ListenFirst was proud to host the Q&A with Leading Minds in Social Media panel during Advertising Week New York this year. It was a frank and informative discussion where social media innovators from a variety of different brands and industries shared their strategy insights with a captive audience.
If the Leading Minds in Social Media panel sounds like it could have been helpful, but you weren’t one of the marketers in the audience, we’ve got you covered! Here are 5 key insights from that discussion on how to approach and optimize your brand’s social media strategies.
Insight #1: Social Media Can Extend The Life Of A Brand Event
Hetal Patel, the EVP of SmartAudio Insights & Analytics at iHeartMedia, talked about how social media has allowed iHeartMedia to extend a concert’s interaction between their listeners and client brands for a much longer time period. So, rather than concertgoers just talking about an event while it’s going on, in the social sphere they’re discussing the concert before it happens, while it’s going on, with fan engagement and conversation only starting to drop off seven days after the event ended.
By leveraging social media, brands can make experiential opportunities last even longer.
Insight #2: User Generated Content Creates Authenticity
Ken Madrigal, the Digital & Social Strategy Lead at Verizon, stressed how important trust commerce, and the idea of building equity, is to Verizon’s social strategy. Margaret Fontana, the Digital Innovation Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health, added how impactful a patient talking about a wonderful experience with a doctor can be for their brand.
Customers value third-party validation, and sharing positive content from other customers goes a long way in creating more trust around a brand.
Insight #3: Social Media Can No Longer Be Siloed
Hetal Patel explained how iHeartMedia has 815 radio stations across the United States, with each of those radio stations having their own Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. This means that an event like the iHeartRadio Music Festival requires a massive amount of coordination on social media for consistent messaging. Meanwhile, Margaret Fontana from Hackensack Meridian Health pointed out how, unlike in the past, she needs to be in any meeting surrounding outwardly-focused communications since social is going to be a big part of how that messaging is seen.
In order to be a brand leader on social media in 2019, a considerable amount of intercompany communication and collaboration is required.
Insight #4: Generating Instagram Followers Is Not a Business Objective
Kiran Goojha, the Director of Digital Marketing Strategy & Operations at D’Addario, discussed how because she has a small team, and doesn’t work with an agency, social is one of their biggest marketing funnels, and where D’Addario gets the most bang for their buck. That makes optimization critical. She recently hired a marketing analyst since understanding how many Instagram followers were generated isn’t enough—you also have to understand what that means.
Vanity metrics such as Likes and Followers aren’t inherently valuable, and the success of a brand’s social media strategy can only be gauged when it’s tied to business objectives.
Insight #5: Understanding Audience Is Essential Around Social Media Content Creation
Margaret Fontana talked about how data and insights play a critical role in determining the content that Hackensack Meridian Health produces for their social channels. Through partnering with ListenFirst, Fontana explained how Hackensack Meridian Health is able to better understand which of their social media content strategies is most resonating with consumers, while ListenFirst’s Competitive Benchmarking provides a clearer picture of what hospital-related social media content is best performing across the country.
In order to best connect with consumers, brands need to understand what’s already working, and that includes for competitors.
Conclusion
The through-line between all of the experts on the Leading Minds in Social Media panel was how they prioritized data in shaping their social media strategy. Being a winner around social requires a best-in-class understanding of both your audience and how they’re reacting to your content.
Want more information about how ListenFirst can help understand your brand’s data? Request A Demo Today!
