In my very first marketing job, almost 15 years ago, social media mainly meant Twitter.
I was part of the branding team at an online lingerie and swimwear retailer. Twitter sat with us - not the uber-analytical digital team, and tweeting was seen as a 'nice to have'. A channel to pay attention to when your to-do list was ticked.
Today, not only is a presence necessary, but optimising your results with the creation of the most up-to-date and engaging content is the never ending goal; more likes, more fans, more reach.
Keeping abreast of the latest trends and user habits is challenging enough, adapting your strategy to new tools, features and platforms is another (Threads for business anyone?!).
Social media gave fans access to brands like never before. Offering a tool for businesses to showcase their personality and values. Brands with solid beliefs and passion faired better. I for one have to flip my commercial, trade driven marketing-head on its head; constantly reminding myself to share the passions of the businesses whose social media I manage, as opposed to their products and services.
Sharing what you love is my number one tip to everyone when social media marketing. And I believe small businesses have the edge on the big ones here; real people, real lives and real heart.
Whether you're a big brand with a big budget and a huge influence, or a small business serving a local community - you are both competing for very the same thing; attention.
Regardless of the changes in how consumers and businesses use social media since my very first job as a hungry marketing graduate, the aim of all our posts, stories, tweets and threads is capture the imagination of our target audience. To resonate with them just long enough for them to remember us.
And at its core, that's what all types of marketing is about.
Michelle Crowe established The Narrative Marketing Agency in January 2020, with 10+ years retail marketing experience. Sharing her expertise and skills with small businesses in the local community, The Narrative Marketing Agency continues to help a host of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire based businesses thrive. Discover just a few client examples here.