Category: Social Media Practice

As a millennial, graphic designer, and all-around creative, I have always had a relationship with social media both, personally and professionally. However, I didn’t grow my understanding of social media as a practice until recently. This semester I took a course called Social Media Practice, which exposed me to the underworkings of building a strong social media presence. I learned how to perform a social media audit, create a content calendar, utilize paid advertising, and so much more. My key takeaway from this semester is that being successful on social media takes numerous resources, including, time, energy, research, innovation, and effort. No matter the size of your goal, you’ll need to actively work toward achieving it. Social media is a significant part of our current society, therefore, it should be respected and utilized as such.

Creating a Strategy for AVIXA

To bring all I’ve learned to a culmination, I am finalizing this course with a Social Media Strategy I crafted for the Audiovisual Integrated Experience Association, also known as AVIXA. I started by observing AVIXA’s current social presence and happenings surrounding the association’s various platforms. I found that AVIXA’s community members were mostly present on Instagram and Twitter, so I focused on developing a strategy for these specific platforms. While observing AVIXA’s social pages, I noticed a couple of things:

• Inconsist Topics: The content of posts covered various topics 
• Inconsistent Engagement: Outside of live events, AVIXA minimally engages with followers

After learning of these potential improvement areas, I deemed it necessary to create a very focused and feasible strategy to cover the rest of 2022, mostly utilizing resources AVIXA currently has in-house. The overall goal was simple: increase engagement. 

To get a closer look at my strategy, check out the YouTube video above and/or presentation below.

Social Media Practice within my Career

The cool part about creating this campaign is that I actually work at AVIXA. Furthermore, another designer and I are currently working alongside the organization’s social media manager to draft a content calendar and develop content for the remainder of the year. As a result of this course, I now have a deeper understanding of the social media manager’s role and practices and can see things from a new perspective. This year, supporting social is a collaborative goal among myself and the other designer and, although it may take time, I would love to implement some elements of my strategy into our daily work. AVIXA’s current social media manager is running a one-woman show. I will primarily continue to create deliverables for our social platforms, however, with my increased knowledge, I plan to help her in whatever way I can.

Final Thoughts: Social Media is Here to Stay

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Social media is here to stay. As social media continues to evolve and adapt, it will likely become even more integrated into our daily lives and practices. In the years to come, social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok will continue to grow and serve unmatched purposes in our lives. Meanwhile, additional platforms will likely arise and claim their niche. This is why businesses and organizations must invest in their social media platforms. Whether internal or external, if a company desires to establish and develop its social media presence, it is best to hire a team of social media experts to get the job done. 

The Pros and Cons of Social Media Advertising

In recent years, social media advertisements have become very popular, creating opportunities for brands to reach audiences without breaking the bank. In many cases, social media advertising proves more effective than organic posts, as “social media is cheaper than any form of advertising available today” and paid campaigns grow at a faster rate than organic ones. Social media advertising also allows brands to target specific users based on distinct characteristics including demographics, lifestyle choices, practices, professions, interests, and more. As social media algorithms can be fickle, ads assist in scaling presence and increasing brand awareness. 

Personally, I value organic social posts over social media advertisements, because, these days, social platforms are inundated with paid ads, which can become redundant and annoying. Too much exposure to the same advertisements “can become a trigger to tune out resulting in the audience disregarding messages.” Furthermore, social media advertising requires time, effort, and constant monitoring. There are many factors for brands to consider while publishing paid advertisements on social media, including the frequency at which the ads will appear to their audience, the messaging that accompanies the ads, and the social media ads being published by their competition.

Dr. Squatch Paid YouTube Advertisements

In 2018, a personal care brand called Dr. Squatch began running an ad campaign on Facebook and YouTube comprised of a 3-minute explainer video “with the goal of driving top-of-funnel sales, and engagement.” The video served as an edutainment piece, featuring comedian James Schrader who wrote and acted in the video. In the first 5 seconds of the video, Schrader bashes the typical soaps male viewers shower with, saying, “listen up! The soap you shower with, it’s sh**. You probably haven’t even questioned what bar soap you lather up with.” The video maintains a loose, informal tone as he continues to criticize the soap men use regularly and promotes Dr. Squatch’s natural, healthy soap as a manly man’s ideal soap selection. The caption is straightforward, featuring two CTA links: “Visit http://drsquatch.com to upgrade your shower game Dr. Squatch® Thanks to James Schrader for starring and writing this amazing piece! Please check out his website below http://jamesschrader.com/.”

The goal of this video was to create a unique experience for viewers. The company spent “about $18,000 on the video,” which was a major expense for a company with a revenue of $3M at the time. Fortunately, this expense paid off. The video’s striking hook caught viewers’ attention, leading to an influx of views and shares. Dr. Squatch’s first YouTube video went viral, especially on YouTube, rapidly racking up “more than 120 million views and 100,000 shares across YouTube and Facebook. Sales rose thirtyfold, to more than $100 million.” Today, the video has 117,875,555 views, and the company has moved on to achieve a Super Bowl commercial of 2.7M views and has been recognized as a $100 Million business. Additionally, they have sponsored videos of various YouTube creators and recently budgeted for more social spending.

This paid campaign was successful, due to the video’s tone and hook. Most personal care advertisements look and feel luxurious and maintain a more formal tone. Dr. Squatch’s video began with a raunchy hook that would be more relatable to their targeted audience of manly men than your average posh personal care ad. The video also depicted James Schrader and additional actors in nature and described Dr. Squatch as a suitable soap for “men who build things, men who open the pickle jar on the first try, men who catch foul balls without spilling their beer.” YouTube was also a great platform to host the ad, as paid YouTube ads are regular videos that exist on a company’s channel. Therefore, viewers can locate the video easily and rewatch it, comment, or share it with others.

Old Spice Paid YouTube Advertisements

In the same realm as Dr. Squatch, Old Spice is a widely-known male grooming product brand. The brand has been around since 1937, facing the challenge of staying relevant in the eyes of consumers as competitor brands emerged all around. As Old Spice began to fall out of favor, the brand sought new ways to keep up with its competition. In 2010 Old Spice published a unique advertising campaign on YouTube with a new target consumer in mind. According to their research, 60% of men’s body washes were purchased by women. Therefore, their first campaign video featured an attractive male actor addressing his viewers with, “Hello, ladies.” 

On February 5, 2010, a few days before the Super Bowl, Old Spice took to YouTube to commence their, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign, targeting the millennial market. The video instantly went viral and, by the third day, the campaign reached 20 million views. Within one month, “Old Spice became the number one all-time most-viewed brand on YouTube.” Today, the video has 60,466,553 views. But they didn’t stop there.

Old Spice decided to continue their campaign with a “response” campaign. In two-and-a-half days, the company “filmed 186 video responses to fans and celebrities, based on questions culled from Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and more. These real-time messages were then posted on YouTube, sparking a sensation that would become the fastest growing and most popular interactive campaign in history.” Over the next few months, Old Spices’ sales skyrocketed, and they became the #1 brand for men’s body wash, remaining relevant today. P&G reported that the campaign resulted in nearly 105 million YouTube views, 1.2 billion earned media impressions, including features on national broadcast networks and international media outlets, a 2700% increase in Twitter followers, an 800% increase in Facebook fan interaction, and a 300% increase in website traffic.

This campaign was successful, due to the strategy behind it. Old Spice relied on research to determine their target audience and created an ad with a script that directly addressed their audience. The company also selected a platform that their target audience utilized regularly. Furthermore, Old Spice released their campaign a few days before a popular, national sporting event, on a platform that would likely also host ads that aired during the Super Bowl. Finally, once their ad went viral, they repeated the success with a response campaign. 

Lessons Learned from Both Campaigns

• Consult an advertising or marketing agency to help you think outside the box and craft a unique and compelling campaign
• Be flexible. New campaigns often come with rebranding
• Consumer research is imperitive to determining your target audience
• Once you are aware your target audience, create a script and/or a visually compelling piece that addresses audience members directly and/or quickly catches their attention
• Don’t be afraid to go against the grain and try something new
• Find unique ways to compete with other contenders
• Utilize a social platform that your audience frequents
• Monitior responses to your campaign on all social outlets and respond to your viewers
• Repurpose content where necessary
• Have fun!

Peloton

Peloton, a health and fitness brand, is doing a great job building a community on and off social media. Peloton utilizes live, online events to connect people globally. Their goal is “to bring the community and excitement of boutique fitness into the home.” Peloton currently has 1.8M Instagram followers, 168.7K Twitter followers, and 895K Facebook followers. Their following is indicative of their huge online presence and community across various platforms.

Recently, Peloton has utilized the appeal of their fitness coaches’ personalities to draw a lot of interest to the brand. Their trainers and instructors serve as ambassadors, and many of their Instagram videos that feature their trainers have generated multi-million views. This method helps draw audiences who are not necessarily interested in the Peloton brand itself to the trainers and their identities, giving Peloton a human touch. Overall, most of Peloton’s tone and messaging are inspirational and motivational. Their videos make viewers feel valued and create a desire to take care of themselves and become the best version of themselves.

Additionally, Peloton often features famous athletes and public figures by having them join in on training sessions and work out alongside the trainers and members. Recently, Peloton partnered with Olympic Gold medalist Usain Bolt to create social media posts. Partnering with one of the greatest athletes of our time is a phenomenal way to inspire people to start their fitness journey and encourage individuals to continue to work hard. They also share user-generated content on their social platforms.

Due to Peloton’s extremely engaged community, the company has created a community guideline and moderation policy to govern the user interactions on and off of their platforms. Some of these guidelines include their stance against hate speech, bullying, promoting products or services, and politically related comments and posts.

Peloton uses Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to engage their online community. They successfully manage negative feedback by responding to tweets and comments quickly and requesting private conversations. Similarly, they respond to positive feedback with more positivity.

Primarily, Peloton engages with their community through their social media, fitness equipment, and fitness classes. The company often captures interesting, memorable, and exhilarating snapshots of their class sessions and share them on social media, allowing members to share with others that may not be part of the Peloton community. These clips also help their members reflect on their class sessions and spark excitement for their upcoming classes. 

This kind of content creates a cycle in which Peloton can host fitness experiences, share snapshots of those experiences, and then inspire more people to join in the experiences, growing their membership. Peloton grows membership through products and subscriptions. 

Telfar

The second brand, Telfar, is of a much smaller size but has developed a cult-like following in recent years, resulting in a huge impact on the U.S. fashion industry. Telfar is a “luxury, unisex fashion line based out of New York City.” The company currently has 1.2M Instagram followers and 110.8K followers on Twitter.

 Telfar continues to release their signature, highly coveted bags in new and distinct colors and sizes while dropping and selling out 2-3 new styles and merchandise items per week. Because the brand repeatedly sells out, followers request restocks of specific styles and colors, which Telfar uses as marketing opportunities once the requested items are available again. Telfar also maintains their own ambassadors and influencers, regularly publishes content related to social trends and pop culture, shares user-generated content, and collaborates with larger, widely-recognized brands. Their marketing content is highly distinct and eccentric.

This brand is developing an online community by maintaining and promoting a forward-thinking, inclusive, and hip culture. Telfar keeps followers involved in brand happenings by promoting and encouraging followers to subscribe to their mailing list and sign up for marketing text messages. From time to time, subscribers to these lists receive exclusive information. 

Another way that Telfar is creating their own online community is through Telfar TV. Telfar TV is “the place to see LIVE SHOWS, BREAKING NEWS on upcoming drops, EACH OTHER, the COMMUNITY, the CONSPIRACY, exclusive DRIPS that aren’t available anywhere else — and it’s the only place to get the new DUFFEL BAG.” In short, Telfar TV is an exclusive platform created by Telfar, for Telfar and their community. The channel broadcasts fashion shows, hosts special guests and public figures, and allows community members to enter competitions and win an exclusive bag. Although Telfar TV occurs offline, videos from the channel are regularly posted on social media and utilized for product marketing. Finally, Telfar occasionally hosts bag security programs in which followers have the opportunity to purchase any bag they want in the color or size they have been longing for to be specially made for them. 

Currently, Telfar does not have any public community guidelines or policies. The brand is still growing in their response to comments and typically responds to negative feedback via Twitter. Positive feedback may result in a short, positive reply, or reposting of user content.

This week, I created a two-week social media content calendar for AVIXA. My current strategy ideas for AVIXA are to:

1. Give AVIXA a name and face on social platforms
   
2. Engage with AVIXA followers by keeping the conversation going and sharing content that encourages a responses

The social media content calendar prioritizes my second strategy idea, as, over the two weeks, I hope to share content, encourage responses, and spark conversations. However, within the second week, the fun fact video shared on both platforms will begin introducing the AVIXA personality mentioned in my first strategy idea by using their voice to narrate the video.

To see my content calendar in detail, check out the PDF below:

This week, I completed an analysis on The Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, also known as AVIXA. AVIXA is “a trade association representing the professional audiovisual and information communications industries worldwide.” With over 11,400 members and 30,000 followers on Instagram and Twitter combined, AVIXA has a lot to offer. However, there is room for improvement considering the association’s social media strategy.

Here is my full analysis and framework presentation:

Here is are the presentation slides for review:

Apple is a highly respected brand with millions of loyal followers and decades of experience in marketing and advertising. However, after completing an extensive audit of Apple’s social media presence, it is evident that Apple has no interest in being present on any social platforms other than Instagram and YouTube. Although Apple has accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Tiktok, the company has yet to publish any significant post on 3/5 of these platforms. 

Apple and Instagram

Apple has a very unique presence on Instagram, which may stem from their smartest social media strategy to date. The company began its #ShotOniPhone campaign in 2014, aiming to highlight the quality of the iPhone cameras by collecting user-generated photos from iPhone owners who were willing to share some of their personal photos online. To date, Apple collects these images and reviews them alongside a panel of experienced industry photographers. The winning photos are celebrated in a gallery on Apple Newsroom, on apple.com, on their Instagram page, and on other official Apple accounts. Additionally, some of these photos are used in apple stores, digital campaigns, public exhibitions, and billboards.

Since its start, Apple has utilized this campaign and hashtag to source posts for their Instagram account. They join organic posts from users with commissioned imagery and videos from artists all over the globe on special occasions. For example, during black history month, Apple commissioned black photographers to cover the stories of prominent black figures. Apple posts regularly on Instagram, averaging 5-6 posts a week, 120,000 likes, and 440 comments. With 27.3 million followers, their level of follower response on Instagram equates to about a .004% engagement rate over the past six months.

Although Apple posts frequently and has impressive numbers, the company comes off as cold. It does not seem like Apple uses Instagram to engage heavily with their fan base. Apple has stubbornly continued its shot on iPhone campaign with little change or innovation, effectively turning a tool that can be used to connect with their audience into a picture book. While sharing user-generated content is a great way to advertise the quality of iPhone photos and create free content, Instagram has evolved significantly since Apple’s campaign began. The platform transitioned from a focus on sharing basic photos to a place where people connect and share within like-minded communities. Using Instagram, Apple has the opportunity not only to share the quality of their iPhone cameras, but to also use their Instagram page as a platform that hosts a community of people who love their products through sharing information, collecting user questions and concerns, and even showcasing their current and future products in a way that is inclusive to their entire user base. 

Apple on YouTube 

Apple joined YouTube in June 2015. Over the years, their YouTube page has garnered a total of 15.6 million subscribers and 762,844,726 views. They currently have 214 public videos, serving as ads, commercials, Shot on iPhone content, product reveals, short films, events, and more. Their views per video range anywhere from nearly 500,000 to 21 million. Apple’s YouTube content is versatile, yet their approach works for their following. YouTube seems like a platform in which Apple is comfortable sharing anything and everything with their subscribers. More often than not, their subscribers will engage with the majority of their videos. 

The only suggestion I would make is for Apple to turn their comments on on YouTube. YouTube comments are a great way to build a sense of community. Viewers and subscribers can spark conversations, engage with one another, bond over Apple’s content, and answer one another’s questions. This creates an opportunity for Apple’s users to feel included.

Other Social Platforms

Regarding their other social media platforms, Apple has yet to tweet anything on Twitter. This is a missed opportunity, as, in this day and age, Twitter is one of the best ways for brands to connect with their audience at an individual level. For example, the company Jet Blue excels in its Twitter presence by promptly replying to almost every tweet that mentions them. Whether it be a question, comment, or suggestion, Jet Blue ensures that every individual’s tweet is acknowledged (to the best of their ability). This creates a sense of care and further increases the loyalty that their customers already display. 

While it may not be possible to respond to every single tweet aimed at Apple, responding to the more important and relevant tweets can increase brand awareness and engagement. I would recommend that Apple begins utilizing their Twitter account as much as possible, as they already have a following of 7.7 Million. All that’s left to do is to start tweeting. Furthermore, Apple can apply the same principles to their Facebook account while appealing specifically to the older demographic that may be more active on Facebook. Apple’s Facebook page has 13,887,989 followers, yet all they do is change their cover photo every once in a while.

Lastly, considering Apple’s first few posts on TikTok, it is safe to assume that they are willing to showcase different features that are available in various applications similar to how they utilized users to demonstrate the iPhone camera’s photo quality on Instagram. It is common for people to find useful life hacks that were previously unknown on Tiktok, so this type of content would suit their TikTok account and blend in with the content they are already sharing.

Looking Ahead

In conclusion, Apple has an opportunity to take advantage of their various social media platforms, as well as innovate on how they utilize Instagram. Although sharing user-generated content is an efficient and effective way to market a product, the engagement rate shows that there is room for improvement. Sharing information about new products, and events, and collecting feedback through comments are all valuable ways that Apple can improve their Instagram usage. 

On YouTube, Apple can make an effort to build their community by simply turning on their comments. Regarding Twitter and Facebook, Apple should begin forming communities by addressing questions and concerns which will help their audience feel considered, valued, and heard. Finally, Apple can use their TikTok account to share new and unique features and applications on their devices with the public. 

In today’s society, technology unquestionably infiltrates our everyday lives. Whether waiting to board a flight, visiting the doctor’s office, stopping by your local library, or waiting in line to check out at the grocery store, upon looking around you will likely observe someone gazing at a smart device. Oftentimes, that device is a smartphone and the individual is utilizing it to access and interact with social media. Just as our smart devices have become an integral part of our existence, social media has quickly permeated our daily lives and practices.

For the past 2.5 decades, various social media platforms with unique goals and purposes have made their appearance on the internet. Many have since dissolved, while others have evolved and become more robust. Nevertheless, social media networks continue to emerge and prove that they are versatile, useful, favorable, and capable of catering to just about everyone’s needs. Currently, social media is a significant component of many areas of our daily routines. 

The Significance of Social Media

In past years, people sought several sources to access news, entertainment, pop culture, education, politics, connection with others, and more. Today, social media stands as a tool to retrieve all of this information and more with a quick click, swipe, scroll, and tap. Platforms that were intended to connect people and provide opportunities to share our lives have matured, now allowing us to share everything from a family recipe to breaking world news. We utilize social media as part of our daily personal lives, as a way to build relationships and find love, to support our spiritual practices, to document our professional development and achievements, as a way to supplement our health and well-being, and then some. 

“Social media has become really fundamental to the way that billions of people get information about the world and connect with each other, which raises the stakes enormously.”

–Kevin Werbach

Our growing engagement with and reliance on social media attests to its prominence in our lives. Social media is no longer an internet playground of sorts. It is dynamic, constantly adapting to fulfill our needs, interests, and desires. In the words of Keith A. Quesenberry, “one thing is certain: social media is here to stay.”

The Impact of Social Media Campaigns and Movements

Although we often use social media for our personal gain, in recent years social media platforms have become a useful instrument to drive attention to a specific matter and achieve a measurable response. From social media movements to campaigns, social media has become a tool in which people craft and publish materials tailored to a specific audience. 

Campaign: #ShotOniPhone

Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaign began in 2014 as a fun challenge to Apple users to take photos on their iPhones and post them to their social media platforms using the campaign hashtag for a chance to be featured on branded Apple billboards, in Apple stores, and online. Today, the campaign and hashtag still live, presently housing 24,651,540 posts on Instagram alone. This campaign took off rapidly, generating an abundance of user-generated content (UGC), which Apple then used to further promote their message. 

This is a genius marketing strategy as users were prompted to share their own content for recognition, creating a database for Apple to source and reshare its user’s content. Production-wise, this strategy saved Apple time and resources, allowing them to allocate those resources elsewhere. Furthermore, this strategy has proven that Apple’s products produce high-quality, industry-standard photography and videography that any individual can create using their personal device. It has easily become one of Apple’s most recognized campaigns, increasing sales and resulting in notable #ShotOniPhone content to date, including billboards, music videos, short films, and more. 

Movement: #EndSARS

Internet activism and online social movements are prevalent in our society today. Through movements including Me Too, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter, we have learned that social media is powerful and influential, especially regarding human rights and injustice. In 2020, we witnessed many social movements incited to address various issues in our society, including the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria. This movement was started as a way to combat brutality against young people, attributed to Nigeria’s Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Resembling the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, #EndSARS detailed and impacted me as a young, first-generation Nigerian-American. Both movements were “spearheaded by young demonstrators…fed up with the status quo…to fix the transgressions of previous generations.” These movements were significant in 2020 and still are, impacting and shaping the future of Nigeria, America, and the world. They both drove exposed deep-rooted, systemic issues, and drove home the point that “black lives matter everywhere that black lives are found.”

In recent years, we have witnessed the undeniable intensity that is housed within social movements and campaigns, both online and offline. Today, hashtags are more than clever phrases, they have the power to effect meaningful change. Thanks to social media, no one’s ear is too far to reach. 

The Future of Social Media

Over the next 5-10 years, social media “will only grow in scale and scope,” as it has done over the past 25 years. As social media continues to evolve and adapt, it will likely become even more integrated into our daily lives and practices. In a Netflix documentary entitled, ‘The Social Dilemma,’ various participants detailed how humans and their attention are the target and focus of the businesses behind social media platforms. Therefore, we are developing a significant dependence on social media, which will only grow over time. In the years to come, social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok will continue to grow and serve unmatched purposes in our lives, capitalizing on our likes, preferences, and interests. Meanwhile, additional platforms will likely arise, claim their niche, and latch onto our attention as well.