It’s easy to get complacent when planning your social media content calendar, especially when many events have shifted or been canceled due to COVID-19. Though we cannot control what happens in 2021, we can control our approach for fresh, targeted content that keeps your current followers happy and entices new ones.

So, how can you break the social marketing monotony? Use analytics from this past year to gain insights into your audience’s behavior. Analytics are imperative to properly analyze not only who your messages reach but how to best maximize those interactions.

Demographics

Most major platforms offer some level of insight into your audience demographics. For instance, Facebook can show you details such as age, gender, top countries and languages. Knowing more about your primary content consumers can tell you how to meet their needs and know who to target to join the conversation.

Social media should be seen as a means of conversation with every post. Posts with open-ended questions, polls that encourage participation, or shout-outs to a particular location or employee will be more likely to engage or be shared by viewers.

It’s helpful to review a year-end report before starting your calendar for the new year; put those patterns into strategic plans!

Performance Engagement

Part of the analysis is evaluating how well particular posts performed. Beyond the number of likes and comments, take a look at the interactions. What kinds of photos garnered the most engagement? In your videos, what was the average watch time?

Those answers can inform you of what your audience will want to see more or less of in 2021. It also is helpful to keep videos simple and brief. In an instantaneous world, our distractions are limitless and average attention spans are about eight seconds. However, with social media videos, that time is even shorter. A 2020 Nielson Research study found that “38% of brand recall, 23% of brand awareness and 25% of purchase intent result from video impressions that are less than two seconds long.”

You’ll want to keep video messages concise, with the most important and most interesting points coming in the first five seconds. Also try to find ways to break down your messages into multiple visual aides, with an infographic, bullet points or a meme (if appropriate).

Time of Day

The time of day you post is just as important as the post itself. Knowing when the bulk of your audience is online is helpful for day-to-day posts, or when launching a large campaign. On average, people in the United States spend nearly two and a half hours on social media daily, according to global research by Statistica.

Typically, there’s an influx in social usage in the mornings, before 9 a.m., and around noon, while folks are on their lunch break. Predictably, usage declines on Friday evenings, as most people check out for the weekend.

Social media insights can show you hour-by-hour when your current followers are online compared to the global average. Being strategic about these insights in the new year can help drive your messaging or branding to the right person. Be sure to merge your creative content ideas with a statistical strategy in 2021 to ring in the New Year right!

Like most people, I’m looking forward to closing the book on 2020. While this year has been full of challenges, disappoints, and fear, it’s also brought learning moments, growth opportunities, and plenty of successes in their own right. Even if you don’t typically make New Year’s resolutions, I challenge you to reflect on your year – consider what you’ve overcome, or how you have adjusted, and which of these new skills may well stick with you into 2021 and beyond.

Here are some thoughts to get you started:

What goals did I set for myself this time last year?

Personally, this year began the majority of my first year with NP Strategy. I had plans to settle into my new career path, meet with new clients, and even execute several large-scale, in-person events. If nothing else, this year proved that even when you think you are 100% prepared for all options, you never truly are.

When the year started going sideways, how did I adapt?

Like many people, this year forced much of what I do to go virtual. From day-to-day work to my children’s virtual learning, we adjusted to virtual meetings almost from the jump. Add to that the challenge of a political campaign during a pandemic, and it’s safe to say I have never used so much hand sanitizer in my life as I had this year.

Seriously, this year, we helped clients take their events online, reaching new audiences, and building new kinds of relationships with stakeholders. Virtual events and digital stakeholder engagement may not fully substitute for in-person interaction. Still, we can continue to build these skills, whether as ‘the new normal’ or a helpful back-up plan.

Finally, what did I learn or accomplish this year?

Everyone’s definition of success is different but be forgiving with yourself this year. I learned to juggle virtual meetings while ‘mom-ing,’ and, despite the challenges, I won a campaign race during a pandemic. I’ve learned to work with clients in new ways that I would never have imagined before this year.

No matter how your year ends and how different it may look from how it began, I encourage you to reflect and consider setting new goals for 2021; these could be personal or professional, long-term or immediate. Let’s continue to invest in ourselves and the people around us –our clients, our communities, our family, or our friends.

For my communications and marketing friends: anyone else struggling to get excited by content lately? This year has felt like a never-ending slog of content creation, exacerbated by the need for to-the-second COVID-19 updates, blurring the concept of time as we know it.

Yes, days are flying by faster than ever (or, really, just fading from one to the next). And yet, our jobs require us to keep up with what’s relevant, be it trends or timely messaging. Do yourself a favor, and keep up by getting ahead – create structure and fuel inspired content by pulling a list of holidays that are relevant to your brand/company. Ever wonder how everyone online seems to know that it’s ‘National Generic Holiday Day?’ Well, there are websites, like National Today, that can be a resource to help you stay in the loop.

Mark your calendars, and start looking ahead now – what holiday, federal or otherwise, aligns with your brand? Are there any holidays that you could use as an opportunity to promote a member, a sponsor, or a coworker? What about holidays that help reinforce your company’s values, like commitment to workplace safety, or environmental stewardship? (If you’re looking for inspiration, I highly suggest checking out the National Park Service’s accounts.)

Planning your content calendar doesn’t need to be difficult, and holidays (big or small) can be an easy source of evergreen content. Plus, think of the endless themed graphics! Free graphic design programs, like Canva, usually have stickers or stock photos you can use to get the creative juices flowing.

Trust me: a little bit of planning now can spare you the future haunting of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

You may be wondering, “How can I reach and retain my customers outside of traditional norms?” The simple answer, though it can be complex to navigate, is social media.

In all its glory, social media can be the most powerful engine to connect you with your customers. But first, you must choose the appropriate channel to facilitate your message. There are a plethora of options to choose from, including Pinterest, Snapchat and TikTok, but the most dominant platforms are still Facebook and Twitter. These are excellent (and necessary) for growing your reach, especially at a time when networking is all but nonexistent. Consider your social page as your virtual networking hub – use it to share commentary on think pieces, share your recent wins or news, and add photos or personal anecdotes to let your flair shine through.

Once you select a social channel, it’s important to incorporate hashtags. Yes, the “pound” sign has undergone a massive brand refresh over the past quarter-century, but trust us, adding that one little symbol in front of a few keywords (no spaces, please) goes a long way to maximize your audience reach. Hashtags are powerful because they not only help people discover your brand but also act as an archive for your posts. Hashtags are a great way to help your customers find you and your message.

Another way you can use social media to reach customers is by offering discounts, amplifying promotions, and even creating incentivized contests. Who doesn’t love free stuff? The key here is to make sure you’re not just giving away free goodies, but sharing informative content and engaging your friends, colleagues and followers along the way. That way, you don’t come off as selfish or brand-centric, and instead, strive to be relatable. That’s a great way to grow vested interests in your company.

If you’re not running a promotion anytime soon – no certificates for 50 hours of pro bono work? – you can apply this same approach to sharing tips and tricks with clients, like three key takeaways from a recent case. It doesn’t have to be rocket science, but it does need to be well-written for your audience.

Now that you’ve established and grown your audience, keep them around.

Some great ways to create brand loyalty are by showcasing clients through your social media channels or giving them unfiltered access to your company. You can also give them birthday shout outs, or run a feature to showcase who they are. They are the ones supporting your work, and the best way to keep them around is by showing appreciation.

See, social media doesn’t have to be hard! But, if you still have questions, as we all do at times, NP Strategy is here to assist.

Jesica Johnson Mackey of NP Strategy joins other distinguished leaders from across South Carolina to participate in the Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI), an award-winning program of Furman University’s Riley Institute now in its 17th year.

While DLI classes are typically sorted by state geographic region, the fall 2020 class is the first-ever statewide cohort. The intensive four-month program will be held virtually due to COVID-19, a pandemic that underscores the need for such a program, said Dr. Donald Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute.

“The extreme hardship brought on by the pandemic has exacerbated the existing social and economic divisions that we address through our Diversity Leaders Initiative,” Gordon said. “The road ahead will present its share of challenges, but our new group of leaders are uniquely positioned to create real-world solutions within their own enterprises.”

DLI class members are selected through a rigorous application and interview process after being nominated by existing Riley Fellows. Participants are accepted based on their capacity to create impact within their organizations and communities.

Jesica will take part in a highly interactive curriculum consisting of case studies, scenario analyses, and other experiential learning tools that maximize interaction and discussion among classmates and facilitate productive relationships. Working alongside classmates, Jesica will also develop a capstone project that raises awareness of community need.

DLI classes are facilitated by expert Juan Johnson, an independent consultant who was Coca-Cola’s first-ever vice president for diversity strategy.

“DLI is unique among South Carolina’s leadership programs,” Johnson said. “In addition to developing new relationships and affecting positive change in their communities, participants gain deep knowledge of how to effectively manage and lead diverse workers, clients, and constituents,” Johnson said.

Graduates of DLI become Riley Fellows, members of a powerful cross-sector of South Carolinians that includes corporate CEOs, legislators, superintendents, religious and nonprofit heads, and business and community leaders.

“With more than 2,300 Riley Fellows statewide, each new class amplifies the impact of leaders willing to work together to make South Carolina a better place to live and work for all its residents,” Gordon said.

To see a full list of participants and for more information about the Diversity Leaders Initiative, visit riley.furman.edu/diversity.

Do you react or respond?  That question felt like a stab to my heart and almost made me fall off the treadmill one evening.  Why? Because in the heat of the moment I react far too often, and later wish I had just kept my mouth shut.

The stress of the pandemic has only made the challenge of providing a “measured response” harder for everyone. We have seen it with clients who have employees responding in highly emotional ways to the surprise of both the supervisor and even the employee.  We have seen it in the news media with raging soundbites.  We have watched it at the grocery store when someone accidentally gets too close or goes the wrong way down the cereal aisle.

Even if we don’t realize it, the pandemic has pushed many of us to our tipping points. And unfortunately, we can shove others over the edge if we burst out with an emotional reaction. What can we do to help this situation?

Reflect on the difference between a reaction and a response
The first is emotional with little thought or consideration. The latter is controlled, thoughtful, and intentional.

PAUSE
When the next offense or sticky situation occurs, commit to pausing – even if only for a second – to ask yourself, “react or respond?” This quick pause could save you the heartburn of firing off hurtful words that may feel good at the moment, but cause heartache long after they are said.

Draft a “deferral” line
Determine a canned response that fits your personality and allows you to exit a sticky situation before you blast off a reactive chain of words. For me, I’m going to use something like, “I have so much on my mind right now that I need more time to think about this. I hope you understand.” Then I’m going to zip my lips and exit like the building is on fire.

Discipline your face
One reason I was a news reporter out in the field – and not an anchor behind the desk – is my face too often reflected my thoughts. Even when I could keep my comments to myself, my facial expression gave me up. So consider how you will refrain from rolling your eyes or deploying the death stare the next time someone irritates you. And prepare to put a pleasant smile on your face as you pause to consider “react or respond?” [For some of us, it may require looking down at the ground to talk our face into cooperating.]

These simple tactics will not immediately win an argument. In fact, you might leave feeling like the other person got the last word. But in the long term, a measured response wins every time. You avoid the regret of reactive remarks, and you leave the door open for restoring a relationship or showing grace to a stranger who likely needs it today.

When thinking about client feedback, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the possibilities; perhaps this is why we often wait until the end of a project to solicit feedback. But why not get ahead of it? To help alleviate the anxiety that can come from client feedback, set the stage by surveying clients at the beginning. What better way to meet and exceed expectations than to know upfront how you’re being evaluated? You’ll know firsthand what your clients’ needs are, and therefore have a better chance to exceed their expectations.

Ask questions such as, “How often would you like updates? How do you prefer to communicate – by phone or email? How much detail would you like? What should I know about you and your company as we move forward?” The strength of your business partnership relies heavily on your relationship dynamic – which is often fueled by good communication.

To enhance this relationship, start by understanding expectations and finish by building trust. Express genuine interest in getting to know your client. Consider how your client is being evaluated. If you have a single point of contact, think about what you could do to make that person and their team successful in the eyes of their organization. When the client succeeds, you succeed. It’s that simple!

Hopefully, your shared success will lead to a long-term relationship. Remember that seeking client feedback is important whether you are starting your first project together or have been working together for a decade- you can still continue to grow and strengthen each other.

I continue to read stories about the demise of the working mother. Every night I scan my Facebook and Twitter feeds before going to sleep, a routine you’d think I’d stop since the news is more anxiety ridden then comforting, and since COVID started I’m constantly reminded about the hardships of working mothers during this unprecedented times.

And don’t get me wrong, it’s hard. Really hard. My emotional rollercoasters are reminiscent of my post-partum days rather than the typical summer months. And it’s not just me. My kids have been struggling too. They clearly miss their friends. They ask why they can’t go to school and they loudly lecture strangers in public who don’t wear masks. The last one, actually makes me proud.

But as we embark on our first days of virtual learning for the 2020/2021 school year, I’m reminded of the positives that have come out of the last six months:

• I’ve spent more time with my kids than I normally do.
• I’ve stopped traveling so I’m home for dinner and bedtime every night.
• I’m not rushing out the door each morning.
• We talk more.
• I hear about the imaginary storylines going on in their heads and they peak into my work life by dropping into Zoom calls every now and then.

Again, this isn’t easy. And I’m extremely lucky to have a job that allows me to work remotely, when needed. But I don’t want working moms to give up. I don’t want the negative headlines to overwhelm your emotions and cause you to second guess your choice to strive to “have it all.” I’ve always believed that women can “have it all” but “all” is different to every person. It’s not one size fits all. And you may not have “all” every day of the week but as long as you have it sometimes, that’s what matters.

You are stronger than you think. Pause and commit to overcome the challenges of the current time we’re in. You are not alone and I hope this reminds you that you have the strength to not get defeated.

I strongly agree that working moms have been hit the hardest by this pandemic but, I know, we can take a hard hit and keep going. I want it to inspire us. I want it to be a reminder that we can land that new client at 9am but be whisked away into a dungeon of doom with dragons and trolls at 2pm (yes, my kids are boys). We can cook eggs and pancakes for breakfast but order pizza for dinner. We can cry when things get overwhelming but laugh when we gather for a zoom happy hour with friends.

All of this is part of this time we’re in. It’s scary but it shouldn’t be isolating. Don’t read into the headlines and continue to push through the hard times because, I promise, there are good times ahead.

The show must go on – global pandemic or not – and it’s essential that your company or organization’s good news is center stage.  It can be difficult to get your audience to see the most recent developments and opportunities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. All too often, press releases get stuck at stage right waiting to make an appearance.

One way to improve your chances of getting your news in the spotlight is by building rapport with media professionals in your target market area. So how can your organization accomplish building a relationship while maintaining social distancing?

Below are five tips on how you can develop a relationship with media professionals without meeting them in person:

1.) Engage with ALL media professionals on social media

The easiest way to get your name and company on the radar of someone who works in media is by following them on social media platforms. By liking, commenting, or sharing posts that you find relevant or interesting, you’ll start to re-appear in the notifications section which will help you/ your organization become a familiar face and name. Interacting with the person’s posts shows them that you are interested in and value their work, even when they are not covering “your” story. And remember, don’t just do this with reporters at the station! Assignment editors, producers, newsroom managers, and production assistants all have a say in the morning and afternoon meetings and can be the connection you need to get your story covered.

2.) Get to know the person, not just the story. 

Don’t make it a habit to only reach out to a media professional when you need something. Make an effort to build the relationship further. For example, if you’re friends with them on social media and you see it’s their birthday or maybe they announce something exciting in their career, comment and wish them a Happy Birthday or say congratulations. This small gesture will play a big part in building a long-term relationship with that individual.

3.) When possible, offer an exclusive! 

What does a media outlet like more than pizza during election coverage? An exclusive story. One of the easiest ways to get in the good graces of someone in the media is to offer an exclusive interview on a story that has yet to break… and this doesn’t have to be something huge. For example, if your organization is donating 25 backpacks to students in need, this usually would not be a first pick story for a reporter. When offered as an exclusive before the press release goes out and paired with an interview, your organization can get coverage on something that you otherwise wouldn’t. Meanwhile, you are building trust and a relationship with the reporter and the media outlet.

4.) Be organized and willing to assist in getting the reporter all resources they need. In the media world, things move very quickly. So if you make it easy on a reporter or media outlet by having the resources prepared and available when it comes time to cover a story, they are going to be very thankful for your preparation and understanding of what is needed to make a story great. Things you can do to prepare is to think about what video and still shots could be taken that would correlate with the story, where would be the best place to stand in your building for good light and limited background noise during an interview, is there any information that could require citing in the story, and are there any online resources that the reporter can push viewers to for more information.

5.) Follow-up after the story is covered. This is big. As a former reporter, I also wanted to ensure that I did a story justice and the people involved were happy with what was published. After your story has been published, reach out and say thank you! If there was something you didn’t like or maybe you think the story could have a second part, let the reporter know! Feedback is always appreciated. I still have thank you cards from 30+ individuals I worked with on stories sitting at my desk. So whether it be an email, a retweet, a call, or a handwritten letter, following up with the reporter will serve as the final step in ensuring that you have a professional relationship built.

When’s the last time you thought about your social media privacy settings? If you’re like most people, it probably hasn’t crossed your mind since you set up the account. Lately, though, we hear more and more stories about social media platforms gathering our information, or even potentially selling our data. This, however, is not that kind of article. (Sorry, I cannot help with your TikTok account – that is the shadowy place beyond our borders. We do not go there.)

Surely, I can’t be the only one who looks up people online, right? If you’re about to walk into a pitch, your presentation better not be the only thing you studied; it’s important to know the room, too. If you get a cold email from a contractor or prospective client, their online portfolio isn’t the only thing that you’re scanning. Sometimes, it’s just nice to know there’s a real human on the other side of that email.

So, do you know what strangers see when they browse your social media accounts?

Take Another Look

On some platforms, like Instagram or Twitter, it’s obvious when an account is locked down. There, a stranger will only see your name, profile picture, and a few basic metrics (how many people you follow, how many follow you, and how many times you’ve posted).

Facebook, on the other hand, is a totally different beast. You may think your account is private, but a stranger may still have access to your photo albums, your friends list, or even see certain posts. Often, if you share an article from another website (especially news sources), that post will be public. Likewise for Facebook stories – your Instagram stories might be synched to Facebook, too. Review your settings closely to ensure that only the people you want seeing your information are the ones who can!

That Didn’t Age Well

Everybody seems to love the Memories feature on Facebook – it’s a fun bit of nostalgia that people enjoy sharing. But, did you know that you can filter out certain people and dates? If you don’t want Facebook to remind you of particular memories (perhaps a painfully awkward phase), make those adjustments in the preferences on the Memories page.

Many people don’t know that Twitter has an advanced search feature. For early Twitter adopters who may have shared every random or unsavory thought, thinking it would be lost to the Twittersphere forever, you may want to give advanced search a try. Simply input your (or anyone’s) handle, along with key words or hashtags, to see all tweets that apply. You can filter by post engagement, hyperlinks, and more. Trust me, this tool is great for a Twitter cleanse.

Finally, I’d like to reiterate that you, yourself, are the ultimate privacy filter. Do you have some strong opinions to share, or maybe some photos or videos that appeal to your dark humor? Think twice before posting – social media doesn’t have to be forever, but damage to your reputation can last a lifetime.