by Fran WilliamsWant your social media to be the best it can be for your business? Snap, we do too. We think learning from the best is a great way to improve your social game, so we'll give you all the tips you need. We'll show you how to make the most of your social media by taking a close look at some of the UK's top runners, and how they consistently smash it on social.
This week, local champions Victoria Leeds face up to Birmingham's boldest – Bullring & Grand Central.
How do people feel about Victoria Gate - From Maybe*
Victoria Leeds are (a little) spoiled with their architectural options, but when your surroundings look like this, can you blame them for wanting to show it all off? This fabulous image is great addition to their feed; its evocative lighting and stark contrasts draw the eye and makes the photo stand out amidst the colour and detail of their other posts. Victoria Leeds have also made excellent use of some UGC (aka User Generated Content) here, by repurposing an image taken by one of their followers.
UGC is a really useful content stream for businesses, as sharing follower posts on a regular basis can be a great way for your customers to feel more involved with your social media.
Using your social media to showcase your local place is always a good idea, and Bullring & Grand Central do just that. This post, from a series around the Lunar New Year celebrations in Birmingham, is a lovely round up following a day of festivities.
Getting involved in local conversations, and topical moments in your area - such as Lunar New Year - show your commitment to engaging with your place. Do also use your social feeds as a starting point for those conversations and invite your followers to engage with you, just as Bullring & Grand Central have done.
How do people feel about Bullring & Grand Central - From Maybe*
Getting involved in conversations about your place is always a good idea for a business. Whether you're sharing evergreen content like Victoria Leeds, or celebrating a special date like Bullring & Grand Central, using your local area as a talking point is a great way to get your social media feeling more, well, social.
Use your Maybe* dashboard to see all your social media activity in one user-friendly place. Learn what's working for you and how your competitors are doing, too, then put what you've learned into action.
It was social smoothies Innocent vs entrepreneurial-inspirers, Forbes.
How do people feel about Innocent - From Maybe*
There's a lot to say about Innocent's approach to their social media, and it's fair to say that they've found their audience online. Cheeky, dry, sarcastic humour won't appeal to everyone, but it certainly appeals to their followers, and that's what matters. Innocent can afford to be lighthearted, as they sell a lighthearted product. All of this irreverence is backed by a solid, supportive tone, and this is why it works: they use their social media as a voice to amplify charities and causes that matter to them, all woven through the 'nonsense' (as they put it) that forms the bulk of their social channels. If you want to cultivate an audience of like-minded individuals as Innocent have done, consider bringing more personality (whether your natural setting is sarcastic or not) into your content.
Forbes' social media adopts a particularly 'no nonsense' approach. In a calm, objective style, they do not offer up opinions on the topics they share via social, rather they leave that task to their followers. They stick to the facts, and present topics just as they are - that is all that is needed. This tone works well for them; if you need to offer up more of a personality to build connections with your audience, then it may not work for you. If you are keen to take a more objective approach in your social captions however, then the Forbes feed is a great starting point.
How do people feel about Forbes - From Maybe*
A strong tone of voice on social media is important for businesses and brands, as it helps to establish a distinct identity and personality online. It also helps to build trust and loyalty with your audience. Ultimately, the key is consistency and understanding the topics that matter most to your following. Use those topics to help you strike the right tone. Humour and irreverence certainly has a place if you know that your followers will get a kick out of it. Similarly, if you need to take a more serious approach, you ought to feel confident that your carefully crafted captions will be read and understood by your audience. Whether you’re more Innocent or Forbes in your approach to your socials, your audience will respond to you, so hold on tight to that as you work on finessing your social voice.
Use your Maybe* dashboard to see all your social media activity in one user-friendly place. Learn what's working for you and how your competitors are doing, too, then put what you've learned into action.
It was competitions at dawn with Superdrug facing up to Parkrun UK.
How do people feel about Superdrug - From Maybe*
Nothing says 'we have a new product line launching' like a giveaway on your social channels. Superdrug have embraced the standard magnificently here, with a simple yet very eye-catching post. This particular comp works brilliantly for businesses with a larger or very engaged following; it had a very short running time, and the entry requirements were a follow and an emoji comment. Bish bash bosh - you've entered. Now you can move on with your day.
Parkrun UK know that their followers likely sit in two distinct camps: the truly dedicated, and the not-so-sure. They've used their New Year's competition post as an opportunity to focus on the community aspect of Parkrun, by inviting their followers to tag a running buddy in the comments of their giveaway. The wording they've used is very important here: 'parkrun story'. This simple phrasing says so much: it's their community's individual stories and experiences that are the centre of what they do. So tag your friends, get involved, and you might win some lovely things to set you on your way as well.
How do people feel about Parkrun UK - From Maybe*
Competitions are fantastic fodder for engagement on social media. Sharing is caring after all, so tap into that good feeling and give something back to your customers via social. Both Superdrug and Parkrun UK know that simplicity is key with a giveaway post, here are a few more tips to bear in mind:
Use your Maybe* dashboard to see all your social media activity in one user-friendly place. Learn what's working for you and how your competitors are doing, too, then put what you've learned into action.
Kicking the year off in grand style, it was Aldi vs ASDA in a battle of the supermarkets.
How do people feel about Aldi - From Maybe*
Typically irreverant Aldi have gone off piste here with a pretty standard promo post. Well, they are a business after all, and sharing your wares on social is an important part of a retailer's general content. They've tapped into the annual New Year health kick, for those customers enjoying their fruit in juice form this January. It's been a busy post on Facebook, with lots of engagement, and plenty of chat going on in the comments section, too. Keeping it simple and straightforward is sometimes all you need from a post.
January can be a tough old month. It's cold, it's dreary, but in the brightly lit aisles of your local supermarket, you can find succour. ASDA clearly understand this, and have offered up some comfort for their customers in the form of a Reel all about pizza. Nice. ASDA have really stepped up their Reel game in recent months, and this whistlestop pizza from start to finish in store is a good one from them. It tells their customers exactly what they need to know, what to expect, and how much it'll cost.
How do people feel about ASDA - From Maybe*
Aldi vs ASDA. Juice vs pizza. Facebook vs Instagram (that's the big one for us). Who's your winner? Whether you want to keep it simple like Aldi, or cheerful like ASDA, there's a lot you can take from their posts. Both supermarkets have been very clear on pricing - something to keep in mind - and have fairly short captions, too. At this time of year, you won't want to overload your customers with stacks of social content, so keeping things short, sweet and easy to digest would be a great start to your year on social media.
Use your Maybe* dashboard to see all your social media activity in one user-friendly place. Learn what's working for you and how your competitors are doing, too, then put what you've learned into action.
