It's Social Media Month in the Seller Community and we're bringing you tips and tricks on everything social media. Read on to see how Tyler from our team has crafted the voice and presence behind Square online.
Hi, I’m Tyler, and I work on the Social Media team with Nick and Nat (sadly, my name doesn’t begin with an “N”). As a whole, the Social Team is constantly collaborating; we’re always sharing ideas — but mainly memes — and aren’t afraid to challenge each other.
How do you build brand and voice on social media?
Building a brand voice isn’t something that happens overnight. You have to get a feel for your customers, what they’re into, and gauge their sense of humor before diving in. Building a voice takes time and effort, so don’t get discouraged by little to no engagement — be brave and willing to try new things. Say you’ve already gone the fun and quippy route, but it came off a little cheesy. Try a more serious tone, like the "real talk" best friend.
Social media is on 24/7. How do you keep up? Do you have any boundaries that you draw?
It’s true, social media never sleeps, but as humans you have to. The most crucial thing is stay on top of what’s going on in each social community, how platforms are changing, and what unique experiences you can offer through each. At times, the line can get muddied having brand accounts alongside personal ones, but it’s up to you to set those boundaries. It can be an always-on job, but if you set expectations like “no phone after 9:30pm” or “wake up and make coffee before checking your phone,” you’ll set yourself up to be much more successful in the long run. No one deserves to have Internet trolls ruin their lives.
How do you optimize social to guide & convert people to the actions you want them to take?
This is tricky because you can go either way, a hard sell or a soft sell. I prefer a soft sell. If you are creating good, unique, and engaging content, people will trickle in naturally to the top of the funnel, attracted to what you’re offering. Depending on your product or business, you’ll want to create a lifestyle that people can see themselves in. Now, that’s not to say a cute social promo for a weekend sale or something to increase foot traffic should be out of the question, but it should be on brand for your channels.
What are some of those actions you want people to take from social?
You want people to feel some sort of emotion or learn something — ultimately resulting in your audience sharing your content. Social has become a space that takes “word of mouth” to the next level. What’s better than someone liking your brand? Someone liking your brand or product enough to vouch for it and share with a friend. Building customer loyalty through compelling content is invaluable. Once you build trust and loyalty with your customers, they’ll be more willing to buy whatever it is you’re selling.
What are some tips for writing compelling social copy?
Short and sweet. Get right to the point — don’t drag it out, but also don’t be afraid to leave them wanting more. Do you have a solution to an everyday problem? Can you make someone’s life more efficient? Is it the holidays and you’re offering a 2-for-1 bestie haircut? Figure out your intent and frame it in a way that shows the consumer “you’ve got them.”
Any tips for graphics?
Graphics can be tough, but you can get scrappy in many ways. If possible, stay away from stock photography — it will only drown you further in the social noise. Grab your phone or camera and shoot content on your own whenever you have a free moment. It can be as simple as taking photos throughout the day of your products, happy customers, behind the scenes work, etc., giving yourself a backlog of imagery to share when you have some time.
There’s also opportunities to partner with students from local high schools or colleges looking to build their portfolio? Hire them for a freelance work. Also, use social tagging: locations, customer tags, and hashtags to your advantage. Not only will these help your content reach more people, but you should also be monitoring your own brand location tag — chances are someone somewhere has shared something representative of your brand. Encourage this kind of sharing from your customers by repurposing their images into posts for your brand accounts, incentivizing future customers to share.
How do you build brand loyalty?
Building brand loyalty takes time. First off, if you have a great product or service in high demand, it will speak for itself one way or another. Second, if you have a great product or service, people will speak for it — that’s where social media comes in. Take advantage of customer reviews, check-ins, and first-hand testimonials from clients and customers.It can only provide added value.
What makes you stand out in a very crowded social media realm?
Standing out ties back to building your brand voice and identity. What is your product? What does it do? How can it be someone’s new best friend? How do you visually represent your brand consistently?
Your social should, even if it ties back to a bigger picture, be able to stand on its own. Each piece should tell a part of your entire story, while also acting as a single chapter.
Don’t be afraid to take risks to create out-of-the-box content to define your brand. Engage with your customers AND the haters. Every interaction can have a larger role in your overall strategy. If there’s one thing to takeaway, it’s not to look to other brands for ideas; instead, look to them for inspiration. Be original and people will notice.
