by Jay Bemis | Advertising Systems Inc.
Those who use Twitter as a social media marketing tool may have found that there’s nothing like a live event or a specially celebrated day as an opportunity to get their brand closer to their readers.
Twitter recently released four tips for brands to follow when tweeting at live events, and all four were on display this past weekend when the World Cup final between France and Croatia was played — on the same day that National Ice Cream Day was celebrated across the United States.
Here are the four, live-event tips that Twitter recommends for social media marketers, along with examples that unfolded on the Twittersphere on Sunday when Americans most likely were marking soccer’s biggest event with scoops of ice cream, rather than, say, the steins or wine goblets that were clinking across Europe:
1) Celebrate, Don’t Sell
Keep your tweets about the activity, team or person at the center of the moment, Twitter says. “During major live events, people want to be entertained while feeling like they’re part of something big, so take care to communicate your brand in a subtle way.”
Rather than focus on its brand, or perhaps the fact that England had fallen a victory shy of advancing to the World Cup final, Indy Football, of the United Kingdom, posted a tweet of French player Benjamin Mendy doing “the dab” with the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, while they celebrated France’s title win. (With perhaps a “pardon moi” to American football quarterback Cam Newton, who along with his Carolina Panthers teammates made “the dab” popular a couple of years ago.)
2) Consider Video Instead of Images
Says Twitter: “A five-second video or GIF can attract more attention than a static image without distracting the viewer from the event itself. These can take a little time to make, so make sure to pull a few options together before the event so you have something ready to go.”
Amid tons of still photos of World Cup celebrations, “Bob’s Burgers” took advantage of National Ice Cream Day on the very same day by posting a GIF of one of the TV show’s animated characters, Gene, enjoying his ice cream the way many people would like to savor it: His mouth strategically placed, wide open, beneath a tap. (“Bob’s” also promoted its brand at the same time in perhaps a not so subtle sort of way: The show aired later that evening, as usual, as part of ABC’s regular Sunday lineup.)
3) Include Hashtags and Emojis
“Hashtags increase your Tweets discoverability while emojis add a touch of fun,” Twitter notes.
Of course, #WorldCupFinal and #NationalIceCreamDay were the trending hashtags of the day this past Sunday (along with #SundayFunday, a tag that trends weekly), so adding those tags to a post gave tweeters an extra avenue of visibility, via the trending stream.
As for emojis, Victor Mochere, a Kenyan author and digital marketer, used this eyecatching post, featuring a dozen-plus emojis of African flags, to note that the victorious World Cup team was composed mostly of players who, at one time or another, had emigrated to French soil.
4) It’s Not Just a Tweet, It’s a Conversation
“The right tweet during a major event can be the launching pad for hundreds of deeper conversations with your customers and new fans alike,” Twitter says of this tip. “Be prepared to tap into relevant tweets.”
Food & Wine most likely became part of the conversation often by posting — in the days leading up to National Ice Cream Day and on the day itself — a link to this story that detailed where people could get ice cream deals on Sunday.
(You may want to check out the link if you haven’t already, because it includes this extra scoop, if you will: Some of those ice cream deals actually run through the rest of this week and month!)
