Decisions, Decisions: Social Media Participation

Introduction

            Social media is a part of life. In a business or organization, there is no way around it. If you want to reach all segments of the population, social media is imperative for your business goals and growth. It has become an expected part of the customer journey. While some platforms are used for content and advertising, others are used for customer service complaints and questions, but each plays a role. Without social media integration, a company is running a risk of not staying relevant. However, while social media is integral to the marketing mix, the relevance and role of each platform must be clearly defined in order for social media to succeed. In order to illustrate the differences in social media platforms and the role of each, the company, Little Leaf, located in Washington, D.C. will be utilized as a case study.

Little Leaf

            To provide some background knowledge, Little Leaf is a small, local business, within the city limits of Washington, D.C. The store sells plants, and plant related items. The shop has only one location, and specializes in creating lush, green environments for city living. Little Leaf is a colorful array of art and plants that the owners of the shop adoringly call, “the tiny jungle.” Everything about the shop is Instagram worthy. The setups, the displays, the plants, the arrangements of the plants, and everything in between. For this reason, it should not come as a surprise that Little Leaf’s primary social media platform is indeed Instagram.

            Little Leaf has an Instagram following of 25,000 followers and only has a retail space of about 300 square feet in one location (Little Leaf, 2018). The influence and following on the Little Leaf Instagram far exceeds the visitors that could stop by the tiny shop in the matter of several weeks. In addition, because of their strong Instagram presence, Little Leaf was recently featured in an article by Domino, an interior decorating magazine, as one of the prettiest plant shops in the world (Malacoff, 2018). This praise and adoration for the small D.C. shop would not have happened had Little Leaf not created such a lively and bustling Instagram profile. The Little Leaf Instagram account is an outright example that “organic content resonates with engaged communities” (Del Gigante, 2018). By creating and posting such engaging content on a regular basis, brands like Little Leaf prove the “difference a passionate audience makes on the engagement metrics for an organic post” (Del Gigante, 2018). While this type of engagement and audience growth take time, it is apparent the type of return on investment this engagement creates with tiny shops are mentioned in worldwide articles. Creating a strong, engaging, and vibrant social media presence truly makes all the difference. However, many brands feel that quantity takes precedence over quality. 

The Role of Platforms

            In marketing to a broad swath of prospective customers today, companies often believe that they need to have content and advertising on as many social media channels as possible, or at least on the big four, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. These are the platforms that are discussed most often, and are also the most widely used for business purposes. However, when businesses and organizations tackle the task of creating content for four social media platforms (and often YouTube as well), the task can become truly daunting. Some companies try to solve this problem, or make the workload lighter by putting the same content across all social media platforms. This is a huge mistake.

Each social media channel has a “separate set of content standards” (Warner, 2018). When dissecting and understanding why exactly each channel has separate standards, one must remember that social media optimization is all about engagement and interaction (Reed College of Media, 2018). If the same content is featured on each social media channel, the same customers are not going to interact with the same content on different channels. While some customers may only follow a business or organization on one platform, the average internet user uses an average of 7.6 social media channels and many of these users want to follow their favorite brands on every platform (Warner, 2018). If the same content is featured on every platform, there is no need for prospective, or current, customers to connect with a company on numerous sites. So, while many platforms may seem like a simple fix and the correct move, much research and preparation must be undertaken before this type of decision is made. In order to create four, or more, successful social media platforms, the company must be staffed to create content for each, as well as be prepared to answer inquiries and messages on each.

After understanding the nuances of posting across social media channels and utilizing each different, it is time to return to the example of Little Leaf. Little Leaf currently only utilizes and publishes content on one social media channel, that being Instagram. This platform works for them. It is where their ideal audience is located, and the account has gained thousands of users and brought them thousands of views. By creating and running a successful social media channel that attracts more than the average Instagram account, Little Leaf does not need to create additional social media platforms just to have them. Little Leaf has a very small location, and therefore a very small staff. It is very possible that they would not have the resources or collateral to create and publish differing content across numerous platforms. In this case, it is ideal for the company or organization to stick with the resources and strategy that will work best for them. While other companies may find success across platforms, small businesses like Little Leaf may be ideally positioned to operate one, very successful and well curated channel.

Conclusion

Overall, the number of social media channels allotted for a company or organization is truly dependent on the company’s need and resources available. However, it is not a negative for a company to have only one social media platform although this often seems to be the rumor. One primary social media channel that is executed correctly and has consistent, helpful, or ideal content can serve the social media needs of a company. More is not always better and the same is true in regards to social media channels per organization.

References

Del Gigante, M. (2018, February 14). 6 reasons to invest in organic reach on social media. Retrieved from: https://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/23977.aspx

Little Leaf (@littleleafshop). (2018) Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.instagram.com/littleleafshop/

Malacoff, J. (2018, June 21). These Are the Prettiest Plant Shops In the World. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.domino.com/content/prettiest-plant-shops-in-the-world/

Reed College of Media. 2018. West Virginia University. IMC 642: Web Metrics and SEO. Week 3. " Social Media Analytics & Advertising Channels.”

Warner, C. (2018, April 17). Do You Really Have to Create Unique Content for Each Social Media Channel? Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/marketing/does-each-social-media-channel-need-its-own-content-strategy/