Social Media Day was first launched by Mashable in 2010 as a way to recognize social media’s impact on absolutely everything we do as marketers and consumers. Held on June 30, Social Media Day is the key event for those of us who develop social media campaigns, adapt trends, and look to leaders in the industry to help us understand what’s next.
Here’s what I learned at this year’s Social Media Day in Philadelphia:
1. Millennials and Moms are Powerful Consumers
With the average millennial opening their smartphone 150 times per day and the average mom making 77 percent of all household purchases, it’s no surprise that many B2C companies, nonprofits, and associations have begun focusing time and resources on reaching these two groups. Millennials are now the most powerful demographic, have billions in purchasing power, and are capable of influencing how brands are perceived. In addition, moms are the consumer and social media user that every marketer should be trying to engage.
Erin Dress, Marketing Strategist at Twitter, led the opening keynote at Social Media Day and discussed how millennials and moms are using Twitter to interact with the brands they relate to and ultimately do business with.
Dress discussed many trends, one being that moms are turning to Twitter to ask questions, find answers, and research products. Why? Because Twitter is a real-world focus group where moms can participate in conversations that will ultimately sway their decision to purchase a product or service.
As for millennials, Dress noted that millennials want experiences, not things. Millennials want brands to tell them a story. They want to see what type of experience they can get out of each brand they interact with. They want to see that the brands they follow value their attitudes and beliefs. Although it can be challenging to meet these demands, companies can do so by getting to know the millennials that already engage with their brand.
There’s one key takeaway that nonprofits and associations can learn from these claims: marketers should begin to shift their strategies from demographic to psychographic marketing. By understanding why millennials and moms interact with your organization on social media, marketers can develop campaigns that these groups are drawn to.
2. Mission-Driven Brands Keep an Engaged Audience
In her opening keynote, Dress also delved into how mission-driven brands keep an engaged audience on social. Perhaps the best example of a brand that does this almost flawlessly is Dove.
As Dove’s Twitter bio says, “Dove is committed to helping women realize their beauty potential by creating the products that deliver real care.” This mission is reflected in every message, every Tweet, and every creative campaign. Dove’s ability to focus on its purpose while selling products helps the company keep a very loyal, engaged social following.
As associations, we should make it a point to carry out our missions in everything we do. While we want to be recognized for the programs we offer our members or our successful annual meeting, we can grow, reach new verticals, and use social media to our advantage by constantly exhibiting our missions. Like Dove, a company known for its products and its purpose, we can stay relevant and maintain a positive reputation by ensuring every effort is related to our association’s mission.
3. Develop Compelling Campaigns with the Modern American Family in Mind
What are the first few thoughts that come to mind when you think about Campbell’s Soup? For most consumers, these revolve around nostalgia and comfort. For Campbell’s, that was the problem. The soup company knew they weren’t being perceived as a forward thinking company by the modern consumer.
In an effort to realistically depict the different types of consumers that purchase their products, Campbell’s decided to take a chance in the creative campaign “Made for Real, Real Life.” The video series shows the types of families and consumers that turn to Campbell’s in their real, real lives, including a gay couple and their son. The spotlight was on Campbell’s for quite some time after launching this new campaign and the responses were luckily more positive than negative.
At Social Media Day, Mandy Weger, Digital Marketing Strategist at Campbell Soup Company, discussed Campbell’s strategy in creating, implementing, and responding to this type of bold campaign. Weger noted that Campbell’s planned for the best and the worst while staying true to the Campbell’s brand. Doing so helped Campbell’s filter through the negative and ultimately show the public they respect every type of consumer who purchases their products.
Associations and nonprofits can show they’re authentic and relevant by keeping the modern American family in mind. Use realistic photos in advertising. Take a stand on pertinent social issues. Doing so will cause many reactions from members, volunteers, and the general public, but the positive responses will come from the ones you really want supporting your cause.
4. Social is Here to Stay
Each session at Social Media Day offered insight as to where the powerful world of social is headed. Some speakers weighed in on platforms they feel are going to take off and others talked about their favorite campaigns or trends. Almost every session had one thing in common: although social has changed tremendously over the last 10 years, it’s here to stay.
Associations and nonprofits can continue to use social media to find new members, promote an event, engage the media, and introduce a new program. As new features like algorithms and sharing settings are introduced, leaders in the industry like those who offered their expertise at Social Media Day and AH’s very own Red Chair Communications team will be here to help associations figure it all out.
