From Wendy’s airing their beef with McDonalds to Hidden Valley Ranch suggesting a collaboration with Pop Tarts, brands are going big or going home on Twitter. Brand voices on this highly popular social media platform are becoming increasingly snarky and bold.
However, if you work in a more buttoned-up industry like the legal field, insurance, or banking, you might find yourself wondering how your organization can join in on the platform in an entertaining manner while maintaining your professional ethics and reputation. Our Denver-based PR firm specializes in working with clients in the healthcare, professional services, legal and nonprofit industries, and our clients often ask us this same question when we create social media strategies for them.
Our answer? Even brands in more traditional, conservative industries where it wouldn’t be appropriate to adopt a larger-than-life brand personality can still showcase their culture and have a bit of fun on Twitter. Rather than buying into outlandish brand stunts, brands in more conservative industries can focus on the humanity behind their brand to join the conversation on Twitter. Here are three of our favorite types of content that traditional brands can use to showcase their personality on Twitter without jumping off into the deep end.
Meet the Team Content
Introducing your team to your followers is a great way to humanize your brand. Consumers love getting to know the faces behind your work. Consider adding a weekly or monthly series of posts where you introduce a team member and share a little bit of information about their work at your company, what they bring to the table and what makes them tick.
Short question and answer style videos are a great way to help your followers get to know your team. While it is important to showcase the team member’s role within your organization, don’t be afraid to inject a little bit of personality into the video! Questions about what the employee likes to do in their free time, what their favorite movie or TV show is, or even what’s on their bucket list can help your audience feel like they’re authentically connecting with the team member. Tying the questions back to your organization’s key messages is also a must! For example, if you work in the legal field you could ask what the team member’s favorite legal case is and why. This type of video content can also be repurposed on your website as a blog, helping to fill your content calendar.
Behind-the-Scenes Content
If there is one thing social media followers love, it’s diving behind the curtain to see what brings your work to life. Behind-the-scenes content invites your audience to experience the personality of your brand and feel like they’re getting an exclusive peek into your organization.
One of the easiest ways to bring your followers behind-the-scenes is to invite a team member to “takeover” your account for the day. While the idea of turning over the reigns of your social media platforms to someone else might be enough to make any social media manager’s stomach churn, developing takeover content without giving up control of the final product couldn’t be easier. Simply ask a team member to take 3-5 photos throughout a day showcasing portions of their work that your average consumer may not be aware of. This can include anything from organizational programs to workplace perks to interesting events the team member attends. Then you can develop a content series highlighting the photos that aligns with your key messaging.
For example, if you work at a clinical practice, you could ask a doctor to document their day starting with their favorite caffeinated beverage in the morning, showcasing a new medical device and sharing a moment collaborating with a colleague. People are naturally curious and by offering them the chance to see what life at your organization is like behind-the-scenes you can engage your followers in a new way.
Trending Topics
Trending topics are a great way to reach new audiences and the opportunity isn’t limited to brands with outlandish personalities. B2B and more traditional B2C brands can still join in without compromising their brand voice. When we work with our Colorado PR and social media clients, we develop an editorial calendar of trending topics and events that can be used to guide social content. While not every national holiday or trend will be a fit for your brand, we bet there are plenty out there that you can use to start a conversation with your audience.
National holidays that are industry-specific like National Paralegal Day (if you work for a law firm) or National Nurses Day (if you work for a healthcare organization) are a great way to join the conversation by expressing your thanks to the employees who fill these roles within your organization. Brands with a professional tone can even join in the fun of trends like May the Fourth Be With You (Star Wars Day) by keeping content light and tying it back to your work. For example, on May the Fourth, a healthcare brand could share and image of a Doctor greeting a patient while wearing a Darth Vader Mask or a financial institution could share a short video of employees guarding a vault using lightsabers. Don’t be afraid to keep things light-hearted on social media by softening your tone, imagery and copy from time-to-time!