Today’s consumers appreciate when a brand is in tune with media chatter. It gives your company or brand a personality that sets it apart. Recognizing trending topics that arise on social media and efficiently aligning your brand with those trending events can work in your favor to increase engagement.
Recently, online chatter experienced blast-off when a prank Facebook event invited anyone interested to “Storm Area 51” and free the alleged aliens rumored to be stored there. More than 1.5 million people marked themselves as attending and countless news stories, social media imagery and memes followed.
Arby’s marketing team quickly ramped up with a simple video on Twitter that broke through a cluttered social atmosphere. The video received nearly four times more engagement than other videos on Arby’s Twitter page, which typically average about 30 comments or less. By mapping out an #Area51 road trip using Arby’s signature sauce, the video addressed the topic in a fun, interactive way while staying true to the brand.
These ideas require creativity—it’s the audacity of the idea that makes it so fun. In order to be successful, though, brands must act as safely as they do quickly. Storming Area 51 may seem hilarious to someone who is just scrolling through Twitter, but to the Air Force it’s a serious situation, and their response on social matches this tone.
Speed also is key to leveraging a viral topic. With social media feeds being bombarded by millions of posts each day, finding a way to act fast will help your brand stand out.
Having clear brand standards enables both speed and creativity. The social marketing team must be able to act instinctively and independently. The general tone of the social conversation must align with the brand, and the team must understand where the line is drawn by management.
Whether or not there is alien life at Area 51, one thing is confirmed: actively keeping up with viral trends can mean out-of-this-world engagement for your brand.
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