In 2009, Oprah sat with Evan Williams, one of the co-founders of Twitter and said “Can you believe all of this tweedly dee stuff going on?”
Twitter was three years old at the time. So new that Oprah and her fellow Oprah Friday Live hosts called the act of posting to Twitter “Twittering.”
We’ve come a long way since that fateful day. Twitter went mainstream and changed the course of many things, my career included. I was a baby marketer at the time and as a team we collectively agreed that if Oprah was on Twitter, we should be too — and as the youngest member of the team I was chosen to figure it out.
Social media has been part, and sometimes all, of my job description ever since. I’ve aged out of the daily grind of social and into middle-aged brand marketer/office Auntieland. I’ve been places. I’ve seen things. And I have hard-earned wisdom to share.
Buckle up, buttercups. While you are chasing algorithm changes, internal priority shifts and the demands to make it viral, there are three things that are essential for social media marketing success and professional serenity.
Strategy
The ever-present immediacy of social platforms often results in a perpetual state of reaction, responding to the latest trends or requests.
Reaction is not strategy.
A solid strategy provides the necessary direction and guardrails to protect and guide your program effectively. Does it take time? Yes. Is it worth it? Double yes. If your social feeds need to go dormant so you can make the time for strategy, do it. Strategy is the bedrock of success and serenity.
Relevancy
Social media is an opportunity to meet people where they are. With that comes the responsibility of understanding the nuances of the platforms you play in and the audiences you want to engage. Tailor your content to match the culture of each platform. It takes a little extra effort but it’s worth it. LinkedIn and Instagram are different lands. Match the vibe and craft content that reflects the culture of each space.
Flexibility
There will be times when, despite your best efforts to adhere to your social media strategy and maintain your program’s integrity, you simply need to post something and move on. Dwelling on every decision can lead to burnout. If everything is important, nothing is important. Social media, our organizations and the world are in a constant state of change. Stay attentive, recalibrate accordingly, revisit your strategy documentation as it makes sense and make peace with those requisite posts.
Don’t #burnout
Five years ago I stood on a stage at Seattle Interactive Conference and said something along the lines of “If you manage social media you are basically in charge of a garbage can.” It was a sign of the times and also my mental state. I was burned the hashtag out (inadvertently eating cat medicine even, but that is a story for another time.)
Don’t be me five years ago. Create the documentation your social media program needs to move in one direction, cater to the culture of the platforms you play in and be open to change — you will be better for it in the long run.
Need a little extra help? Auntie YennyPie is here for you. Reach out and let’s talk social media or catch me on the stage at Seattle Interactive at the end of this month.
