Did you know that 30th June is Social Media Day? It’s amazing how the ins and outs of social media have come to dominate how we interact with each other. From humble beginnings, it’s grown to be a powerful force that dictates how we think, how we share, and even how we vote! It’s also revolutionised the marketing landscape, making many print forms redundant in favour of a strong push to online marketing as the anchor of your sales efforts. Today the Zebra 360 Digital Marketing Agency team takes a fun look at all things social media in celebration!
How social media unites us
There’s a lot been said lately about the cons of social media. Especially with the tumultuous nature of 2020, its extra stressors, and the bitterly divided American elections, in which social media didn’t really perform to its best, only just fading behind us. But let’s put that aside. While everything comes with its faults, it’s hard to deny that social media has also been an immensely powerful tool to unite us. It’s helped reforge connections that once would have been long lost to time.
Only one generation ago, if a friend left your school or an important networking contact left your city, they were gone for good. Today, you can keep in touch, share, and laugh right alongside each other no matter how much distance is between you. From building a powerful business network to meeting your significant other, it’s created a digital space we can play in when real life wants to pull us apart. Nor is this connection just a voice at the end of a phone. You can share thoughts, ping each other with memes, post albums of loved ones to share across the world, and truly be in each other’s lives in a way that has never been possible before.
It’s even helped give the vulnerable and voiceless a voice. We’ve seen many movements for unity, freedom, even social revolution speak out through social media. It shone light in dark places and exposed where humans need to do better. It’s helped reunite families split by war, and reassure loved ones through national disasters. It’s also helped highlight the good in the world- from acts of rescue to simple and beautiful moments of humans being their very best. While there’s many ways social media can be poorly used, it’s also brought a tone of positivity and connection to the table, helping to keep family and friends- and indeed, all of humanity- united together.
Social media has changed how we purchase
While not really part of the original intentions for social media platforms, social media marketing, and the broader online marketing space, has come to be the cornerstone of the modern consumer industries. It’s helped reach more people, expand marketing circles, and allowed ‘small’ companies to compete as equals with million-dollar megacorps. It’s also allowed advertisers to get a deeper insight into what drives customers, and what matters to them.
It’s also allowed like-minded business owners to meet, share, and network in a way that’s unprecedented. And, of course, keep an eye on their competitors! While the modern digital strategy for marketing is not without its pitfalls, it’s done a lot to positively revolutionise how we consume and buy.
From the horses’ mouth: What the Zebra 360 Digital Marketing Agency Team have to say about Social Media
So, what is it like when your day to day life is spent on social media- for business, of course! In honour of Social Media Day, we asked team members to share some of their tips, tricks, and favourite bits of social media in their own words- and this is what we found out!
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What’s your favourite social media platform (and why)?
Tik Tok was a hot favourite here, mostly because it manages to mix education and fun in one of the best ways possible. Dear old Facebook got a lot of love, too- for its ability to unite us across the world, follow sports teams we love, and share what we enjoy. Also a touch of nostalgia- for many of the team, it’s where their digital marketing lives started. LinkedIn had some folks inspired by its connection to world events and business networking.
There can be no surprise that Instagram was a winner too- who doesn’t love the blend of gorgeous imagery and genuine help? From trend-spotting to simple inspiration, the gorgeous visuals of this platform catch people’s hearts across diverse personal topics- design to fitness, wildlife and more. Behind the scenes, it offers simplicity, ease of use, and a pleasant algorithm that’s engaging to use, too. That said, a few of us still love Pinterest for its vision-board like inspiration, especially for DIY and garden.
On that note, if you’ve ever thought of Youtube as just the place viral memes hang out, think again. Many of the team use it as their go-to ‘how to’ site, letting them do anything from home maintenance to fancy DIY projects and graphic design tricks.
Whatsapp (yes, it’s social media too) got a little love too, for the ease by which it lets us communicate without the need for emails and calls. Some of the team also use it as a quick file transfer method that beats flash drives and long upload times. Smart, right?
2) What’s your favourite post or platform, be it yours or someone you follow?
Tik Tokker @missangler got a shoutout here, as an influencer who managed to stay trendy without losing her brand voice, so be sure to show her some social media love. Representing Team Facebook, we have Gary Vaynerchuk. How does this fabulous quote resonate with you? Maybe you’d like to follow along too?
“Live your passion. What does that mean, anyway? It means that when you get up for work every morning, every single morning, you are pumped because you get to talk about or work with or do the thing that interests you the most in the world. You don’t live for vacations because you don’t need a break from what you’re doing—working, playing, and relaxing are one and the same. You don’t even pay attention to how many hours you’re working because to you, it’s not really work. You’re making money, but you’d do whatever it is you’re doing for free.”
Looking for some Instagram Foodie Inspiration? @DavidHiggsChef is the man you want! Needless to say, many design colleagues and inspirations got shout-outs. While there’s too many to mention, swing by @imdpksaini, @digitalsynopsis @marketingharry @dainwalker @designspective @thechrisdo @topofbranding … the list goes on. What can we say, we’re design fanatics!
Instagram’s not all about design, of course. Why not let your soul be soothed by the gorgeous wildlife photography of Marlon du Toit? You’re sure to fall in love!
3) Share a social media tip or trick you love
Canva definitely shone as an app beloved of the whole team. It’s easy to use, mostly free, intuitive, and yet still manages to offer a lot of versatility. So don’t be afraid to add this one to your toolbox yourself!
Looking for a simple little social media trick that you don’t have to be a marketer to love? If you need to stop seeing Facebook content that’s encroaching on your space, but don’t want to make waves with the poster, just unfollow them! It’s a great way to keep the peace from an argumentative family, reduce your stream clutter, and stay in touch too. Talking about smart tips, if you find yourself on youtube and want a quick download, simply add an ‘ss’ in front of the ‘you’ and you’re done!
No matter where you call home on social media, one tip everyone needs to remember is to keep your post visual and fun. And we think that’s a great tip for life, too!
How does social media help shape your life? From the Zebra 360 Digital Marketing team to you, have a great Social Media Marketing Day!