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Big Brands Doing Social Media Right

Dennys fry guy

It isn’t easy to run a successful social media account for your business (which is why you should hire Metter Media, ahem), but there are a few companies who not only do it well, they’re basically our Social Media Heroes who can teach us quite a bit. Your brand has more in common with national names than you think, and if you look closely at their updates, you’ll begin to see patterns that have helped them get to that special place in our Favorites.

Here are our picks for big brands doing social media right, and what, exactly, we can learn from their bacon tweets and khakis:

Denny’s (@DennysDiner)

WHAT THEY’RE DOING RIGHT: Denny’s is a social media inspiration. They keep a keen eye on trending topics and pop culture and always inject humor into their posts. They do an excellent job at selling you something with no pitch, just silly tweets that make everyone giggle. Bacon and eggs? I’m pretty indifferent about them, but bacon and eggs at Denny’s? That sounds awesome. WHAT YOU COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW: Keep things light (but appropriate for your brand and audience). Not every post for your business has to be about Your Business. I know, sacrilege! But it’s true. Denny’s isn’t forcing their bacon and eggs down their followers’ throats; instead, they make many jokes and tackle the important issues like Beyonce’s birthday. When I scroll through their timeline, I picture a bunch of people hanging out and making bacon puns all day. It’s not super serious, but then again, this isn’t the CIA’s account. Keep an eye on trending topics, keep it light, and be cool, man. Be cool.

Boloco (@boloco)

 

 

WHAT THEY’RE DOING RIGHT: A whole LOT of things. Boloco stands for BOston LOcal Company, and ever since this burrito chain created a Twitter account, they’ve kept to that name. I’ve been following them for six years and I have never seen a company handle customer service as incredibly as the staff running the account. Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs trying to smooth out the kinks of having an almost-transparent online presence, but that kind of humanity is what local businesses should be all about. Boloco is not about robotic responses and appeasement; they actually care, and it shows in their admirable level of community involvement (online and off), documented on Twitter. And in an age that some people call “cold and distant,” that is incredibly welcome.

WHAT YOU COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW: Get involved with your community online and create Google alerts for your brand. I don’t even have to ‘@’ Boloco on Twitter for them to find this post, they already know. And I’m sure they’re reading this nodding their head and wondering where I am going with this. Well, here it is: Boloco manages to stay so present and available to their customers because they are actually HEARING them. When a customer has a complaint, they know about it and respond in kind. When they’re being praised, they acknowledge and thank the user in a variety of ways (a simple thanks to a free burrito). Use tools like SocialMention and mention to monitor your brand name and respond/shout out where applicable.

Also, be transparent! If there is a problem that you know many people on social media are going to question (for Boloco: store closings, late openings, ROBBERIES), then address it before whatever it is gets out of hand. This not only helps you control the message, but also puts an expiration date on the interest of the news. You said what needed to be said, now your followers can all move on. Mystery solved.

OREO COOKIE (@oreo)

In response to last week’s Apple Watch announcement.

The tweet that solidified Oreo’s social media genius status – in near-immediate response to the Super Bowl blackout of 2013. WHAT THEY’RE DOING RIGHT: They’re keeping current! You’d think a cookie would run out of things to discuss, but not with its smart watching of Twitter trends and popular tags. Sure, Oreo could’ve just coasted on its unconditional success (who doesn’t love COOKIES), but they’ve shown to many brands making their baby steps on social media that it pays to be a smart cookie. Ha. WHAT YOU COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW: Keep an eagle eye on Twitter trends and hashtags, jump in on conversations where you can appropriately insert your brand (but be careful about fully knowing the meaning behind a hashtag) and keep it fun! You don’t have to be selling cookies to take a light approaching to your messaging. Social media is, ultimately, REALLY FUN. Remember?

State Farm (@JakeStateFarm)

 

 

WHAT THEY’RE DOING RIGHT: It’s important in the realm of social media to not only be humorous, but consistent. Jake from State Farm was born out of a hilarious commercial from 2011.

Yeah, 20-ELEVEN. The commercial is still on air, which is a testament to its success, so it’s a smart move to keep the momentum going with the creation of Jake’s “own” Twitter profile where he can tweet about the company and his eternal love of wearing khaki pants.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW: Take a look at your marketing platforms, from social media to print to on-air advertising. Do they all have a consistent message? Jumping on hashtags and being funny are helpful for your social media success, but a big part of your overall goal should be cohesion.
Jake does so well on Twitter because we are already familiar with him and his innocent plight of accusatory wives. If you’re doing something great in one outlet that you haven’t tried in another, you may be missing out on valuable content opportunities and insight into your audience’s tastes, so start experimenting!

What are your favorite brands on social media? Let us know in the comments below or tweet to us @mettermedia.

Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies for small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.

 

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