by Alexa Fox, Marketing Assistant, Segue Technologies
A large part of my job at Segue is to manage our social media presence. The key part of the phrase social media is social. Like in any other social construct, talking about oneself incessantly gets boring quickly and you will eventually run out unique things to say. You don’t want people to get bored and feel like you’re always trying to sell them something. However, constantly coming up with new, relevant, and exciting content is way more difficult than it seems. It doesn’t take much time to make a post, but a lot goes into generating interesting and original content to support those posts. This is what can make social media a full time job.
So how do you spice things up with a small amount of effort and time? One way is through creating social media partnerships.
Segue Technologies and A-SPAN: A Social Media Partnership Case Study
A great example of a social media partnership that works for us is our “Help Tip” series. This past June, Segue participated in the American City Business Journal’s Social Madness Competition, where companies compete based on their social media engagement and interaction on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. The competition consists of local and national rounds, culminating in a $10,000 donation being made to the victor’s charity of choice. Despite having high quality Segue-generated content, it soon became evident that we needed to introduce ourselves to new potential audiences, increase our engagement levels, and sustain our numbers over the weeks of the competition. We also hated the idea of repeated posts of the “Vote for Us” nature and wanted to stay true to our social media strategy without resorting to gimmicky posts.
To resolve this dilemma, we decided to team up with the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN); an organization that provides life-sustaining services for Arlington’s homeless and strives to secure permanent housing for this vulnerable population. A key part of our strategy with A-SPAN were “Help Tips,” a spin-off of our regular “Hot Tip” feature where we would share technical advice from one of our employees. These “Help Tips” featured information from A-SPAN on small ways that people could support their mission, such as:
While the "Help Tips" were a great feature for the Social Madness competition, it made even more sense to integrate them into Segue’s on-going social media activities. Community involvement is a significant part of our corporate culture, so they were a natural addition to our social media content calendar. Not only have we continued posting A-SPAN Help Tips, but we’ve expanded to include Doorways for Women and Families, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington(AWLA), and the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). You will now be able to find quick and easy ways to help these amazing organizations on Segue’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ pages every month.
The Benefits of Social Media Partnerships
All in all we’ve found that our “Help Tip” feature, and social media partnerships in general, have the following benefits:
Whether you’re a large organization or a small local business, we could all use help spreading the word about who we are and what we do. Look a little closer at organizations around you and consider whether they’d make good social media collaborators. Brainstorm ways that you can partner with other groups in your local community. Help your fellow Chamber member and get social with your social media!
A large part of my job at Segue is to manage our social media presence. The key part of the phrase social media is social. Like in any other social construct, talking about oneself incessantly gets boring quickly and you will eventually run out unique things to say. You don’t want people to get bored and feel like you’re always trying to sell them something. However, constantly coming up with new, relevant, and exciting content is way more difficult than it seems. It doesn’t take much time to make a post, but a lot goes into generating interesting and original content to support those posts. This is what can make social media a full time job.
So how do you spice things up with a small amount of effort and time? One way is through creating social media partnerships.
Segue Technologies and A-SPAN: A Social Media Partnership Case Study
A great example of a social media partnership that works for us is our “Help Tip” series. This past June, Segue participated in the American City Business Journal’s Social Madness Competition, where companies compete based on their social media engagement and interaction on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. The competition consists of local and national rounds, culminating in a $10,000 donation being made to the victor’s charity of choice. Despite having high quality Segue-generated content, it soon became evident that we needed to introduce ourselves to new potential audiences, increase our engagement levels, and sustain our numbers over the weeks of the competition. We also hated the idea of repeated posts of the “Vote for Us” nature and wanted to stay true to our social media strategy without resorting to gimmicky posts.
To resolve this dilemma, we decided to team up with the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN); an organization that provides life-sustaining services for Arlington’s homeless and strives to secure permanent housing for this vulnerable population. A key part of our strategy with A-SPAN were “Help Tips,” a spin-off of our regular “Hot Tip” feature where we would share technical advice from one of our employees. These “Help Tips” featured information from A-SPAN on small ways that people could support their mission, such as:
- It’s hot this summer! Want to provide basic help for those on the streets? Donate water and socks to A-SPAN!
- Help someone who is homeless stay clean and healthy by collecting the hotel toiletries on your next trip and donating them to A-SPAN!
While the "Help Tips" were a great feature for the Social Madness competition, it made even more sense to integrate them into Segue’s on-going social media activities. Community involvement is a significant part of our corporate culture, so they were a natural addition to our social media content calendar. Not only have we continued posting A-SPAN Help Tips, but we’ve expanded to include Doorways for Women and Families, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington(AWLA), and the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). You will now be able to find quick and easy ways to help these amazing organizations on Segue’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ pages every month.
The Benefits of Social Media Partnerships
All in all we’ve found that our “Help Tip” feature, and social media partnerships in general, have the following benefits:
- They spread awareness and increase visibility for both brands.
- They increase the level of engagement on your social media sites.
- They increase the size of your network, as well your partner’s network.
- They emphasize your business’s community involvement and highlight your partnerships with other businesses and/or organizations.
Whether you’re a large organization or a small local business, we could all use help spreading the word about who we are and what we do. Look a little closer at organizations around you and consider whether they’d make good social media collaborators. Brainstorm ways that you can partner with other groups in your local community. Help your fellow Chamber member and get social with your social media!
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