Two different ideas converged for me during the opening day of Social Media Week LA. The first was the conference theme: the invisible hand: hidden forces of technology. The second was a comment from Jim Squires, director of market operations at Instagram, about how brands can stand out by fitting in.
Let me explain.
Technology and social media are advancing rapidly and changing the way people communicate – and by extension, how brands interact with people as well. The change is real and fast and inevitable, but it is also hard to see in the moment.
The temptation for brands is to wait for social media to “settle down” before fully embracing it; let other brands figure out b-to-b social media marketing first, for example, before getting in the game. The problem with that approach is this: the invisible hand of technology isn’t slowing down, and it may be accelerating. There are real risks if your competitors figure it out first.
That brings me to the second point. Social media isn’t rocket science and agencies often use industry-speak to complicate otherwise straightforward principles. Companies don’t need to reinvent the social media wheel to be successful. In fact, what they need to do is fit in more, as Jim Squires explained. Be true to your brand and the social channels that make strategic sense. Learn from your community and how they prefer to interact, and design campaigns based on their preferences. It’s hard to go wrong if you start with that foundation.
Why is your brand fearful of social media and how can we help you put the invisible hand of technology to work for you?
Matt Cochran is a vice president at Cookerly PR.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.