The Social Media Mermaid

image from x

When Pinterest came along, I remembered that I wasn’t sure if I had room for another platform in my life. A silly thought, but I guess it’s true. We only really use a social media network when we “get something” from it. So what does Pinterest have over Tumblr or vice versa?

According to Wikipedia:
Tumblr, stylized in its logo as tumblr., is a microblogging platform and social networking website founded by David Karp and owned by Yahoo! Inc. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can follow other users’ blogs, as well as make their blogs private. Much of the website’s features are accessed from the “dashboard” interface, where the option to post content and posts of followed blogs appear.

Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that people use to collect ideas for their different projects and interests. People create and share collections (called “boards”) of visual bookmarks (called “Pins”) that they use to do things like plan trips and projects, organize events or save articles and recipes. The site was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Evan Sharp. It is managed by Cold Brew Labs and funded by a small group of entrepreneurs and investors.

 

As  a user, I was slightly confused in the beginning of using both platforms because the same image would pop up on both sites. However, if you realise the potential of both networks it becomes clear that they are not as similar as one would have thought.

Ryan LaSala has written a great article about the same thing, pointing out that both platforms underlie the principle of personal curation, which is very to the point. However, they should not be viewed as competitors.

When it comes to business use of both platforms, it has to be said that Tumblr has a bigger history of follower engagement. Yes you can leave comments underneath pins on Pinterest, but it’s just not the same. I have seen posts on Tumblr that went “viral” because of a certain comment and not because of the original post. It is also more multimedia oriented: You can post quotes, plain text, gifs, videos or just images. It allows for a real all round experience, while Pinterest is sort of limited to pictures. So this is definitely something to keep in mind.

As pointed out in my last post, target audience is something to think about. Tumblr has a very young audience and Pinterest has a more female and slightly older audience. Susan Guneluis described both platforms very well in her article on Sprout Social, so make sure to check that one out for more information.

There is a lot to say about the two platforms and some social media advisors say you can either chose one or go with both platforms (well what else is there?), but I would advise that it really depends on what you make of it.

As always, try not to do anything halfway!

An example of how Charity Water uses their Instagram account! (from here x)

 

In the last post I talked about things that non profit organizations should consider when using social media. The conclusion was that social media is useful for everyone if done right and so today I would like to talk about Instagram.

Yes, Instagram is probably mostly used by teenagers and tweens to show off their lunch, kittens or feet, but it can also be used to promote your business.

The fact that Instagram can only be properly used on your phone is something that definitely adds to the spontaneity of it, but that does not mean you can’t also plan it strategically.

It ties very neatly in to Facebook posts or even Twitter, which makes it perfect for non-profits that are visually oriented.  Not just that, it also allows you to be very creative and raise awareness of your company. Instagram has over 130 million users that are easily reachable if you do it ‘right’.

If you are new to Instagram, a good first step would be to show your (future) followers who you are and what you do. Posts that show why you do it can also inspire people to do the same and join your cause.

Getting people to follow you is not much different than in Twitter for example. Find like minded people and follow them, get engaged, leave comments and also encourage participation in your own posts. Instagram is not all serious, so it is allowed to have fun while showcasing your work or statistics for example.

Mashable wrote a great article on how non profits companies are using Instagram for their  purposes. All of these organizations are using Instagram to visually show off what they are up to.

Julia Campbell also explained how non profits can use Instagram. An important fact that she mentions is to show the impact that your organization is having. She says:

You are changing lives, saving the environment, finding homes for animals, preserving historical buildings, saving children. Whatever your mission, make sure that some of your Instagram photos show this impact – whether it be a smiling face, a cleaned up beach or an empty food pantry after the holidays.

 

I think that this is a great advice for any non profit organization. Show the actual work that you are doing day by day and people will definitely be more likely to get involved.

Non profit organizations probably have more difficulties being on social media. They are not selling a product, they are trying to get people involved. People are already quite apathetic to many causes, even the very important ones.

Lyndsey Hrabik wrote a very interesting article about the whole issue and argues that non-profit organizations were always thought of as something that have never stood a chance on social media. However, this is not true and she gives great examples of campaigns from non profit organizations such as Water is Life and UNICEF. Those campaigns worked because they were bold, straight to the point and well planned.

To build an online and social media presence for your non profit organization, a website is a no brainer. Facebook is a great place to share this content and keep followers up to date on what you are doing. With its more than one billion users, you get the best chances of exposure. Twitter is becoming more and more important, it has evolved in to a network that can start a revolution like in Egypt and is very fast and “in the moment”. Here you can share updates about an event, share Instagram photos or link to your Facebook page. Pinterest is another great tool, especially in terms of pictures. It is the leader when it comes to website referrals. Websites get a lot of traffic when they are linked to a pin, way more than in a tweet or a Facebook post. Blogging in general is of course very powerful, too. It all depends if the social network fits with the message you want to send. Sometimes it’s better to just focus on one network at a time.

While this applies to most organizations or businesses, there is something that non-profit organizations should be aware of:

A lot of businesses are only gradually beginning to realize how important it is to have an online identity. Social media allows us to create a traceable, very visible identity online. If done wrong, it can be daunting and terrifying, leading to a misleading perception of yourself and your company. If done right, it can help your business/company/yourself grow in to something so much bigger.

Social media networks are exactly what their name tells us: they are social. Being in touch with your customers/followers/clients has never been so easy. Using this to your benefit can result in exceptionally useful relationships for you and your business.

So first, figure out what message you want to send and how you want this message to be conveyed. As soon as you figured this out, it’s time to think about the platforms you want to choose to represent your social media or online identity in general. Depending on what message you want to send, only certain platforms might be appropriate. Being on every platform is not the most important thing. Being on Pinterest is great when your business deals with visual things, otherwise it is a waste of your time. Having a few but properly used platforms you are absolutely committed to will be more than enough.

If your message is clear and strong, your ground stone is set. The visual part of your online identity should tie in nicely with your content. Now we are getting to the key part of building a successful online identity:

Consistency and continuity is of the outmost importance when starting off to build a social media identity. Being recognized is very important when you want to deal with the mess that can be social media. Consistency does not just mean having the same logo or same username across the various platforms- content wise it is smart to have a common theme.
This goes even further- being committed to your social media is important. Creating A Pinterest account, filling it up with pins but then never visiting again is not a smart move. Starting off with crazy amounts of new content but then not continuing on the same level sends a bad message. Social media is a long term strategy, mostly because it takes time to build a network of follower and also maintain your relationship with them.

Melinda Emmerson explains the three C’s of social media when it comes to developing an online brand identity:

Content+ Community= Commerce.

If you are knowledgeable about your target audience, produce great content that is applicable and significant to them, building a community will be so much easier. It does not end here, though: Staying in touch with them is the most important part here. ‘Giving’ is crucial when starting out and creating a new online presence- Don’t worry, it sounds like a lot of work and it is- but after a while, all of it will pay off.