We need to have a serious talk about Social Media. Last year the amount of active UK Social Media users shot up by 4.6% to 32.3 million. Social Media usage on mobile also grew by 17% and is expected to reach a record 50.8% of all UK mobile users this year. On a global scale, Social Media usage worldwide increased by 10% to 2.307 billion users – over 31% of the population of the world. Some of those users are your audience – and it’s high time for you came after them.
Social Media is a platform on which your audience feel comfortable and that makes them far more willing to listen. The problem is that many companies still aren’t entirely sure of the correct way to go about encouraging their particular audience to engage with them. Social Media can be especially difficult to get right as there is no catch-all method to success. The susceptibility of consumers to engage varies immensely from industry to industry and depends entirely on things like type of network, tone of voice and style of content.
We believe that businesses of all shapes and sizes can and should benefit from Social Media – so we want to give you a better idea of Social Media best practice specific to your industry.
Social Media for Zoos
Zoos occupy a magical position in the minds of many. They are fortunate because their brand is something that is intriguing and exciting. The modern Zoo is now also incredibly important to the conservation of endangered species of animal, a cause that is of great importance to a great deal of people. Therefore, when it comes to Social Media, users are naturally more susceptible and willing to engage with them. However, when it comes to content, Zoos have to make sure that they are living up to expectations. Due to their primary revenue coming from visitors, Zoo Marketing is taken very seriously – and Social Media should be no exception.
Walk and talk with the animals
Social Media has shown us time and time again that it isn’t a channel for brands or products to constantly big themselves up. Because your audience love your animals, give each of them a voice of their own specific to their characteristics, and craft your posts around their lives. And remember to be sure you don’t fall into to using stock images – your audience can spot them a mile off.
Video content will do you wonders
Video content has become an increasingly important aspect of Social Media across many Social Networks. Internet users have become inherently video-orientated. According to a report by Cisco, by 2019 Video could very well account for 80% of global Internet traffic. Using video to show your audience snippets of their favourite animals’ days, give them updates of conservation efforts, and show off new enclosures is likely to get you some serious reach and engagement.
Go live
Gone are the days when live streaming meant a heavily pixelated image that refreshed itself every 1.5 seconds. Live streaming apps like Periscope will allow you to expand your Social Media reach tenfold. Consider things like behind-the-scenes footage of keepers making dinner for big cats, or the first appearance of new arrivals. Live streaming is going to become more and more popular in 2016 and all it takes for a business to succeed on it is a cool workplace – and nowhere is cooler than a Zoo. Periscope could also serve a dual purpose for Zoos as it have received praise for being a great tool for encouraging awareness of causes.
Get competitive
Competitions work on Social Media. Because they are easy to enter and easily shared with friends whom they might be of interest to they can drive up some real engagement. Interactive competitions are the best as they can help you to command some user generated content.
Let your Social Media audience be the first to hear about seasonal offers
Reward your fans on Social Media for following you by giving them early access to deals and vouchers. Remember to alter your page design during holidays as well. For example, you can always give your profile and header photos a festive zing during Christmas, or a freaky edge during Halloween. This will help keep your audience engaged during the low season.
Don’t lose sight of your brand
Most Zoos have worked tirelessly to create branding that reflects the nature of their work. Don’t let this slip on your Social Channels. Keep your profile well branded and any content such as images or video should reflect this as well.
