Social Media Smackdown: Round 2!

Following a sell out event at Social Media Week London, this morning at We Are Social HQ we hosted our second Social Media Content Smackdown.

Presenting alongside some of the We Are Social senior team, we had a stellar line up of brands; Jason Wills from Thorpe Park, Aman Matharu from PepsiCo and Patricia Klein of Cisco. While each brand outlined very different challenges and solutions in their particular markets, there were a number of overriding messages to come out of the talks.

Firstly, the need to engage with your audience on the channels where they already come into contact with your brand, rather than expecting them to follow you. Or, “fish where the fish are” as Aman put it.

Secondly, whether you’re a b2b brand like Cisco, or selling directly to consumers like Pepsi Max and Thorpe Park, remember that people buy from people and not from a faceless brand. Tone of voice can make a big difference here – brands should be using an engaging tone that stimulates two-way conversation.

Curate, create and share content that inspires and delights your audience (check out Pepsi Max’s sausage BBQ) – whether they’re company decision makers, millennials or parents. In doing this, companies can transform social media posts from characterless comments to valuable interactions.

Finally, use research and insight, not just to find out what makes your audience tick, but also to identify who that audience is in the first place. Sometimes, it’s not as obvious as you’d think. If you know exactly who you’re targeting, it’s much easier to come up with the content and tone that will really appeal to them.

Aside from the talks themselves we also learned that a table football table makes a surprisingly good coat stand, and that at 9am on a Tuesday in a room full of marketers, a professional barista is worth every single penny.

If you’d like to register your interest for future Social Media Smackdowns, please drop Harriet an email, or if you’re interested in seeing some of the content shared at today’s event, please email Alex.

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