Iconosquare

Summary

The importance of choosing the right social media platforms The backstage of content creation Tips and tools Our questions to the Social Media Manager

Just like Pinocchio relies on Jiminy Cricket’s wise whisperings, brands rely on agencies to help them take a step back from the overwhelming flow of content on social media, in order to build a coherent content strategy.

Syatt is one of these Jiminys. An agile, enterprise-level digital agency with a team of 25, specializing in e-commerce and located in Canada, Syatt’s mission to help businesses choose the right channel to communicate on is paramount. It’s not a one-size-fits-all job, since each audience is specific.

Geoff Faber, a Digital Marketing Specialist for Syatt Media, shared his valuable insights with me, and shed some light on these key challenges:

What businesses should consider to communicate on the right social platform
How to define the content that will resonate with their audience
And his favorite tools and secret tips to implement it all

Syatt Media prides itself on helping to build, support and grow great online stores through social media, SEO, webdesign and all other aspects of digital marketing.

Geoff is a self-taught social media professional. He started out writing social posts and using stock imagery in 2016, and developed design, photography and videography skills on the job - becoming more and more skilled as he grew. He now produces original content for the clients of Syatt Media from A to Z. Geoff loves to work hard on building and executing a strategy that makes sense.

Excited to learn from Geoff’s rich experience in the field of agency-based social media marketing, I was thrilled when he accepted to chat with me and share his knowledge and tips for other agencies and social media marketers out there.

The importance of choosing the right social media platforms as a business

A brand should only appear where its target audience is

Most of the time, the businesses Geoff works with are looking to build awareness and brand equity on social. However, he’s also noticed an interesting tension with smaller clients who want a monetary return but don't want to cut corners and be aggressive with advertising.

So, the need for a social media presence really depends on the client as what they’re trying to achieve through social. For example, Geoff has recently begun working with a licensed cannabis retailer, based in Canada (where cannabis consumption is legal). A tricky subject to cover, with a largely reduced potential audience due to the nature of the product, and the laws surrounding it in many other countries of the world.

Relm Cannabis’ needs on social media are therefore very different to those of a more typical retailer, as they need to focus on education and clever communication of their products, targeting a very specific audience.

Why businesses should select the right communication channels

The people who make up the team at Syatt Media are able to guide their clients through the choice of their preferred social media platform. This is something Geoff takes very seriously. Generally, the main focus for the companies he works with is Instagram, but he also works on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter, depending on the business objectives of the company in question.

Geoff is very careful to not push for a social media presence on a platform which doesn’t make sense for the brand he’s working with. Some brands only work on Twitter, others stay away from LinkedIn: the decision is made on a case-by-case basis.

Most of the accounts Geoff works with are trying to build awareness with Millenial and Gen Z demographics. A difficult task, and one that the team takes very seriously. Creating great content is one thing, creating content that actually helps to convert prospects into leads is a whole different matter.

This is why it’s extra important to select social channels carefully, and only be present on those where these target generations are actively listening.

What is the key to creating the perfect content?

The importance of taking into account the business’ global objectives is paramount for Geoff when drafting social media strategies for each of them. And the same goes for the content he produces for them, also.

I start with the business goals of the clients. What is their business trying to do and how does social play into that? I use this as a starting point before researching competitors, influencers and do a deep dive into the client's social and web analytics.

Geoff Faber

Geoff then combines this research with the brand's identity and is able to develop stories that will reach the business’ goals. With a handful of stories set out, he then builds out the social posts thanks to a dose of inspiration from social media channels, the brand itself, the people who work for the brand, etc.

The backstage of content creation: where implementation matters more than strategy

Creating unique, value-adding content is the priority at Syatt Media

Geoff gets his inspiration for content formats and creative from all over the place, but unsurprisingly, a lot of that inspiration comes from social media, mainly Pinterest and Instagram. He tends to naturally focus on the fashion industry for their avant-garde interpretation of social media.

Social media users see the value in following accounts for information, inspiration and something a little different.

Geoff Faber’s favorite account to follow for inspiration on Instagram is @alexandermcqueen

Another great source of inspiration for Geoff is the environment he lives and works in, and his immediate surroundings. Creating content based on what’s “in” doesn’t make sense to Geoff unless he’s also taking into account what the world looks like at the moment he’s posting online.

Current events, and more global matters play their part, but so do elements closer to home, so Geoff always tried to be “present” and in-sync with his surroundings. From an interesting book cover spotted in his family home, to a mind-clearing morning jog, inspiration is a precious thing not to be taken for granted!

Tips and tools

Geoff uses Iconosquare for all of his social media metrics, scheduling and reporting needs. As an agency professional, he needs to have powerful yet understandable analytics at his fingertips in order to be able to report back to his clients on which efforts are effective and which are in need of more work.

It’s important for Geoff to be transparent with his clients on the evolution of their engagement rate as well as other key figures. Vanity metrics are out, meaningful metrics are in!

Reach & Impressions history

Our questions to the Social Media Manager

Q: What takes you the most time when managing social media?

A: Researching new ideas!

Q: Your go-to tools?

A: So many! Iconosquare for scheduling and analytics, Linktree, SEMrush, Google Analytics, Google Trends, and social media platforms themselves for research!

Q: What are your favorite accounts on social media?

A: On Instagram: @alexandermcqueen because they’re really creative and don’t tend to follow the “rules”.

Q: If you could give a piece of advice to other community managers?

A: Get established in the brand, know it really well, so that you can get on top of how the brand would react to any situation. And also schedule time away to reflect and think about strategy, away from all the pressure of professional life.

A passion for social media: How Syatt Media helps businesses thrive online