Whether you like it or not, our society is obsessed with social media. Facebook has 2.19 billion active users and in 2013, it was estimated that every second, 6,000 tweets are posted. We love social media, so it’s no surprise that it should play such an important part in the way we do business and how we market our companies.
I’m always on the lookout for marketing lessons that can be learned from a range of sources, and I’ve recently felt inspired by the inadvertent lessons companies give us in social media marketing.
#1 – Things Can Happen Faster Than You Think
I was looking at this research from Compare the Market into how fast unicorn companies make it to their first $1 billion and some of the findings are truly staggering. A unicorn company is a startup which is valued at $1bn or more, and on average, it takes these companies seven years to become unicorns and earn their first billion. However, there are 15 companies who have done it in less than a year, going from launch to $1bn in less than 12 months. For some companies, things move fast, and the change in that short space of time is drastic.
The world of social media also has this fast pace which can be tough to keep up with. However, if companies want to maintain a real presence online, they have to keep up with the fast-changing trends and news. This also means keeping up with what’s going on in the news to make sure that scheduled tweets and posts don’t go out at inopportune or inappropriate times.
#2 – Be Consistent and Clear
Consistency is key for businesses, and it can be easy to see how this has been present in many of the most successful companies in the world. Take Apple as an example and you can see how consistency is part of their identity as a brand. Their products are instantly recognisable due to their consistency, and consumers know what to expect from the brand. In fact, consistency is so vital to this company that their co-founder, Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck and blue jeans combo every day.
When it comes to social media marketing, it’s essential that you have a level of consistency and present a clear message that is instantly recognisable. You can see this consistency in the social media accounts of Innocent Drinks. Their Twitter feed is particularly fun and their tweets are instantly recognised and ensure that the brand personality is clear across every social media platform.
#3 – Find the Formula Which Works For You
All businesses are different, so it’s important that you find what works for you. Successful companies should be adaptable and be able to customise their business plans to find what works for them. This is something you can see in companies who choose to make drastic changes or restructures in order to survive. Companies that do this are simply acknowledging the fact that there is no ‘one size fits all’ strategy for all businesses.
The same is true when it comes to social media marketing, and is important that businesses are able to recognise what does and doesn’t work. The key here is knowing where your customers are. If they’re not on Instagram, don’t waste your time on a platform that’s going to have no pay off for you.
There are so many lessons that you can learn from other companies, and by looking at brands that have found success, you can draw inspiration for your own business.