Want to play a game?

Match the Social Media post to the Social Media platform.

(Answers: 1. Facebook, 2. Pinterest, 3. Twitter, 4. Instagram)

If you’re familiar with these platforms, this exercise was child’s play.  Each post works to interact with the audience to tell a story.  These are perfect examples of a brand understanding what content is best matched for the context.

Respect Your Platform And Your Audience

 “If content is king, then context is God,”  states Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Jab Jab Jab, Right Hook. He stresses the importance of understanding the advertising medium being used and placing the most relevant content. For example, people do not post their summer vacation pictures on LinkedIn; instead, they talk about their career achievements. 

Building your Brand Online

When looking to build your brand, social media is a great tool. It provides the opportunity to connect with your audience, gain followers, and tell your brand story. More attention generated within social media equals increased sales. However, marketers must craft their message for the platform. Hence the idea that even though “content is king,” putting it into the right context is crucial.

In an instantaneous world, many marketers do not have the patience to tailor every social media post for each corresponding platform. Instead, they post the same content across all platforms and hope for the best. This disregard for the appropriate context means the message misses potential customers. 

Crafting Your Message

Marketing blogger, Neil Patel advises marketers to take the time to understand their customers. His method is to find their pain points, agitate the pain, then solve the problem. In a recent Weight Watchers (WW) Instagram post, they share a funny anecdote about ‘fun-sized’ candy to make the brand more relatable. Resisting candy consumption is a pain point for an audience that is conscious of their weight.  To help solve their customer’s problem, the side text also offers encouragement and methods to enjoy candy while still sticking to a weight loss plan. The visual of the candy bar with a cheeky line would make anyone smile and feel the brand understands them. Even though there is no call to action, WW has gained strong support from their audience.

Building your Message In Non-Traditional Ways

Vaynerchuk’s idea of “context is God” could be applied to non-traditional marketing, too. A prime example of an organization working every non-digital tactic to spread their message is The Ocean Agency.  Their message is to preserve our coral reefs to protect our planet. Quick social media posts were not enough to support this cause and increase donations. Instead, the founder, Richard Vevers, worked with Netflix to create a documentary called Chasing Coral. Filled with visually descriptive content, the documentary was perfect for the context of an audience seeking entertainment. The documentary was a success and went on to win an Emmy.

Taking their fame further, Vever and his team developed a curriculum to teach middle and high school students about our underwater ecosystems. He modified his message to help young adults to learn more about ocean conservation. The content of the curriculum helped The Ocean Agency build a new younger audience with the education context. 

The context of all content is the key to building an audience and, therefore, a successful brand. Think about what information, content you are trying to get across to your audience and craft it for the right context. Stick to the principle of ‘Context is King’ and you can easily build a connection and create the brand loyalty that every marketer strives for.