among existing fans of your brand.

Each social media platform has its features which can help you increase organic reach of your messages. Tags to partners social media pages, check-ins at the events and many other possibilities for cross promotion and the like all increase reach and bring you more traffic.

Rule # 6: Use all there is to use

Rule # 7: Fish and Chips

Text and image are your fish & chips of social media publishing: one perfectly complementing the other. All social media platforms are based mainly on visual

elements with text accompanying it. 93% of all posts have additional textual description.

The best practice is to “mirror” the image content and in a certain way mention what is on the picture, but add your own attitude, express opinion about it.

Make both text and image cohesive.

Rule # 7: Fish and Chips

Rule # 8: Timing is everything

Each industry has its own “prime time” for publishing or time when majority of fans are online and are “eager to engage” with your content. Studying

behavioral patterns of your target audience can help you identify that time. At work your fans are usually surrounded by colleagues and bosses who would not appreciate them watching videos or playing a song on Spotify. As well as people are less likely to click a link to a 4 pages article about your company’s new products on Friday evening, but are more likely to respond positively to a recommendation of a live concert same evening.

Rule # 8: Timing is everything

Rule # 9: “Share” and “re-” are magic words

People use social media to be entertained. Every time they share, retweet or

re-smth else, the amount of people who see your messages is multiplied by their friends. It is important to remember that people use social platforms not only to look at

content, but also to create it themselves. If something appeals to their emotions, makes them laugh or cry, they will be more likely to share those emotions with their friends.

Social media managers have to plan and create such highly “sharable” content, or content which may not necessarily be linked to your company’s activities or products directly, but will evoke emotions.

Rule # 9: “Share” and “re-” are magic words

Rule # 10: Keep the proportions right

The final goal of all marketing efforts is to sell its product. From directly advertising product’s features to a more subtle building an image of a brand through Social Corporate Responsibility program. There are a lot of ways to do it. Social media dictates its rules. Posts which are highly entertaining have higher

engagement of fans. Thus companies have to find the right proportions between company news, product features, sponsoring of events itd.

Rule # 10: Keep the proportions right

45%

21%

16%

8%

4% 4% 2% Product

Contest

Unrelated

Company News

Events Sponshorship

Sales (promotion, shop)

Social Resposibility

IT Industry. Facebook Content. Post Focus.

Photo Credits and Links:

https://www.facebook.com/oreo

https://www.facebook.com/SamsungMobile

https://www.facebook.com/cocacola

http://www.salesforcemarketingcloud.com/products/social-media-listening/

https://www.facebook.com/JesusGarciaSerial

https://hootsuite.com/dashboard

Questions: j.jakubiec@yahoo.com