4 ways to make sure you’re ready to create some killer reactive content
I still get excited when I see a really good piece of reactive content, because it can be so hard to get right. Read on for my top 4 tips of being ready to create some brilliantly relevant content.
1) Plan to be unplanned
To be truly ready to jump on to trends or create a piece for the perfect moment, you need to be prepped for it. Whether this means holding back some budget to use at the perfect moment, or simply making sure everyone has photoshop on their computer (for some last minute content creation!). The first step to creating brilliant reactive content is to be plan to be reactive. This might seem counterintuitive but you need to be ready!
Don’t fall for estimates…
At least smart meters give you accurate readings. ????#GazNLeccy #Oscars pic.twitter.com/gkAzzWk9h2— Smart Energy GB (@SmartEnergyGB) February 27, 2017
2) Pick the right opportunities
Pick your opportunities and pick them wisely! Reactive content doesn’t always get a warm reception, especially when the brand seems completely irrelevant to the moment it’s jumping on.
A classic example, that makes my toes curl, is an oldie, but a great lesson in knowing when to keep your mouth shut – DiGiorni Pizza having their say on the trending hashtag #WhyIStayed:
Example of a brand using a trending topic without understanding the context #Advertising #SocialMedia #WhyIStayed pic.twitter.com/iTSmfaT6Xv
— Scott Paul (@scottfpaul) 9 September 2014
3) Trust & empowerment
Part of being reactive is having a team that you fully trust, because nothing ruins true reactivity/agility more than having multiple sign off levels for anything to go live on social. If you want to be truly reactive, trust your team enough to post content on your behalf, rather than having to sign everything off. If the thought of this shivers your timbers – get your team more formal training, and work towards a place where you can empower them to create reactive content alone. On the flipside however, it’s always worth taking the ‘second pair of eyes’ approach – have at least 1 other person check a post if it’s risky or reactive.
Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013
4) Social listen for your own trending topics
Inspiration for reactive posts can come from many sources – trending memes, hashtags on Twitter, news stories or just a post that’s gaining traction online. Ensure you’re using social listening tools in an efficient way so you can easily spot trends. I use Brandwatch, but there are multiple social listening tools such as TalkWalker and Synesthesio. Free tools are great too – Twitter trending topics & stories are really useful . Facebook news and Google Trends are great tools too.
Hey @luis16suarez. Next time you’re hungry just grab a Snickers. #worldcup #luissuarez #EatASNICKERS pic.twitter.com/3RAO537HjW
— SNICKERS® (@SNICKERS) June 24, 2014
By Ruby Lowe