Written by Paige Dawson
Social media platforms create a space for marketers to craft a personality for their companies that will be shared with the public directly and personally. There is wisdom to be gained by observing the unique personalities of a few of the giants in the realm of social media. Here are some lessons to be learned from their accounts:
Let’s taco ‘bout the amusing Taco Bell, who does an amazing job of interacting with their followers. Looking for a response on Twitter? Taco Bell probably won’t disappoint. They’ve even created the #TacoEmojiEngine. If followers tweet Taco Bell the taco emoji paired with a second emoji, they’ll respond with a meme to match.
Why are taco memes so wonderful? First of all, what dealing with tacos isn’t wonderful? But more importantly, Taco Bell knows that social media is a way to be personal with their followers, fans, and loyal customers. More important still, they use it well. Dare I bring back Taco Bell’s old slogan? They “think outside the bun” with their quick wit and laugh-out-loud humor, not to mention pro-actively and dutifully connect with their fan base. They have no qualms telling followers to get some Taco Bell. By being responsive and humorous, this fast food giant has made itself seem more like the friend that specializes in memes and late-night Mexican food runs than a corporate fast food chain.
It is well-known that humans are storytellers and story-listeners. For entertainment, education, and connection, we love a good story. We become captivated, entranced, and transported to a different time and place.
As marketers, we should utilize a storytelling approach to build our brand personalities on social media. Any platform with a decent character count or video capabilities (how convenient – basically all of them) is a good medium through which to tell your story.
Apparel company and kindness-spreading movement, dude. be nice is founded on the idea of sharing stories, kindness, and cool clothing. In fact, their motto is, “Connecting people through style and stories.” As with any good narrator, they take you from in front of the digital screen to around the campfire as they spread their message across multiple social media platforms. Watch the 7 minute video below to see what I’m talking about.
Telling stories may not be your mission like it is for dude. be nice, and you may not have the resources to make videos like this, but you’ve got a story to share. Use your social accounts to talk about who you are, what you do, and why you’re unique. Let followers know where you came from and where you’re going, so they get to know your company on an authentic level.
Sticking to our fun-loving theme, Southwest Airlines is quite possibly the most fun-loving airline (ever) and has a reputation for being a wonderful place to work, to boot. But they still need travelers to know that the fastest, safest way to get from point A to point B is on a Southwest flight, which believe it or not, includes being responsible and credible on social media. Because of this, Southwest’s Twitter and Facebook are each a good blend of personal and professional. You’ll notice their posts, a mix of business and recreation, are grammatically correct and internet slang is largely absent. In true Southwest fashion, followers know this airline is going to be professional, but they’re going to have fun doing it.
Southwest also exhibits one brand personality without being overly repetitive. The Southwest that is tweeting is the same Southwest that is posting on Facebook, but rarely is the text identical. It is important to stick to just one brand image across social platforms. Followers probably don’t appreciate two-faced people, or companies for that matter. But creating identical posts to send out on your socials isn’t always the answer to consistency, as it can be perceived as insincerity. Be consistent; but be authentic, too.
There are many more things we could mention when it comes to crafting your brand personality on social media. But as you can see from the three we discussed, every unique voice caters to its own mission and brand. The best piece of advice I can leave you with is the cliché, “be yourself.”
