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Social media for companies: Content is king
Series, Part 2: A single word can make the difference between pure facts and an emotional story. Expert Gergely Teglasy explains what’s important.
Social media for companies: Content is king
By now it should be clear that “We need to be on Facebook” is not a communications strategy. Often practiced in this country at the beginning, we also notice that it is not a particularly good idea to simply assign responsibility for social media activities to the young intern. Just because someone is a digital native (i.e. born with digital media) and knows how to use social networks as a user, this does not guarantee that this person recognizes communication needs and problems or has learned the principles of communication.
Technical terms like content marketing and storytelling immediately start buzzing around the room and are proclaimed as the newest of the new. We can play bullshit bingo with these terms quite well, but it still doesn't make communication new. Because what has moved us since time immemorial are stories. We love stories and we buy stories.
Stories are essential to interpreting facts. Only they make it possible for us to put ourselves in situations, understand connections and thereby understand the world.
A simple example? Gladly.
Please compare the following two sentences:
a. The king dies, the people rise up.
b. The king dies, the angry people rise up.
It's just one word that makes the difference. The difference between pure facts and a story that we can understand and empathize with.
What stories can you tell? An external consultant can help you find these and work with you to create a strategy for your social media communication. But you should be involved in telling your stories yourself; you should never outsource it entirely. Because social media only works authentically, the communication has to be real and come directly from the company, it has to be “human”. This offers your customers the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with you. And don't move on straight away just because your offer is ten euros cheaper around the corner.
The author:
Mag. Gergely Teglasy / TG teaches at the University of Vienna, the FH Vienna and the FH Burgenland. He is the winner of the Innovation Award, advises international organizations and companies on their digital communication strategy and wrote “Zwirbler,” the world's first Facebook novel.