Social media and Corporate Social Responsibility: What can we do?

Consumers are waking up to the value of buying products and services. Brands that take an active role in driving societal change or supporting causes that matter to customers are now actively sought out by consumers. 

More companies are investing in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Creating a competitive advantage in the marketplace does more than drive people to connect with a brand. 

The use of social media is an effective way to promote and engage people in CSR. Statista projects there will be more than 6 billion users by 2027, according to Statista. 

This article will provide tips for boosting engagement, reaching a wider audience, and empowering your customers through social media.

1) Promote action and reaction

Social media channels are great for promoting your CSR programs. However, posting and leaving isn't enough. Your social media followers need to be engaged and encouraged to take action, or at least react. 

For instance, you might post about reducing the company's carbon footprint and prompt engagement. Inviting followers to a sustainability webinar would be a good way to expand the program. 

The ECOS company focuses on sustainability and the environment with its eco-cleaning products. Their Instagram carousel encourages people to try sustainable coffee swaps. Not only is it interactive, asking people to swipe, but it also provides simple and actionable environmental advice.

ECOS Instagram

2) Maintain consistency but don't overdo it

Keep your CSR commitments in focus, but don't dominate your social media feeds with just this kind of content. 

A prospect or customer may perceive it as overbearing, pushy, or salesy. In contrast, if you say too little, it could appear as though you do not value your commitments. 

Social media feeds should always have a mix of content. It is essential to keep your social media posts in line with your ethos and values. 

Nike is a good example. As there is so much content and ground to cover in terms of topics or issues, the company puts its values front and center, as can be seen in its Twitter profile update. 

Nike twitter profile

The two hashtags on their profile support black rights and advocate for the cessation of Asian hate, making it clear where their focus lies. Their Twitter feed offers entertaining and diverse content, featuring sports personalities, promoting new products, and recalling moments in sporting history, while never forgetting their CSR commitment. This is a tribute to Serena Williams after her final tennis match, with a prompt for followers to share their stories.

Nike Serena William's retirement tweet

3) Be an advocate for change

Having a CSR program that is focused is crucial. It doesn't mean you should link CSR issues to social media trends. On the other hand, there are times when it is essential to be vocal and to take action about issues that matter to your industry. 

A #StopHateforProfit campaign was launched in 2020 by social justice groups in response to Facebook's inaction on hate speech and misinformation. 

Smaller companies joined at first, but larger brands such as BestBuy, North Face, Diageo, Walgreens, and Adidas also joined.

4) Storytelling is an effective tool

Corporate social responsibility initiatives require storytelling. The narrative you weave on your social media channels should engage people and make them curious about more. 

If you post about your partnership with a local charity, people may not click. It's more likely to prompt action and reaction if you post a testimonial of somebody or a family that will benefit from your contribution. 

5) Make your brand more human

CSR programs should enhance the perception of your brand, but you can also put a human face on them by highlighting your top executives or employees. 

This relates to the storytelling we discussed earlier. Stories can come from unexpected places, but if they are told well, they can enhance public perception of your brand and benefit you. 

6) Curate content

CSR initiatives adopted by your company will also resonate with other companies. As a result, you're likely to find research or developments in areas where your social media audience is interested, such as climate change. 

Using third-party information and posts to highlight issues will cement your CSR initiatives. Rather than taking away from your brand, you will demonstrate your dedication to a cause because you care, not because you want to drive traffic. 

7) Collaborate with a non-profit

Despite endless postings about your CSR efforts on social media, customers want to see results. In order to bring about positive change, we need to invest in these initiatives. Partnering with or supporting a non-profit organization is an effective way to accomplish this. 

Consider the non-profit's mission instead of its profile when choosing one. Rather than how many followers they have or how well known the brand is, it's about aligning your values with theirs. Small and local organizations may be a better fit for a small to medium-sized company and may also have a greater impact locally. 

Over the past fifteen years, The North Face has partnered with breast cancer organizations Boarding for Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. Their goal is to support outdoor wellness and recovery. 

A brand that makes outdoor clothing raises awareness and funds at the same time. Throughout the campaign, pink items reflect the breast cancer logo and breast cancer survivors are featured, including climber Louise Mousseau.

The North Face on Instagram

8) Plan ahead for social media crises

Social issues are always controversial and there's always the possibility that not all reactions are positive. 

That's why you need a plan to deal with a social media crisis. Whenever there is a backlash or negativity from the public, the response must be coordinated, aligned across platforms, and well planned.  

It is important to choose a tone of voice, to have access to content that will help form a response, and to have a spokesperson who is familiar with media responses if necessary. Be quick to respond, but keep it measured; do not let things snowball by waiting too long. 

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media and digital marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

How to use email for inbound marketing?

An inbound email campaign engages people who have already shown interest in your brand or product/service through email. It may be through a free trial, sign-up, download, or take-up of an offer. 

In 2025, Statista estimates there will be nearly 4.6 billion email users, with marketers reporting an increase in email usage. Email's ROI of 36 cents per dollar is also impressive. 

Email can be used in a variety of ways to engage leads. Here are the four most popular.

1) Welcome or onboarding email

It's important to send a welcome or onboarding email to contacts when they sign up for a newsletter or offer. Once they express interest, you can put your brand in front of them within minutes. 

This example from SaaS company, MindBody, shows an email welcoming a customer and telling them their options for improving their wellness approach. A link to their Instagram account is also included at the end.

Mind Body email

2) Cart abandonment

You can send an email to remind a customer of their intention when they add a product to their cart but abandon it for some reason. 

With Le Tote's follow-up copy that includes 'it's about to expire' to drive urgency, and a CTA that reads 'Start Renting Now', the online women's clothing retailer reengages prospects with clean imagery and smart, simple copy. 

Let Tote cart abandonment email

3) Discount or special offer

Contacts who have been inactive on your site or have not engaged with your brand can be reengaged by discounts or exclusive offers. In this example, the Google Store offers a range of summer deals on devices with a simple call to action of 'Shop Now'. 

Google email

4) Trends or ‘best of’

Emails that are relevant to your audience and focus on your sector can help you promote yourself as an industry leader. Linking to a blog or landing page for a downloadable asset can not only engage a prospect but also capture more information about them. 

Fiverr's example highlights small business trends with a short description and a call to action to get people to the needs index. Consider creating or repurposing assets to drive email engagement. 

You might want to create an article on upcoming trends, such as ours on 'The Next Big Digital Marketing Trends in 2022', to help drive traffic.

Fiverr email

Email inbound marketing tools

The MailChimp email marketing tool is a great choice for beginners and experts alike. Email campaigns can be tracked, lists can be managed, segmentation can be applied, and email templates can be developed and tested. 

Use Klaviyo to personalize emails and SMS, scale emails and segment users based on behavior and preferences. 

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media and digital marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Three ways to support employees' digital skills development

In the process of digital transformation, people are just as important as the technologies, processes, and infrastructure. 

Investing in the future of its employees is an important aspect of digital transformation, not only to drive digital maturity but to demonstrate a commitment to its culture.

The pressure to improve learning and development opportunities across industries continues to increase, so those in charge of skills progression need to find new ways to empower employees and provide them with opportunities to grow.

LinkedIn's Workplace Learning Report reveals 94% of working professionals are loyal to their current employer if it invests in their continuous learning.  

Why is it so important for businesses to drive the 'people' part of digital transformation? To answer that question, we must examine three essential elements: mindset, skillset, and toolset.

1.Mindset

Digital transformation is about leadership, strategy, and culture at the mindset stage. Ultimately, the business wants to adopt a digital culture.

Senior executives were once blamed for slow digital transformation progression, but it now appears that frontline staff are causing the problem.

It is true that CEOs are heavily involved in (and committed to) transformational change, but many frontline employees find the process to be more challenging. Although this is true, McKinsey & Company studies demonstrate that many organizations have difficulty attracting and training tech-savvy executives.

Upskilling talent

For a seamless digital transformation process to succeed, communication and empowerment are the key components. 

Communication – Companies that communicate effectively with employees across all levels are more likely to succeed with transformation compared with those that don't use it. 

Business owners and managers who implement effective communication programs and receive support outperform their competitors 3.5 times more often. What is seen to work in terms of communication is:

• Communicate clearly about transformation goals

• Engagement of the CEO in the transformation process

• Data and information are regularly accessible

• Visible engagement of senior leaders

• The ability of frontline employees to see visible changes in their work environment

• Continual commitment to employee training, learning, and development

Communication can be greatly aided by digital technologies, such as social media channels, change management apps, or games, and live feedback tools.

Empowerment – Many frontline staff members find it challenging to understand where their role fits in a transformation process. Providing employees with the opportunity to see how their involvement can help advance the transformation not only engages them in the process but also helps them understand how it affects the business's success.

Human Resources (HR) can assist in leading this process as they have the best understanding of the capabilities of employees and where skill gaps exist. Talent development can benefit employees, while recruitment can be used when employees in-house lack the required skills.

Investing in employees is empowerment, since satisfied employees feel valued and recognized by their employers. It was discovered by Deloitte that organizations with recognition have 14 percent higher employee engagement, productivity, and performance, and that a 15 percent increase in engagement results in a 2 percent increase in margins. 

2.Skillset

Digital skills are unaffordable across industries due to a lack of workers.

A widening digital skills gap

There is still a substantial gap in the skillsets of organizations, despite digital natives and millennials entering the workforce. Currently, 70 percent of the current workforce (including young digital natives) feels they lack the skills they need to succeed. It's alarming, especially since today's businesses rely on millennials and Gen Zers to fill job openings.

In order to harness the evolution of digital technologies, it is necessary to continually boost the skills required to filter out platforms or initiatives that may not work and focus on those that do.

In PwC's U.S. Remote Work 2021 survey. It is anticipated that 72% of executives will invest in tools to improve virtual collaboration to aid in their digital transformation efforts.

Investing in internal talent is a must for modern businesses

Corporations face a huge problem because those with the skills can choose where to work and are in high demand across industries and sectors. 

Therefore, many highly skilled professionals in the market are in control and will choose companies offering the best salary package as well as learning and development opportunities.

An employee engagement survey conducted by Quantum Workplace found that 79 percent of employees are attracted to companies that provide continuous learning and development.

Rather than hiring to address the skills shortage issue, forward-thinking organizations are developing in-house talent to fill the gap.

Some corporations have learning and development initiatives, but scale and standardization are often issues, especially for those with large and global workforces. Digital skills are no longer limited to marketing departments, as digital is integrated throughout a company.

It is essential to provide certifications and accreditations that employees need to adhere to. The skills of the individual must be at a particular level in order for them to be accredited through a certification program. By applying these skills, they can drive the digital transformation of your organization by ensuring the same standards of capabilities across the entire workforce.

A number of HR department heads feel that having professionally certified employees has a positive impact on their organization's profitability. 

The benefits of certification offer employees both in their current roles and as they move into the future, and future hires look for this as part of an organization's learning and development program.

3.Toolset

Different people learn in different ways. While some people still learn best through classroom settings or workshops, others learn best through online learning at their own pace and in their own environment. Combining the two works well for some, incorporating online learning into a classroom or workshop setting.

With the development of digital technologies, professionals seeking upskilling have turned to online learning. Having access to content whenever and wherever you need it is becoming more important as our lives become busier and time becomes more precious. 

Knowledge retention and skills increase by 25 to 60 percent through online learning. Flexible online learning models are a testament to their value. 

In comparison to face-to-face training, online learning also improves retention. Individuals are able to learn at their own pace and refer back to materials whenever necessary. Providing videos and webinars with a live Q&A at the end can bring great value to the program, as well as providing support networks that allow learners to interact with one another.

Reengage employees by monitoring

A major benefit of using digital tools for many organizations is that they can track how and what their employees learn. Resource popularity can be used to determine which resources are most effective. 

Individual progress can also be tracked, and any lagging behind or struggling participants can receive a simple email to motivate them to reengage. Those making progress can be congratulated for their progress and encouraged to keep learning using a similar approach.

The success of digital transformation depends on employees. Creating and cultivating a culture of digital maturity will enable an organization's workforce to drive its digital maturity and elevate it to the ranks of a digital leader.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Social Commerce on the Rise

The trend of selling directly through social media is growing globally. A frictionless and focused customer experience, in which users can discover, research, and buy without leaving social media, is a powerful strategy for increasing sales. 

As key platforms improve their shopping and checkout features, the social media industry is preparing for an acceleration of social commerce growth. The data from Statista shows that 11% of social media users bought a product immediately after discovering it, while 44% made a purchase later.

Covid-19 has accelerated social commerce as well, with many users researching and making purchases with platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Social commerce buyers increased to 80 million in 2020, according to Emarketer's 'Social Commerce 2021' report. By 2022, the number will increase to 96 million.

Platforms such as Instagram are also making plans to increase in-app purchases by offering features such as saving payment details and simplifying check-out pages.

Take a look at how social commerce can help your business drive sales and revenue.

Social commerce: how does it work?

When it comes to selling physical goods, integrating social commerce into your strategy is essential. There is no barrier to purchase, such as slow website loading times and lengthy user journeys.

Many social media purchases are driven by impulse buying, especially if the price is right. The average value of online orders referred through social media was $81.05 in Q2 of 2021, according to Statista. 

When a user sees an item they want to purchase, such as a pair of sunglasses, they click 'shop now' or 'buy now' to complete the purchase. Prices, descriptions and delivery information will all be available within the social platform, so there is no need to go to the retailer's website.

The combination of user-generated content, generated by customers and influencers, and social commerce tools such as shoppable tags and links leads to an increase in impulse purchases. This increase is driven by lifestyle and emotions. Users seek social proof that the products are well-made, credible and recommended by people they respect or admire.

What platforms support social commerce?

Statista predicts that 8 of 10 US businesses will sell via social media in the next three years, highlighting the value of these outlets as a sales channel.

Social commerce is currently available on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. In 2022, YouTube is also testing capabilities of adding shoppable tags and links to video content.

Social media users can create shops if they use a professional account. You can change this setting from the settings menu of your personal account.

Facebook and Instagram have similar social commerce features; you can tag items from your shop in photos and videos. Instagram's Reels and Stories both have this feature.

Instagram example of hovering

When people see your products in your posts, they can select those tags to get details about the products, including their names and prices. By clicking on these tags, they will be taken through to your shop where they can find out more, and purchase. See below for an example of hovering providing product information on Instagram.

Users will currently be able to purchase the product on your website - but Meta is currently testing in-app purchases in the US. A product can be tagged when you create a new post or when you edit an existing post. There is no limit to how many products can be tagged in a post, but this would appear cluttered and complex, so no more than 10 tags are recommended.

Social commerce brands

'Not on the High Street' tags products within its Facebook posts using Facebook shopping.

As a result, brands can easily show seasonal items around key retail dates like Easter, Christmas, Mother's Day, and Ramadan, while also allowing customers to see pricing and find their exact landing pages.

Not on the High Street, Ramadan gifts

Scandiborn Instagram

Scandiborn shares customer UGC in posts and stories by using shopable tags on Instagram. They can show potential customers how their products look in a lifestyle setting.

Social commerce is suitable for whom?

Social commerce is limited to selling physical products, so events, digital products, and services aren't eligible. Meta is testing in-app purchases on Horizon Worlds, its social virtual reality app.

Businesses that wish to sell on social media sites must also follow their own merchant guidelines. Social media cannot be used to sell the following items:

• alcohol

• some healthcare products

• digital products

• event tickets

• subscriptions

Google will let you know what the merchant guidelines are for each social media network.

The largest category for social commerce is apparel/accessories, but consumer electronics, cosmetics, home decor, and consumer goods are also important.

According to eMarketer, brands with "new products and/or aspirational imagery are well suited to social commerce environments".

Sometimes, an item may be rejected by a social media platform because of changed rules or errors in algorithms picking up certain words in product descriptions. The platform will notify you if a product is rejected and will not be listed in your shop. They will also offer an opportunity to appeal the decision.

How can I optimize my social shop to attract more customers?

As soon as you've installed social commerce, you should consider how to optimize your shop to encourage more visitors, and how to convert followers into customers. Below are some tips for optimizing your social shop:

• Make your social shop look good - A good first impression is essential to building trust and credibility. Focus on keywords and descriptions. All of your products should have short, searchable descriptions. In addition to your product description, upload at least four high-resolution images, and lifestyle images work best.Think about creating collections or groups of items - Make sure your shop is easy to navigate and explore, particularly ahead of key seasonal events such as Christmas, Mother's Day, Black Friday, etc. By using categories within its shop called Collections, Nike has done this very well on Instagram. These are titled 'Gifts for Him' and 'Gifts for Her', making their products easy to find ahead of key holiday gifting seasons.

• Shoppable tags should be integrated into organic content, not just a separate tab.  Create social proof in your brand with UGC along with shoppable tags. Provide valuable and interesting content to make your shop more appealing to customers.

Nike collections on Instagram

Starting a social commerce business

As a first step, review which platforms you'd like to use for social commerce and determine if your products meet the platform's requirements.

Create your social shops if your products are eligible, taking care to create attractive, easily navigable social shops with plenty of product detail. Consider leveraging your organic content as well as influencers and advertising to gain new followers, and all-important conversions into sales.

Consumer behavior online suggests that since the global Covid-19 pandemic began, online shoppers are more willing to try new ways to shop. Several social media platforms are investing heavily in ways to integrate social commerce into their experiences. Consider your social commerce offering sooner rather than later if you are looking to increase product sales.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What are the steps in building a successful social media strategy?

Here are seven steps to creating a successful social media strategy which includes:

1) Set goals for your business

It is important to spend time on this stage, as understanding and defining your social media goals will determine the rest of your strategy.

Consider what your business wants to accomplish through social media, and keep in mind that marketing goals are different from business goals. Do you want to increase brand awareness in the marketplace, learn more about your audience, expand your following or generate more leads? All of these goals may be important to you, but it's important to note they will involve different tactics on social media.

Set your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) when setting your goals to understand what social media metrics to focus on.

Metrics should be set for each channel you use to be successful. On Facebook, for example, reach, engagement, and impressions are important, whereas on Instagram, interaction and discovery are essential.

Apart from the basic metrics, you can also track the growth rate of your audience, the amplification rate of your content, or the virality of it. There are many metrics you can use to track success, so choose the ones that are important to your business.

2) Know who your audience is

It is crucial to understand your audience and what they want before you create personalized messages and content. A good way to do that is to conduct market research via online surveys, customer interviews, or by setting up a focus group.

Social listening is another way to learn more about your customers and community.

The two methods will help you formulate buyer personas that combine your buyer profile and buyer insights to paint a picture of your ideal customer. Personas can be created to capture different insights, demographics, and pain points.

3) Research your competitors

A strategic approach to social marketing must include competitor research. Knowing what platforms your competitors use and what campaigns they run will help you understand what they are doing in the social space.

It is also possible to see their message, the content they produce, and the frequency of their posts. Understanding their approach to customer engagement and the success of their engagement can either help you emulate it or suggest a different direction to capture customers' attention.

Selecting the right social media platform is essential to the campaign's success.

4) Select your social media platforms

The question is not whether you should be active on social media, but how to choose the best channels for your business.

There are a lot of options, so it can be confusing at first. Nevertheless, don't be tempted to be present on them all for the sake of it. Some may not suit your business or content. Which social networks should you target and how do you optimize your content for each?

Facebook:

Facebook, one of the largest and oldest social media platforms, provides a targeted way to reach prospects and customers. This platform works for many types of content, and Facebook Live allows you to connect with customers through video.

Instagram:

Instagram has grown rapidly over the past few years and continues to be a hit among younger audiences. It's a great platform for showcasing products and connecting with influencers to gain new customers. In addition, Instagram will offer in-app shopping via shoppable posts soon, enabling customers to make purchases on the platform. 

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is the place to be for B2B businesses and also provides opportunities for B2C businesses. Both organically and through paid advertising, it allows businesses to connect with each other. The best types of content for this platform are blogs, whitepapers, eBooks, and industry-related content. 

YouTube:

YouTube video is being viewed somewhere right now. It's that popular! The internet provides marketers with a way to connect with customers in a way that offers information, but can also be entertaining. This platform could be ideal for brands that produce a lot of videos, especially how-tos or tutorials.

5) Plan your content

After you've done your research and determined the right social media platforms, it's time to plan your content and approach.

Let’s go into planning your content in simple steps:

• Set a tone for your pages. The tone of your brand is how you want the world to perceive it. Are you formal or casual? Is your business more serious or humorous? Do you want to showcase your brand's personality differently on each platform and speak differently on each?

• Create themes for your content. Take a look at what your USP is and determine which content themes or buckets you can create. Imagine that you're a travel resort or hotel and you want to share your spa and healthy recipes. You can create a content bucket around wellness. A content bucket could be about your location, what makes that location unique and interesting? Is it the wildlife, the scenery, etc.? There are some great tools available if you need help with content creation.

• Set up a content calendar. A social media posting calendar can help keep your posting on track especially if you're posting on multiple channels. Posting regularly on social networks is crucial. There are optimum days and times for networks as well, so keep that in mind.

• Create a content plan. Maintaining a schedule is important for consistency if you post regularly on social media.

There is no magic formula for creating good content. It's all about putting out content, analyzing it, optimizing it, and trying new things.

6) Manage and engage your community

As a result of social media, you can build connections and create communities. Communities help to build brand awareness and build engagement.

It is incredible how an active community can create brand advocates and attract new customers. A community needs to be nurtured, so you need to take time to build and then grow it.

The key to managing and engaging a social media community is to be responsive. Customer queries or comments should be answered quickly and helpfully. As social media becomes more popular as a way for customers to communicate, there will inevitably be complaints. If you want to avoid a social media crisis, respond positively and ask how you can improve their experience. 

Conduct polls or surveys to engage your community. It makes them feel like part of the community, but may also help you learn more about your customer base.

7) Get more followers

It is pointless to have a social media channel if you do not gain new followers. Growing your audience is an important part of any social media strategy, and you need to employ tactics to do so.

Growing your audience can be achieved organically or through paid advertising. First, content is crucial since it will help to drive engagement and attract users. Consider offering a competition or a glimpse behind-the-scenes of working for your brand.

Don't forget to cross-promote from one platform to another. If you have an Instagram account, your Facebook fans may be interested. Share a post to see the impact across channels.

Paid advertising allows you to set a budget and target a group of users.

You can keep track of all your campaigns by using a paid media campaign tracker. If you have a product that you want to promote, you can work with influencers. Micro-influencers can be helpful, especially if you're a local bar or restaurant looking to get customers in the door. Press releases and articles in relevant publications are also effective methods of driving people to your social media channels.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

The ‘Back To Basics’ Marketing Success of Oatly

Have you noticed the endless choice of milks you can add to your latte or cappuccino right now?

From soy and almond to hazelnut, rice, and beyond, there has never been such an eclectic mix of ways to experiment with your morning coffee. And, of all the alt-milks on the market right now, oat is arguably the top dog.

Oh, and in case you're not aware, Oatly is one of the world's leading purveyors of plant-based milk.

In fact, Oatly has seen an incredible rate of growth during the pandemic, with an impressive 2020 sales growth of 295% across all of its product categories, globally. And, with the brand’s success set to continue, Oatly is in the midst of launching an IPO by the end of 2021.

Oatly is in its prime right now, but how did the brand’s seemingly overnight success come about—and how does it approach its marketing activities?

We’re going to take a look at Oatly’s colossal success and explore the brand’s forward-thinking ‘back to basics with a twist’ approach to marketing.

Bowl and spoon at the ready—let’s dive in.

Rise of the Plant-Based Milk

With the threat of an environmental crisis looming, people are more eco-conscious with their consumer choices than ever.  A revolution is in motion.

But, believe it or not, plant-based milk is not a brand new concept. In fact, Belgian brand Alpro was founded in the 1980s and is often referred to as the pioneer of alternative milk products—with soy, hazelnut and oat all part of its range. But, a decade after the company’s launch, a new brand began its journey...

Formulated in Sweden by food scientist, Rickard Öste, during the 1990s, Oatly was created to appeal to people who have a lactose intolerance while providing a healthier, more environmentally-sustainable alternative to cow’s milk.

Given that around 68% of the world is estimated to be lactose intolerant and that oat milk offers a solution to a variety of consumer pain points (the environment, allergies, and personal health), Öste’s oat milk product was tipped for great things.

The product’s original incarnation, ‘Mill Milk’ was rolled out in Europe but with minimal success. Following that, an oat-based yoghurt with Danone flopped—something wasn’t hitting the commercial mark.

After going back to the drawing board and reimagining his brand image and marketing strategy—something we’ll talk about in more detail below—Öste launched Oatly, expanding his product range to meet the needs of a growing market. Now, Oatly owns 65% of the Swedish non-dairy category.

Savvy marketing and branding aside, one of the key components of Oatly’s roaring success is down to seizing opportunity when it arises. In this case, it’s the sharp uptake of eco-consciousness and veganism. Oatly made its mark in Sweden, and now is enjoying world domination (of the plant-based variety). Today’s consumers are holding brands more and more accountable for their practices in terms of sustainability

By 2025, the vegan food market is set to be worth a whopping $24.06 billion. And according to Global Market Insights, the plant-based milk market will reach $12 billion in value alone by 2026.

Oatly is right where it needs to be—but since it launched in its current form around 2016, the brand took a bold marketing leap—adopting a level of vision its competitors were unable to achieve.

“You see a graphic that shows up on the news of the categories that are surging in growth. And you're like, OK, hand sanitiser, that makes sense. There was a toilet paper shortage. I've read about that. And then you see oat milk on that list, and you're like, 'What, how is that on there?”Mike Messersmith, President of Oatly, North America

Brand Awareness: Going Straight to the Frontline

The uptake in oat milk did indeed soar during the COVID-19 pandemic and Oatly reaped the rewards. But, before that happened, the brand did something a little unorthodox by today’s standards.

Rather than investing in droves of Google Ads or going straight in for the social media kill, Oatly decided to expand its commercial reach and raise vital product awareness in the US (a huge target market) by going straight to the front line—the coffee shops.

To ride the crest of the plant-based wave and place its product (and branding) right before a captive coffee-drinking audience, Oatly teamed up with a selection of artisanal coffee shops where patrons were more likely to seek an alternative to dairy in their daily cup of Joe.

Through the baristas on the front line, Oatly positioned itself as the greatest alternative to dairy, searing its name (and its taste) into the minds of satisfied coffee drinkers across the nation. Arguably, the most creative part of the initiative is the fact that Oatly made a Barista Blend that is thicker than its traditional products—making it easier for those advocating for Oatly to make better, more attractive coffees for their customers.

Eventually, coffee shop consumers began to recognise the Oatly name, and the brand expanded its cafe-centric domination, placing its now-famous Barista Blend in these trendy, quirky, independent venues across the nation (coffee shops that align with Oatly’s brand image and ideals).

In 2018, Oatly opened its first factory in New Jersey—and a shortage of its signature oat milk even saw committed converts buying severely marked up cartons of the stuff on eBay.

This is arguably one of the most successful cases of bold, creative marketing in recent history—but Oatly knows how to do digital too.

What Sets Oatly Apart

Following the success of its barista-based initiative, Oatly invested in its online presence with campaigns and messaging that stand out from the crowd.

Brand principles

From the start Oatly has been dedicated to helping the planet with a more than palatable plant-based alternative to dairy milk. And, all of the brand’s campaign messaging reflects its ideals and delivers them to its audience in a way that really resonates.

Oatly’s recent ‘Help Dad’ campaign, for instance, targeted teens, inspiring them to convert their fathers to plant-based milk through a series of humorous yet provocative videos:

Some of the ads earned prime time Saturday night ad slots in the UK and although some saw the campaign as blinkered and ageist, the brand’s uncompromising tone shone through. To supplement the campaign and engage dairy-loving dads (and their kids), Oatly created a dedicated microsite to helping middle-aged men (identified as the demographic least likely to convert to plant-based milk) switch to Oatly with info, tips, and recipe ideas.

Oatly also created a landing page that encourages consumers to sign a petition against the EU’s censorship of plant-based products.

Informative, direct, and dedicated to the cause, ‘stop plant-based censorship’ is another effective digital outlet for the brand’s mission for sustainability.

Unique tone of voice

In addition to its unwavering brand ideals and its ever-expanding range of oat-based products, Oatly stands out from the crowd due to its unmistakable branding and unique tone of voice.

This video jingle from Oatly’s very own CEO, Toni Petersson, is a prime example of the brand’s playful yet direct brand messaging.

Akin to British drinks company Innocent, you can spot Oatly’s brand voice a mile off—making it instantly recognisable and as digestible as the products themselves.

Oatly knows its audience inside-out and as such creates messaging that strikes a personal chord with its audience across just about every touchpoint imaginable.

Staying true to its original marketing focus, the brand also has an Instagram channel dedicated to baristas where it shines a light on this 21st-century artform while providing a branded space for coffee professionals to connect, share insights or simply enjoy browsing.

The brand’s messaging takes on a life of its own—and it has the creative assets to back it up—initiatives like its closest Oatly-serving cafes map, called Oatfinder.

Oatly’s brand tone is fun and accessible—but when it comes to sustainability, its messaging pulls no punches. It’s this idyllic balance and clearcut commitment to its original mission that contributes to Oatly’s ongoing global plant-based milk domination.

Oatly: the Future…

An ever-expanding product range and a continual rise in popularity mean that Oatly is likely to enjoy riding the crest of the plant-based wave for some time to come.

To expand its commercial reach while maintaining its commitment towards a more sustainable planet, Oatly is currently working with two non-profit organisations to encourage farmers to start growing food-grade oats as part of their regular crop rotations. And, with initiatives like this, irresistible digital content is likely to follow.

There is a small wave of consumers that has been boycotting Oatly due to a recent deal it made with Blackstone—an alleged donor of the Trump administration and a firm accused of contributing to  Amazon deforestation.

While some former brand advocates have accused Oatly of getting into bed with the enemy and selling its soul, the brand came back with, as you might imagine, a well-executed statement:

"We thought that if we could convince [Blackstone] that it’s as profitable (and in the long-term even more profitable) to invest in a sustainability company like Oatly, then all the other private equity firms of the world would look, listen and start to steer their collective worth of 4 trillion US dollars into green investments."

Despite the recent controversy, the fact remains that Oatly is currently at the top of its game—and the best may be yet to come. If nothing else, this story goes to show the power of persistence and the value of going against the grain in a competitive digital world.

Oatly shows how a successful and effective marketing strategy can help a brand stand out in a crowd - if you seek more local examples, join our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts and get the global recognised certificate today!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What are the Benefits of Earning a Digital Marketing Certification?

A qualification can be the key to starting your digital marketing career or advancing it. It doesn't matter if you're experienced in the field or just starting out. Obtaining a qualification/certification offers many benefits, including the fact that you do not need any prior educational background to start.

The following are some of the benefits of getting a certification:

Stay On Top of New Developments

Certifications help you stay on top of new developments in your industry. Innovations in technology are constantly advancing, so staying up-to-date on digital will help you stay competitive.

Make Yourself More Employable

The trend of college graduates being underemployed is on the rise. According to The Washington Post, this has resulted in 40 percent of graduates being in jobs that don’t require a degree. This has resulted in colleges offering certificates before graduation so students can have the skills employers are looking for. Therefore, if you want a job in digital marketing, being certified shows prospective employers that you have the necessary practical knowledge.

Get Yourself Ready for Promotional Opportunities

Hard and soft skills are needed for digital marketing. One or two specialties in your niche can help you advance quickly in a company. It is easy to become a successful content marketer or manager if you are an expert with PPC and SEO, for example.

Demand a Higher Wage

The earning potential of a digital marketer is high. It is one of the top ten highest-paying jobs without a degree. A certificate on your resume will strengthen your ability to command a higher salary and give you the confidence to know that you deserve it.

Set Yourself Apart from Peers

Certifications will set you apart from your competitors during job interviews and promotions. Furthermore, it illustrates a desire for self-improvement that reflects highly on your character, not just having the relevant certifications and skills.

Combine Education with Practical Knowledge

In reality, you may believe that formal education is important. A digital marketing certification is a combination of education and hands-on experience. It meets the requirements for post-secondary education that focuses on teaching you the knowledge you are going to need in the real world.

Be Your Own Boss

By obtaining a recognized qualification in digital marketing, you will have the knowledge and experience to set up your own business. Having your own business will also allow you to become a freelance digital marketer and travel around the world. Certifications should also demonstrate to investors, stakeholders, and customers that you know how to grow and promote a business to make their investment (money or time) worthwhile.

Take the first step towards a successful digital marketing career with a certification.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

6 Reasons Nobody Reads Your Blog

While 91% of businesses were using content marketing, not all are getting good effect from it. If you’re disappointed by your blog’s traffic, you aren’t alone.

To be honest, some businesses simply have expectations that are too high – anticipating every post to go viral. However, if after a couple of months of blogging you’re still only receiving a handful of views, it may be time to make some changes. You can learn more with our content strategy blog article.  

In the meantime, the following list shares six reasons why no one is reading your blog. Chances are, if your traffic is miniscule, you’re making one of these mistakes.

1. Your blog doesn’t have a relevant focus

The Digital Marketing Institute prides itself in providing unparalleled digital marketing insights and advice – both through our courses and on the blog.

But what would happen if you arrived at our blog next week to discover we had written the world’s best article on cats?

Regardless of your personal preference toward them, you’d probably be a bit surprised. After all, you came here to learn marketing strategies, not pet grooming tips.

The crux of the matter is this – if we began producing blog articles on random, inconsistent topics every week, we’d quickly lose readers. And rightly so!

If your blog traffic is struggling, the first question to ask yourself is: Does the blog offer content that people actually want, on a regular, reliable basis? While one great article can drive traffic to your site, it won’t necessarily retain those visitors. The purpose of your blog should be to establish yourself as a thought leader on a specific topic. Know what that topic is – and focus on it exclusively.

“Focusing is about saying no.”Steve Jobs

2. Your content simply isn't good enough

Gone are the days when you could write a blog post in 15 minutes and rank at the top of Google. With the plethora of high quality sources and a multitude of content channels available today, readers aren’t willing to put up with mediocre content, nor do they have to.

If the focus of your blog is on track, then take a look at the quality of your content. Does your blog provide value-add, or is it just rehashing what people can learn elsewhere? Would you actually subscribe to your blog, or would you consider it a waste of time?

Poor quality blog posts can turn customers away – so give your readers something worth reading! If you can’t invest enough time to post daily, transition to a weekly or bi-weekly publishing calendar. It’s better to produce one high-quality piece than 10 embarrassingly cheap articles. Just remember that high-quality content is not going to come for pennies. You’re better off paying a premium for one exceptional blog per month then buying a cheap post every day.

If you do your blogging right, the time and money investment is worth it. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads. so you Invest more time in fewer articles, develop thought leadership content, and watch your following grow.

3. You don't have SEO in mind

Do you remember, back in the day, when you would click on the top Google search result only to find a spammy blog post full of ads and absent of value? Back then, digital marketing consisted of keyword stuffing your blog posts to trick search engines. Even if the article was completely incomprehensible and worthless, the right keyword strategies would get it to the top of search results.

Fortunately that isn’t the case anymore. However, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is more important than ever. While social media strategies can give a post short-term bumps in traffic, the long-term, residual traffic will come from ranking high in search results.

Although this can’t be done overnight, there are a few things you can do to improve the SEO of your articles and blog posts.

Start by including keyword phrases in titles, subheadings, and within the text. If someone searches for “ways to improve my blog traffic”, a title called “10 Ways to Improve Your Blog Traffic” will usually place higher than a title like “A Blogger’s Journey Towards Discovery and Growth”. Sure, the first title isn’t as creative, but search engines know that it will help the reader. Write your content for people and Google.

Use tools and plugins to help monitor and improve your content’s SEO. One great freemium tool for WordPress users is the Yoast SEO tool, which is recommended and used by thousands of top bloggers. The plugin tracks your keyword usage across titles, within the text, and on images to improve your content’s chances of being ranked well in search engines.

Next, boost the traffic to the blog post through social media, links on your own website, and links from other authority sites. If you’re writing high quality content, people will naturally want to share it – but you can boost your visibility by contacting industry influencers and sharing your new blog post with them. If it would be useful to their audiences, they may very likely mention your site in one of their future blog posts.

4. Your content is too self-promotional

It’s a harsh but largely universal truth: Nobody cares about your company or product. Yes, you might be excited about your new service or speedy growth, but other people don’t care. They’re too busy trying to solve their own problems and satisfy their own needs.

Too many blogs are stuffed with overtly promotional content – making it very clear that the focus is not to provide value to the customer, but to drive sales. No one is going to follow a blog that shares article after article praising their own product. People read blog posts to gain insights or be entertained – not to view ads.

“But isn’t the purpose of a blog to drive sales?”

Absolutely! But blogging is a long-game strategy. Your blog posts should have a Call-to-Action, but that CTA shouldn’t be “Buy, buy buy!”

Instead, provide valuable content that’s relevant to your potential customers. Then, encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter or download a whitepaper with industry-specific advice. Once you have the person’s email address, you can send them a direct email asking if they have any questions about your product or are interested in a trial/discount.

Most of your blog readers will never become customers. But that’s okay. Continue to provide valuable content and those readers will share your posts across their network – increasing the likelihood of being noticed by interested prospects.

Keep your blog focused on education, not sales, and your sales will also improve.

5. Your editorial calendar is irregular

It has become less important to publish a new article every day, with the rise of all those other content channels, like your Twitter and Facebook feeds. But your dedicated readers should at least hear from you on a consistent basis. Remember, content marketing is a strategy – which means a lot of planning should go into it. If the goal of your blog is to lead readers further down the funnel, then part of your content strategy should be consistent publishing. And, your blog posts can provide a lot of the content that will feed our other channels.

It’s all too easy for someone to forget that they subscribed to your blog if they go three months without receiving an update. Then, when they suddenly see an article in their inbox, they disregard it, or worse, mark it as spam.

Many content writers (particularly those that double as small business owners) discover that their creativity and productivity ebbs and flows. One week they could produce two or three pieces of content with gusto! But, after wearing themselves out with this onslaught of articles, nothing else could get published the following week.

If this happens to you, consider scheduling a couple of articles a week, and saving the rest to populate your editorial calendar going forward. If you find yourself with enough content 2-4 weeks in advance, you won’t neglect your readers and will save yourself time and pressure by not having to produce a constant stream of content when it’s simply not feasible.

6. Your content isn't being promoted effectively

While this is important for everyone, it’s particularly necessary for a new blog. Regardless of how compelling your content is, if you don’t distribute it appropriately, it will never make the required impact.

Your content marketing strategy shouldn’t end when you hit “publish” on your CMS. In fact, this should just be the beginning. Spend the next week posting the article on your social media accounts, email it to subscribers of your newsletter, and personally share it with relevant industry influencers who may be interested in sharing it on social media or linking to it in an article of their own.

No one is going to advocate for your blog more than you – so make sure you’re putting in the time and energy necessary to guarantee its success. And this doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Over 81% of marketers realize an increase in traffic with as little as 6 hours per week invested in social media marketing.

Closing Thoughts...

There’s a reason that 73% of organisations have someone in place to oversee their content strategy – it takes a lot of work! But even a small, one-man-shop can benefit from intelligent content marketing. Commit to consistently publishing high-quality, focused content that provides value, share it across your network, and watch your readership grow.

As long as you use blogging (and not sales or advertising) strategies for your blog, you can expect to see a healthy ROI over time.

Eager to learn more? Join our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Digital Marketing Trends You Must Know in 2022

Metaverse will become a playground for marketers

In October 2021, when Facebook changed its parent company's name to Meta, the metaverse came to the attention of marketers.

This move, according to Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is because “the metaverse is the next frontier in connecting people, just like social networking was when we got started. Over time, I hope we are seen as a metaverse company, and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we're building towards.”

But what exactly is the metaverse? Through the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), it's a network of 3D virtual worlds people can interact in. Several popular gaming platforms operate in this area already, including Minecraft, Roblox, Pokemon, and Fornite, which are all familiar to the youngest demographic of all - Generation Alpha.

As a digital channel, the metaverse is relatively new, but brands have embraced its immersive nature for advertising in recent campaigns. For instance, Roblox hosted Gucci Garden, where users could dress their avatars in Gucci products. The purpose was to increase brand awareness among younger consumers.

What are the reasons for marketers to consider the metaverse as one of the digital marketing trends for 2022? In 2023, 65 million people will use VR and 110 million will use AR, according to eMarketer research. There are a lot of young customers in one place.

Artificial intelligence will both hinder and help data privacy

In recent years, there have been frequent reports of data breaches where people's privacy has been compromised. Customers and brands are increasingly concerned about the possibility that their sensitive data can be hacked or leaked online since the world operates more and more online.

Through search engine algorithms and recommendation engines, Artificial Intelligence (AI) collects data about people without their knowledge. The evolution of AI provides an increased ability to collect personal information and intrude on people's privacy.

Approximately 40% of privacy compliance technology will be based on artificial intelligence by 2023, according to a Gartner study. This figure is expected to rise to $8 billion by 2022.

“Artificial Intelligence has been around for a while, and people are beginning to use it. But I think how it intersects with privacy is going to be really important. How do you gather data, while staying within the bounds of privacy law requirements?” says Ken Fitzpatrick, CEO of the DMI.

However, AI can be used in a way that protects privacy. The use of AI in data privacy initiatives can help companies classify sensitive data and search data in order to identify individuals that have asked to be forgotten (a specification covered by privacy regulations like GDPR).

Brands Will Start to Use NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens)

The blockchain technology has seen its fair share of detractors. This technology stores data using peer-to-peer networks, making it compatible with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. In addition, it has been used to create another popular virtual currency, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

“NFTs are really interesting. Initially, I went, oh, not another one,” says Brian Corish, Experience Architect at Accenture Interactive. “What NFTs do is a sort of signaling. Like, why would you wear a Rolex watch? Well, you're kind of signaling I'm well off, or I'm successful.”

NFTs are a digital marketing trend, but how are they affecting the marketing sector? In the metaverse, brands use NFTs to connect owners to communities or to use as digital badges.

The NFL gave all spectators an NFT for the 2022 Super Bowl that was unique to their row and seat to commemorate their tickets and be used as a digital keepsake.

As a leading media company and magic maker, Disney is actively recruiting metaverse experts in order to better connect the physical and digital worlds. This will allow for “storytelling without boundaries in a Disney metaverse”. Adidas and Prada have also launched an art project that invites artists to contribute to a tiled canvas that will be turned into an NFT and sold. 

“You're starting to see: I can own this, I have this one-of-one thing and it's a digital asset. You'll see luxury brands going into the metaverse and saying, you can have this one-of-one outfit for your character,” concludes Corish.

Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Risqué Brand Tone on Social Media: Where to Draw the Line?

The noise on social media is increasing, and the potential reach for brands is actually declining – Facebook page posts only have around a 2% reach. Brands are now being forced to get more creative, and creativity can end up going many ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Examples of witty, bold, clever, pun-driven social media posts are almost endless.

Here’s the thing though: taking this direction can either be incredibly successful or fail spectacularly. A well thought-out campaign can turn into a fully-fledged tone on social media, while a poorly executed one can damage the brand’s reputation long-term and deter even the most loyal fans.

In this article, we’ll dive into what makes up a brand’s voice, tone and image in the first place. Then, we’ll look into many examples, both good and bad, to inspire you and save you from repeating other companies’ mistakes.

Voice, Tone and Brand Image

While these might feel like just different names for the same thing, a brand’s voice, tone and image all represent a separate entity of their online presence.

Buffer sums up voice and tone as follows:

Voice: Your brand personality described in an adjective. For example, a brand can be lively, positive, professional or witty.

Tone: A subset of the above-defined brand’s voice. Tone adds specific flavor to your voice based on factors like audience, situation and channel.

On top of that, Management Study Guide defined brand image as the current view of the customers about a brand, a unique bundle of associations within the minds of target customers.

Essentially, your brand should have one voice and many tones that refine that voice depending on the occasion and platform. As a result of your activities, your audience will have a perceived image of your brand.

The lesson here is clear: when you decide to write your social media posts in a certain way, keep in mind that it goes beyond how you believe they will be perceived – your audience makes the ultimate judgement. Sprout Social published a study which shows that snarky and funny behavior from brands on social is desired and expected, but not prior to honesty, friendliness, and helpfulness:

Let’s dive into the potential audience touchpoints on social media that play an important role in defining your voice and tone.

Where Do Your Tone and Brand Image Make an Impact?

Every point of interaction between you and your audience – points where you get to be professional, serious, snarky, bold, and many other things – can typically be sorted into one of the three categories on your social profiles.

Your social media ID: profile description, profile photo and header image

In most cases, profile imagery and descriptions are a place where companies describe what they do and showcase their logo, photos of their retail space and their team members. They typically use phrases such as “We help [audience] do [goal]”, or “Welcome to [company name] official Twitter page.” It’s a quite a standard and most frequent approach.

However, many companies across various industries use this space in a bolder way, often using their target audience’s phrases, puns and wordplay, wit and jokes to set potential followers’ expectations for the content they will see should they choose to follow.

Below is an example from Old Spice. It is so consistent with all their social media activity, and even their TV ads, that you can almost hear Terry Crews screaming at you as you read their Twitter bio.

Another example comes from Innocent Drinks, whose Twitter bio reflects their entire light-hearted, health-driven online presence, as well as their mission. It can also be a good idea to directly say what to expect from your particular social media profile, just like Paddy Power does.

Public, planned posts

For most companies, the bulk of their social media existence is based on the posts they publish from their accounts to the general public. From plain text and photos through to videos, GIFs, links and polls, there is plenty of room to express your brand’s personality.

When it comes to planning these into the marketing calendar and scheduling them, the majority play it safe. They post about their ongoing offers, customer reviews and new products. They adjust their posts to the season of the year, relevant news, or anything else that they know their customer would be talking about.

And then there are the risk-takers. When you see these daring posts in your feed, you almost always want to look at people’s reactions. They can vary from hilarious to straight-up shocking, and brands who excel at this never seem to lack ideas for more.

One example comes from Steak-umm, which, unsurprisingly, sells steak products. This is the look and feel of their Twitter feed on a daily basis:

Another example comes from The Hustle, a tech and business newsletter that’s quite popular with their #showerthoughts:

Interactions

The third place is in your comments, replies and any other interactions with your audience or with other brands. As you’ll see in further examples later on, this is often the most fertile ground for exchanges that turn viral and reach a broader audience than a regular post ever would.

It can be risky to talk to others in such a public space without potentially offending someone directly. It is always a human being at the other end of that conversation, so taking the creative path in replying to others may result in a raving fan or a lifelong nemesis.

Pop-Tarts doesn’t hide from the fact that their products may be faulty, and they reply to complaints in wonderfully honest and amusing ways:

As a final example of this, it’s impossible not to mention Wendy’s. They have a reputation for roasting both their competitors and everyday people who tweet at them. It’s positively accepted, and they don’t look like giving up anytime soon:

What Can You Learn from the Best and Worst Examples?

Some of the examples so far probably gave you a solid idea of a whole spectrum of options when it comes to testing the limits of your tone on social media. Some examples mentioned so far have been mild and chuckle-worthy, but as you’ll see in this section, things can escalate pretty quickly, even from a single post, and results end up being spectacularly great or remarkably awful for the brand.

Risqué content is typically humorous, snarky, clever, witty, cynical, and potentially many other things – and most often a mix of a few of these. However, there’s a common theme in all of this: aiming to trigger a strong emotion and an intense reaction. The usual rule is: the deeper this aim, the fiercer the reaction, either positive or negative.

Let’s dive into some more examples from both sides and identify a few lessons every brand can learn from them. One of the most important elements to keep in mind is the immediate context for the intended recipients – the target audience. Their existing relationship with the brand, and the tone they’re used to, plays an essential role in this.

Just think of it like this: you probably aren’t expecting the same serious and professional tone from your life insurance provider and the pub down the street. Let’s look at some common denominators for quirky brand activities on social media.

Leveraging trends, seasons and news

Being current means being relevant, which Lidl knows and implements regularly, like in this tweet when Ireland was stuck under snow in February:

Creative agency R/GA reacts to news and current topics daily, and is not afraid to mention politics and provocative topics. The reactions they spark are overwhelmingly positive.

Sadly, hopping on trending topics doesn’t always turn out great for brands. One of the most frequently frowned upon action is piggybacking on the death of a celebrity or a disaster of any kind. Cheerios made this mistake with Prince’s death, and Kenneth Cole slipped up at the time of a military coup in Cairo. Both tweets have been deleted soon after, but their screenshots are still available:

Alluding to or enticing age-restricted behavior

Unless your brand exclusively talks about adult-only topics such as gambling, drinking and sex, the safest thing is probably to steer clear from them. Brands with a wide enough reach for their social posts to catch fire almost definitely have minors in their audience. They risk the anger of protective parents, teachers or simply any common-sense grown-up audience when they take this route.

Ryanair recently regretted a campaign for students who were about to graduate from high school. People complained that they were encouraging binge-drinking, and the post was then removed:

Joking on someone else’s account

Finally, the most frequent path with edgy social tone – and the one that most easily catches fire quickly – involves interacting with other accounts and taking advantage of something they did or said. It seems like brands do this to prove they are a level above, cleverer and witty.

One of the most extraordinary recent examples of this, and the one with a tremendous reach, is the chain reaction to IHOP’s recent temporary rebrand to IHOb which aimed to push the sales of their burgers.

The amount of PR they received was beyond measure, with reactions from Burger King, Netflix, Timehop, and Whataburger:

These posts largely represented the existing tones of these accounts, and the reactions of their respective audiences were incredibly positive.

Old Spice reacts to silly tweets with, well, silly tweets, and just like everything else with their social media tone, it works:

The negative example for this section is a rather spectacular one. This seemed like an innocent exchange between a frustrated Thameslink traveler and Thameslink’s customer service representative...

This ended up being a full-blown social media spectacle:

How Can You Take Action (And Not Mess Up)?

We’ve covered a lot – the good and the bad, the mild and the huge, the logical and the peculiar. This space is impactful beyond words, and it’s difficult to boil it down to a few universally applicable takeaways that you can implement and end up with a quirky, popular social media presence.

That’s because there is no magic formula or a tried and trusted recipe. As you have seen, different tones work with different audiences. Would the mildly offensive tone Wendy’s use work for Innocent’s audience? Probably not. Would it work vice versa? Maybe, but then we wouldn’t know Wendy’s as a bold and courageous brand online.

All these brands have something in common: they’ve done something brave in a public space that is quick to judge and where nothing can go unnoticed. Some of them have done it once and have likely given up because it went terribly wrong. Others have been going at it for years and have created a recognizable riskiness to their tone which everyone now knows them for.

The ultimate takeaway is this: there is always space to test and explore your tone, but it’s crucial to do it slowly and with great care. Things aren’t universally funny and not everything is obvious, and if you want to become more audacious on social media, you should take it one toned-down audacious step at a time.

Here are some things you can try:

• When you want to share something you find funny, like tweeting a joke, sharing a pun, or making fun of someone, take it to 5-10 people first. Try to talk to these people individually (not in a group) and simply gauge their initial reactions. If your idea is good, you will get a positive response from all of them. If not, go back to the drawing board.

• When you experiment with something new, follow your audience’s real-time reactions. This will help you not only measure the success of your post, but also react as quickly as possible in case you need damage control.

• Create guidelines, a file with examples (both bad and good), and keep educating company staff both in and outside the social media team.

With these examples and tips in mind, you will now see social media in a slightly different light – hopefully helping you and your brand to shine in a way that makes your perfect audience feel exactly the way you hope them to.

Hungry for more tips? Learn more about how to have a holistic social media marketing strategies by joining our globally recognised certificate course today - taught by the industry experts!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute