MAC Summit, the Mid-Atlantic’s most comprehensive marketing communications event, was held virtually last week. Marketers and brand leaders from throughout the region came together for two days of learning, networking, and discussing the latest industry insights.
MAC Summit, the Mid-Atlantic’s most comprehensive marketing communications event, was held virtually last week. Marketers and brand leaders from throughout the region came together for two days of learning, networking, and discussing the latest industry insights.
AMADC hosted a panel at the event featuring some of the most impressive “up-and-coming” marketers from the DMV to discuss current social media trends. The panel, moderated by Isiah Donaldson, discussed being intentional, choosing the right platform, and how to adjust your strategy in these changing times.
Quality is Greater than Quantity
Jordan Craig, Content Strategy Manager at Twitter, began by explaining how many brands make the mistake of trying to do too much on too many platforms. She urged marketers to figure out which platform their audience uses the most and focus on that one platform, rather than posting the same content across multiple platforms.
When asked how frequently brands should be posting, the panelists emphasized the importance of being intentional and posting on a consistent basis. Even if you only post once a week, as long as you are consistent and are sharing valuable content, your audience will stay engaged. Tomás Harmon, Account Manager at Vanguard Communications, added that in today’s ever-changing world, brands need to make sure their content is in line with current events — and marketers should never schedule posts more than a week in advance for this reason.
A Platform is Not a Strategy
One of the biggest takeaways from this panel was the importance of choosing the right platform for your brand. Elizabeth Blake, a government communications strategist, noted that it’s important to think about which platform works best for your strategy. Blake explained that Instagram is the best platform for video, while Facebook should be used for selling a product and LinkedIn is a good platform for networking.
If you’re not getting engagement on a certain platform, you should evaluate why it’s not working. Is your audience more active on a different platform? Are you using the wrong hashtag strategy? Analyze your strategy, evaluate your goals, and stop using a platform immediately if it is not working.
Focus on Connectivity
In today’s new normal, many people are stuck at home, bored, and eager to connect. During this time, the panelists recommend brands start embracing video and experiment with creating conversations on social media to obtain valuable feedback from customers. Alex Virden, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Everfi, noted that marketers should test the timing of their posts on social media to determine what the best times to post are now that consumers are adapting to new routines with work-from-home schedules. It’s important to know your audience and how to segment in order to deliver the right message in the right medium.
By Nikki Newman