Make My Social Media Post Go Viral

By Kat Beaulieu, Communications Strategist

“Make my social media post go viral”

It’s what every client wants and the gold standard for measuring social media success. Plus, who wouldn’t want to be the genius behind a post that goes viral?

And yet, it is an elusive goal that faces many challenges, not the least of which is that most clients tend to want to promote their products and services, which is in stark contrast to a site like ViralNova, whose whole raison d’être is to produce “the latest interesting, hilarious, and mind-blowing stories on the Web.” Additionally, many clients are risk adverse, so what is interesting, hilarious or mind-blowing to social media consumers can be terrifying to clients.

Nonetheless, it is important to at least sustain high levels of interaction with your content and to aspire to make hitting the viral jackpot a regular mission. In the metrics-driven business of PR and marketing, raising your clients’ numbers in social media likes, engagement and “People talking about this” will rely on your ability to generate engaging content. Even if none of your posts go truly viral, getting some reaction will be critical to maintaining and growing your social media page’s engagement.

Since most of us have clients who are not ViralNova, I humbly present a formula for generating engaging social media content that fits you, or specifically: FITC U

The FITC U formula can help you create content that is relevant to your client or brand and also hits on something that is:

  • Funny
  • Intelligence massager
  • Truth
  • Cute
  • Unbelievable

To elaborate:

  • Funny: Most people share posts online that are humorous. Reinterpret your product or service in an unexpected or humorous way. Sell socks? Use a sock monkey puppet. Sell stocks? Create a faux investor report about an impending IPO for zombie repellent. Be creative, but know your audience and what will resonate with them.
  • Zodiac Pool Systems combined humor and popular culture in this relevant, funny meme.
  • Intelligence massager: You’ve seen these—“75% of people will get this wrong!” People love to let their friends know how smart they are. Create a simple puzzle or quiz that begs people to answer. By answering, they’re engaging and their engagement will get shared on friends’ feeds. Tie your quiz in with #TriviaTuesday for added visibility.
  • The Weather Channel cleverly tied in the names of winter storms with this quiz.
  • Truth: this follows similar psychology to the ‘Intelligence massager’ in terms of tapping into people wanting to share their wisdom, but instead of being formatted as a puzzle or quiz, it is a statement or set of statements. I use the term “truth” here to imply more of a personal truth than a factual one. Think of celebrity quotes or meme-friendly statements like “Not all those who wander are lost” and “Successful people forgive others.”
  • Cute: babies, puppies and kittens, plus goats in pajamas. Need I say more? #caturday #sundog
  • Tri-City Hospital Foundation’s video of Leo the dog driving an electric car was a hit.
  • Unbelievable: Think of incredible, mind-blowing things that will prompt people to use the “wow” emoji, like “A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber” or “In 616, King Rædwald of East Anglia is conquering Northumbria (Northern England) at the Battle of the River Idle while The General Grant tree is born in Kings Canyon National Park.” Incredible photos work too.

What’s the secret to building a viral social media post? Make your post hit three or more of the formula’s elements.

And remember, if you’re having trouble creating content that FITC U, you can always switch things up a little, in which case you may end up deciding to FUC IT.

Need help killing it with social media that FITC U? Don’t give up, reach out, we can help.

15 Truths About Working in Social Media Marketing

By Jasmine Demers, Marketing & Administrative Coordinator

Social Media Marketing; a world of clever campaigns, contests, engagement, hashtags, analytics and constant phone notifications.

If you’ve worked in public relations (or any successful business industry for that matter), you know that social media marketing has become increasingly important in engaging with consumers and improving brand awareness. While most marketers truly enjoy developing content and representing their company, it’s not always a walk in the park.

Here’s 15 truths about working in social media marketing…

1. Your family and friends don’t actually know what you do, or think that you just sit on Facebook all day.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

Ugh. We actually work very hard!

2. You always develop a strategy, even when you post on your personal social media page.

15 truths about working in Social Media Marketing. (W)right on Communications; A San Diego public relations agency

We think a lot of people could benefit from this.

3. Getting a retweet or a share is the best feeling.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

4. Your work follows you home.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

Social media can be a 24/7 job. You have to stay on top of trends and make sure you’re available to respond to any engagement.

5. You have posted a personal status on the company page by mistake.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

6. You still feel guilty when your boss walks into the room and your screen is filled with social media feeds.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

7. You nag your coworkers about retweeting and sharing.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

Sorry, not sorry.

8. You are constantly scoping out other agencies to see how they use social media.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

A little healthy competition never hurt anyone.

9. Getting zero engagement is sometimes a reality.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

When you come up with the most clever Twitter post and don’t receive a single retweet. Borderline heartbreaking…

10. Social Media is constantly changing.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

The evolving nature of social media keeps us all on our toes and makes thought leadership all the more important.

11. You have memorized every random national holiday.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

Ya, that’s right. I know when National Hot Dog Day is and I’m not ashamed of it.

12. You have your own language.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

#Engagement #Impressions #GIF #Algorithm #HTML #Avatar

13. You sometimes get tired of social media.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

Let’s be honest. Being on social media as much as we are can take a toll.

14. You always have a camera handy.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency

You’re always ready to catch that perfect picture to post on social!

15. You actually love what you do and secretly think that you can use marketing to change the world.

15 truths about working in social media marketing, (W)right on Communications; a San Diego public relations agency-weekend-update-high-five

So what do you think SoMe experts? Is this list pretty accurate? Leave your comments below!

The 411 on Social Media Best Practices in 2016

By Kara DeMent, Communications Coordinator

With more than two billion active social media users today, having a presence on social media is a must for brands that want to get noticed. With “best practices” and social media platforms evolving and ever-changing, it can be tough navigating the social media landscape to create effective campaigns.  If you want to be a savvy social media communicator in 2016, here are five ways you can stay on top of the game.

1. Inspiring Visuals

Use strong visuals that leave a lasting impression. Content paired with a great picture creates 650% more engagement according to recent studies. Recently, WOC helped hospitality client partner, Delaware North, secure the win for Best Use of Visuals from PR Daily – a great example of how creating captivating visuals can help your social media presence stand out.

2. Consistency is Key

Content says everything about your brand. And if you’re not consistent with creating and producing your own content, your brand will feel it. Continuously producing good original content gives you a better chance of being seen by your audience. The more you produce, the more love you’ll receive from your audience – although this depends on what your brands/clients’ needs are, you don’t want to over produce or under produce, so always keep this in mind.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Whether it’s a fun visual, new product launch or exciting announcement; share, like and comment on content that other brands and influencers of interest to your audience produce. This exposes you to others who in return, may also share your content and help increase your followers and help your engagement. Give and you shall receive.

4. Engage Your Audience

Those of us who are social media pros don’t post content for the fun of it. We post for the opportunity to help our clients raise awareness, drive interest and build relationships. In order to make that opportunity a reality, that means we engage with our target audience by answering questions, commenting, sharing and liking content. The more you engage on social media, the closer you’re to achieving your client’s business goals.

5. Measuring Success

Measuring your social media results only helps you better your social media strategy. It shows you what’s working and what isn’t working. It gives you the leisure to experiment with what works for your brand. If you’re not sure how best to measure your results, the “Big 4” from Buffer is a great guide to follow.

If you’re still stuck on breaking through social media, our team at WOC can get you on the right track. Give us a call or find out more about our capabilities here.

Essential Tips for Producing Effective Digital Content

By Joaquín Enríquez, Communications Specialist

Whether a seasoned writer or an aspiring blogger, crafting noteworthy digital content requires more than technique: it requires a unique mixture of the right tools with a strategy that is unique to your personality or brand. Web copy is scanned or glanced at. Not read. So using the appropriate writing techniques can make the difference between your story being a hit or total flop. Consider adding the following digital tools to your toolkit, they will act as the cornerstone of your digital media strategy:

WRITE CATCHY HEADLINES

You’re busy, we’re all busy. When you write your headline, think about writing for people who are in a hurry. To grab optimal audience interest, it’s imperative to write a compelling headline. Consider incorporating the following attention grabbing techniques to better engage the reader:

  • Give the reader a reason to read/click
  • Create emotion in the reader (tug on their heartstrings)
  • Make an audacious promise
  • Use numbers (Readers don’t want to be kept guessing, so why not set expectations for your content?)
  • Include trending text

You should also avoid using complicated jargon, keep your headline short, and most importantly, write it last–you want to be able to ensure your content is living up to your headline’s promise.

The following example is brief, concise, uses a number, avoids using complicated words, and promises to help improve reader productivity:

WANT YOUR MESSAGE TO STICK?

Now that you’ve grabbed the attention of the audience, interaction and engagement are the keys to maintaining it. Effective interaction asks questions of the reader, uses lists, uses all available resources including hyperlinks and uses the chunking method where the story is broken into parts. To assist your storytelling efforts:

  • Use images: When it comes to visual story telling in new age media, the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words,” still rings true, as is powerfully demonstrated in the following image:

Digital Media

  • Have a point: NPR’s Scott Simon reminds journalists of something that is easy to overlook- every story must have a point. People should be able to walk away from a story and tell it to others, as he explains in the following video:

SQUEEZE EVERY OUNCE OF VALUE OUT OF THOSE 140 CHARACTERS

Twitter has created a quick and easy way to share information, but with its 140 character limit, it can be tricky to be heard above the crowd. To maximize your tweet’s potential and increase brand visibility, you must be current, use strategic and timely hashtags, add images and not be afraid to share links.

This tweet by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, is both current and relevant, uses an eye-catching image, includes a hyperlink and encourages fan interaction with the use of hashtags:

“Video of the 20-man squad list for the match against Málaga.”

These essentials should help writers of all levels build a solid understanding of the ways that the Internet has introduced new opportunities for dynamic storytelling. Does your tool box have the power of persuasion, visibility, navigability, objectivity and the focus of writing for a specific web audience? If not, adding these tools should lead to a more flourishing digital career.

Five Tips for Sparking Creativity

creativity Kara blog

By Communications Coordinator, Kara DeMent

Twitter: @KaraDeMent_

As a PR professional, it’s critical to be creative. Campaigns can live or die based on an idea.

But I have a confession to make: sometimes I struggle with creativity.

Creative ideas seem to come naturally for some of my colleagues, so it makes me anxious and nervous when I’m not producing them. I enjoy art, dance and writing; which are all creative activities, so why do I struggle so much with getting my own creative juices flowing?

Can you relate?

It turns out, a lot of PR professionals feel the same way. After digesting a copious amount of advice and best practices, I’ve learned five great tips for saying “goodbye” to those anxiety-filled creative blocks.

  1. Draw something – give your left brain a break and doodle! The right side of your brain is more visually oriented, so doodling can help “rev up” your creative engine. Drawing helps you relax and gives your analytical brain a break.
  2. Think outside the box – try viewing things from a different perspective. Think like your client, co-worker or audiences. Put yourself in their shoes. What do they like? What are their motivations? What’s in it for them? What’s the big picture? You never know what you might discover!
  3. Change your environment – move your creative thinking outside, to a coffee shop, or to a quiet room. Small changes can make a big difference. For example, the people watching & soft hum of noises at your local coffee shop may give you a different perspective than the office. In fact, Hollywood’s most successful writers often work at Chateau Marmont just for the inspiration. So, get out there and discover what makes you inspired!
  4. Take a break – step away from whatever project you’re working on and take a moment to collect and conquer. Sometimes a brisk walk and some fresh air can make a big difference.
  5. When in doubt, read! – read articles, blogs, and newsletters that you wouldn’t normally to give you different tips and perspectives.

Whether you’re brainstorming your next big strategy or social media campaign, consider these tips to tap into your creative side. If you’re still struggling with creativity, tap into ours! Feel free to contact us at info@wrightoncomm.com.

Need a Creativity Boost? How About a Run?

Running image

 

By Shae Geary, Senior Communications Strategist

I went for a run today. This is not out of the ordinary, but it had been a while since my last run. As I settled into my road rhythm, my mind began to whirl and I had one of those Oprah “a-ha” moments. Having been away from the activity for a period of time, I had forgotten how much running was vital to my job.

Yes, you read right. More than just a cardio boost, running has always been an essential part of my professional toolbox. It just took time away to realize how much. While my endorphins were flying high, I was equally excited about the creative juices that had started to flow. I finished my run with a great mental outline for a press release I needed to write, as well as a fun new idea for a program a client partner has been trying to get off the ground.

As many of us are continuing to tackle health resolutions for the new year, this serves as a good reminder that the benefits of exercise often spill over into our professional lives, making us more productive, happier and, as in my case, creating the ideal time and space for brainstorming. I find that running is especially conducive to creative inspiration because the activity itself doesn’t require a ton of thought or even strategy (unless you are training with time intervals, but that’s a whole different kind of running!) As muscle memory kicks in and heart rate peaks, so does your brainpower.

Scientific research seems to concur with my experience. According to this recent blog post by Eric Barker, researchers at University of Pennsylvania found that movement is in fact a secret to being more creative. If you’re not a runner, even the simple act of walking can help solve problems and provide a new perspective.

While the dream of showing up to the office in spandex and running shoes is probably far off, it’s exciting to know that stepping away from your desk for a run or walk is becoming part of the corporate culture for some companies. I loved reading about Facebook’s new headquarters, which include a nine-acre rooftop garden complete with walking paths so that employees can get outside and even hold walking/running meetings.

In short, the next time you’re looking for your a-ha moment, try plugging in your headphones, tying up your shoes and hitting the road. At best, you’ll return to your desk flowing with ideas. At worst, you’ll be reinvigorated to finish off the day. To me, that’s a win-win.