Surprise and Amuse: Our Social Media Mission
Likes, Followers, Clicks, Comments, Shares, Polls, Engagement. While the metrics vary across platforms, the desired outcome can be distilled down to one common denominator: Did your post prompt a reaction of some sort? Even better, did it start a conversation?
At Bonfire Effect, we start with the premise that even in B2B marketing, while your audience is business- rather than consumer-focused, you’re still trying to reach real people – not businesses: individuals who typically have too much to do, too little time or budget to do it with, and more than likely those whose day might benefit from something novel or even a little humorous. (Because we believe building brand awareness doesn’t always have to be a serious, somber initiative.)
It’s also worthy of mention that some research shows that business decision makers spend more time on Facebook than the rest of us – and have more friends than the rest of us, which means if you’re reaching them, you improve your chances of potentially reaching others as well.
Without boring you with 1000 words, we’ll let the following images and videos show you how to show your followers what your brand is about:
Brother Mobile Solutions wanted to showcase the storage space its new P-touch EDGE® printer offers. So we filled it with food. And some of our favorite (and possibly phobic) things.
Our goal for this April Fool’s post was a humorous little head scratcher: “Is this for real?” or at the very least, a drooling Pavlovian dog response to seeing those vibrant Fruit Roll-up colors.
This one even warranted its own landing page:
And what better time to spread seasonal spirit and encourage engagement with your audience (and the general community) than during the holidays? Associates in Family Medicine shared in the merriment by supporting the local Garden of Lights event at the Gardens on Spring Creek last December. AFM even sponsored free photos with Santa so visitors could capture the fun memories then tag and share their photos on Facebook after the event.
When you're on a mission to help the environment, improve your community, and support a good cause, taking to social media can be a great strategy. Through the annual #PlantSomethingCO photo contest, we help the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association encourage support for local nurseries around the state while also sharing the many benefits of planting something.
Even newsletter promotion benefits from a lighthearted tone on social media. Save the “Our client had this challenge, we did this, we got these results” for your case studies and aim to educate entertainingly.
And because some ideas are best garnished with a side of bourbon, we had to give a nod to National Bourbon Day. (Yes, this post is a little low on the educational angle, but let’s be honest. Most folks come to Facebook to enjoy a little brain candy throughout the day.)
While you’re here, a word or two on the importance of playing nice with Facebook’s algorithms
Facebook’s engagement algorithms are a living, constantly changing entity. One of the more recent developments involves something they call “engagement baiting,” which refers to posts that overtly encourage users to comment, share, tag someone, etc. The Almighty Algorithms say that’s a no-no.
So rather than using something like “Tag a friend who loves nachos” (because, duh, everyone) or “Share your perspectives in the comments below,” you’re better off generating higher quality content that just can’t bear to be ignored. Note: If your content were a person, it would be someone you’d love to talk to, not that pushy friend who invades your A space until you address them. Be patient, though, even engaging content may not immediately elicit responses. Don’t interpret this as “no one cares about” or saw your post.
Instead, adopt a more realistic perspective regarding social media. Think of it as strategy rather than a sequential “if we do this, then people buy/do this” cause-effect relationship. Build your social media brand one brick at a time, and eventually you may find yourself with a veritable brand empire.
Just remember to keep your content lively and include an element of surprise or novelty when appropriate. And when all else fails, include a cat video.