2018 - the year I will keep my resolutions

New year resolutions are not alien to any of us, whether it be to quit smoking, lead a healthier lifestyle or Social Media marketing for brands/organizations. What’s important though is, if you keep these resolutions for the rest of the year or not. To make it simpler, I have put down 5 thumb rules for this year which can easily be pinned on your desk and can help you come out of crossroads when you don’t know what to do.

So, go on, read the article and imbibe these rules in your thinking process, you can thank me later.

• More ‘for people’ marketing than ‘for organization’ marketing

Social Media is called social for a reason. It’s more about understanding your audience and what they like than what you would want to push as an organization. More often than not marketers find themselves on crossroads of what they would want to publish and what people would want to consume. 

Thumb rule - always go with what your audience wants

• Silly mistakes are not silly anymore

2017 was a year of fake news and a lot of so-called ‘silly mistakes’ by some of the biggest brands.  

One of the examples is what Dorothy Perkins did with their #LoveDP campaign. In a bid to get fans to celebrate their new purchases, they asked people to post pics with the unfortunate #LoveDP

It could have been prevented with a quick google beforehand, not on the office wifi though.  

Another one came by McDonald’s when they tweeted a placeholder on Black Friday last year. They did pull it back with a follow-up tweet of not pouring coffee but not everyone has that card to play, right?

Thumb rule - There’s always someone taking screenshots of what you post. Double, triple check, if needed. And when in doubt, do not post.

• 2018 be the year of creative passwords

One of the most popular terrible passwords of 2017 was ‘123456’. Come on, you can do better. No?

Those 10 seconds you will spend on setting a password could spare you from a lifelong headache if someone breaks in your accounts. Lucky for you, most browsers not suggest a secure password and even saves them for you. So, spare yourself the pain and don’t let your accounts be vulnerable.

Thumb rule - Creativity is not just for your campaigns, but for your passwords too.

• Get social within the organization

Social Media is not limited to only the marketing or communications team. Think about the impact you can have when the everybody in the organization is contributing to your social media goals. Think of them as your potential target audience, one which is closest to the belief you all stand for. So, go for it, involve them at every stage and witness the magic.

Thumb rule - Break the silos 

• Experiment more

Social Media marketing is more art than science - there I said it. Kick ‘experimentophobia’ off your mind and be more open to embracing newer developments. Be it technology, content type or even content tonality. You’d be shocked to see how the community reacts to it and these reactions will you a chance to understand them better. After all, there no set recipe for success on these platforms.

Thumb rule - Don’t be afraid to experiment

I hope the list is helpful for you. Please leave your thoughts in comments below.

Tags - #SocialMedia #marketing #digital #digitalmarketing #2018 #resolutions #2018goals

Image credits -

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4687/27673892219_104e8a49f0_b.jpg https://static.toiimg.com/photo/57941957.cm https://insights.dice.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Password123456Dice.png https://tomoboyledesigns.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/20160525135247-startup-team-coworkers-teamwork-office-brainstorming-ideas-corporate-meeting.jpeg?w=822