A sold-out crowd assembled Friday for Social Media Sydney, in which experts from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. gathered in the Cape Breton city to provide sage advice on using social media.
Organized by Nava Marketing, the event was designed to help business people understand the best ways to get their message out using a range of social media – on both different platforms and different media.
The conference was divided into mentorship on social media in the morning, then an afternoon session on traditional media. The mentorship session provided rich veins of information on how businesses of all sizes can use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other channels to define their brand and reach out to customers.
Here are some of the main takeaways from the speakers at the event:
- Remember the human element – If there was one over-riding theme, it was to always remember that it is humans you’re reaching out to. Don’t just write for scientists, technicians or programmers. Fergus Dyer-Smith, CEO of UK-based Wooshii, summed up the message of most panelists when he was asked how to use social media in business-to-business marketing. He responded with a quote he had once heard: “In every B2B, there is a C.”
- Know what you’re good at and where you’re going – Tracey Boutilier, owner of Sydney-based Vibe Creative Group, held up the Celtic Colours festival as an example of a group that understands its strengths and its market. The festival presents Cape Breton and international talent, especially musical talent, and its social media campaigns reflect this.
- Understand what your audience wants – Sarah Goforth, Director of Outreach for the University of Arkansas’ Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, said the best social media communicators bear two things in mind: “What you want your audience to know or do”, and “What your audience wants to know or do”. The best posts will fall in the intersection of those two criteria, as shown in the slide above.
- Use music to build your community – It’s cheap and easy to develop a playlist on Spotify or similar services that reflects the aura your company is creating, said Kieron Donoghue, founder of Britain’s Humble Angel Records. You can then promote your playlist on other social media channels.
- Ditto video – Dyer-Smith also told the audience that video can work in any company’s budget, and they should not think video is only a tool for large corporations. “Everyone has a camera in their pocket, on their cell phone, and the resolution on those cameras is incredible,” he said. “The only restraint on the content you put up is whether it is of interest to your customer.”
- Remember the four pillars of great tweets (or other posts) – Cam Gordon, Communications Director of Twitter Canada, summed up the messaging in four rules: define your brand’s voice or aesthetic; map the relevant moment; create visual intrigue; and write concise copy.
