It’s time to take your social media seriously
By: David Cordell, Creative Director
If your opinion of social media before COVID-19 was that it was just a waste of time, well, you’re still right, sort of… But consider that the traditional forms for advertising and marketing, like outdoor and radio, were rendered virtually useless as most of humanity was quarantined indoors. During that time, everyone flocked to social media for news, comfort, humor, distraction and shopping. While the pandemic now seems to be over, the increase in popularity of social media has not dwindled.
As we move forward into a post COVID-19 world, we need to continue to take social media seriously as the dominant form of advertising and marketing. It’s simply the evolution of communication and how we connect with each other. That evolution might look like less outdoor and radio, with more businesses adopting the work from home model, which means less drivers on the roads. Evolution could be in the form of how we view social media. For most, it’s still the add-on to a campaign, but that has to change. Sure, the common apps like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram are seeing increased activity, but it’s apps like Whatsapp and TikTok that are the big winners as people search for new ways to stay connected.
Start thinking of your social as “the destination”. Build your campaigns from the social perspective first - not making it an after thought of the intern in a back closet. Start to evolve and think of new ways to stay relevant. Maybe it’s designing a series of engaging videos that give your followers a reason to follow you. Or developing a series that highlights your employees that begins to show appreciation and personality. Maybe it's getting creative with new ways to utilize your product, such as utilizing an influencer to conduct user-generated content.
Once you start taking your social media seriously, you’ll quickly find out that it’s a living, breathing thing. You can’t ignore it any more than you can ignore a pet or a needy child. It needs attention; it craves attention. Putting in the time and dedication to developing your platforms will pay off if done correctly.
It’s critical to have an agency partner that not only understands the importance of social media, but also knows how to unify all of your advertising and marketing efforts. Bohlsen Group is such an agency with the experience of high end traditional advertising combined with the spirit of innovation of the ever changing landscape of communication.