When Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in 2004, his intention was crystal clear (at least according to The Social Network).
Social media was the place where people could get a break from the everyday grind of the rat race. It allowed them to find long-lost friends, make new connections, and watch cat videos.
However, as things go, when usage started booming in the mid 2000’s, companies realised that these sites were incredibly effective mediums for advertising and marketing.
And thus, social media marketing was born.
Social media in 2024
Fast forward to 2024. People still love social media. Pretty much everyone who has a smartphone engages with a variant of social media, daily.
GWI’s Global Media Landscape 2024 report says that “consumers dedicate 2 hours and 23 minutes daily to social media”. That’s serious dedication.
But HOW and WHY are people using social media?
Rarely will you find someone saying “I’ve had a really long day. Let me go scroll some ads on Instagram to relax.”
People go on Snapchat to catch up with friends. They’re reading posts from their favourite influencers on X. They’re watching recipe videos on Facebook.
This poses an interesting question to companies. Is it even worth advertising on social media? Do people even want to see your ads?
Two ways to approach social media
HOW you approach social media is the key. The right approach = ad money spent smartly.
1) It’s just another advertising medium
If you treat social media as simply another “place” to advertise your goods and services, like a billboard or street pole, people are going to skip your ads. Guaranteed.
2) It’s an entertainment hub
However, if you treat social media as an entertainment hub, and create content that is entertaining, you’ll gain a large and engaged following. Guaranteed.
Three brands doing it correctly
There are brands around that world that are dominating the social media space.
The interesting thing is that there’s a golden thread throughout all their content.
It’s genuinely entertaining.
They don’t advertise to their audience. They give them what they came to social media to get – a dose of daily entertainment.
1) Wendy’s
Wendy’s is an American international fast food restaurant chain.
The way they describe their tweets (posts) is: “We like our tweets the way we like our fries: hot, crispy, and better than anyone expects from a fast-food restaurant.”
They’re known to be an incredibly cheeky brand and aren’t afraid to take the mickey out of themselves and their competitors.
Customers love it when a brand brings humour and sass to the fore, especially on social media.
2) Nando’s
Another restaurant chain, but this time closer to home.
Nando’s have struck a beautiful balance between political and topical commentary on the one hand, and light-hearted humour on the other.
3) Monzo
It’s not only fast-food chains having fun on social media.
Monzo is a British digital bank that has flipped the banking category on its head, and then again.
They realised that another social media feed filled with “Open a fixed deposit” wasn’t going to attract and engage their intended target audience – people between 18-35.
Their social feeds are carefully curated to provide entertainment first, and banking information second.
What does this mean for your brand?
We’re not suggesting that your brand suddenly needs to throw out the baby, the bath water, and even the bath.
Not every brand is meant to be sassy, cheeky and self-deprecating on social media.
You only need to ask yourself one question.
If you were the customer, would you stop and engage with your company’s social media posts?
If the answer is no, it’s time to take stock of your social media strategy.
Speak to a social media expert
Contact us for an independent, objective and thorough analysis of your social media positioning. We’ll help you define your brand voice on social media, and crucially, how to create content that entertains your audience.