The last time I wrote about social media, I made the case for storytellers and content creators to listen before they do any brand promotion online. Observing your online network should’ve given you some insight into what topics interest your neck of the digital woods.
And now that you’re ready to talk, what do you say? Here are a few easy ways to package and deploy that insight to benefit your social media strategy.
Create a social media calendar
Timeliness is next to godliness online. Make a calendar of holidays, annual awareness campaigns and events you can leverage to promote your work. At the beginning of the week, I also make a note of upcoming project/product launches and deadlines that need to be promoted. This saves me time during the week and ensures MediaStorm’s social media content serves our business goals.
This Father’s Day, we presented “A Shadow Remains” to our fans and followers. The film premiered online in 2012, but Phillip Toledano’s story of taking care of his father during his last days expresses a timeless emotion.
Give behind-the-scenes access
People are nosey. Seeing the final product isn’t enough. We want to know what’s really going on: How did it get made? Who made it? Why did they make it? Share stories and photographs from events, meetings and your work process. It’s a great way to promote your work and stoke curiosity.
On Instagram, we gave followers a glimpse of our motion graphics team capturing artwork for our then unreleased series for ICP’s Infinity Awards.
Extend the story
This is a great way to make use of content left on the cutting room floor and give your audience a better understanding of your work. At MediaStorm, we make it a practice to follow up with past collaborators and invite them to guest blog or participate in an interview. It promotes their work, gives us content and strengthens our online creative community.
A year after “Surviving the Peace: Angola” was published, we offered the MediaStorm community the opportunity to assist one of the film’s most captivating subjects, Minga. It gave viewers a call to action and extended the impact of the film.
Inspire
Being a creative is tough. We can be sensitive types who need a pick me up to get through those brutal editing sessions. Pay it forward. Share the people, words and images that inspire you.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” – Maya Angelou (via @WGAEast)
— MediaStorm (@MediaStorm) May 28, 2014
We share lots of information on Twitter, but inspirational quotes from people we admire are always among our most shared content.
Give knowledge away
Social media is an economy based on giving. The more vital the information you share, the more goodwill you receive. At MediaStorm, we think of our social media presence not only as a vehicle for promotion, but a way to give back to the creative community. You don’t have to reveal trade secrets, but a person willing to part with a simple shortcut or life-saving tool guarantees themselves a loyal following.
Pinterest is one of our favorite places to curate tips, tricks and tutorials in one place.
Just Ask
It may sound like cheating, but it never hurts to ask your followers what interests them or what they want to hear from you. These public brainstorming sessions not only engage your community, but also give valuable insight into the mind of your audience. Ask questions that provoke an immediate response.
We use the hashtag #AskMediaStorm to breathe new life into our tutorial blog series, and help our producers come up with more helpful educational material.
Got a question? Have your own social media insights to share? Talk to MediaStorm on Twitter, Facebook and the comment section below!