Purple cow your social media strategy
Gone are the days when social media was clutter-free and there was breathing space for brands to grow. Fast-forward to today, and every brand is on social media, and they’re all struggling to catch eyeballs and make waves in their community.
A survey by Sprout Social found that 74% of users feel bombarded by excessive content on social media platforms.
Three reasons why this is happening:
- Saturation point — Brands these days trying the trial and error game will fall down the slippery slope faster than the rest. With algorithms constantly changing and organic reach plummeting, the competition for visibility has never been fiercer. The paradox is that while brands believe they need to be omnipresent to stay relevant, they may actually be overwhelming their audience, with noise.
- Lack of positioning and viability — Positioning is put simply, how you want your consumers to perceive you. Many brands are skipping this critical step in the rush to create content. Without a clear brand strategy, you risk blending into the sea of sameness that characterizes social media today . By not doing this, they risk being taken as one of the many brands present on social media — which is where their downfall starts.
- Content structures — In the rush for favorable metrics, lots of brands are pushing engagement-worthy content on their feed. That’s great, but does that leave a lasting impression about your brand on your consumers? — nope! Not every brand is a Nike or a Lululemon. You can’t copy them and pray to the social media gods your content will stick. However, when brands deliver differentiated, targeted content, they capture attention and position themselves as relatable resources. Brands need to try harder with their content to ensure there’s a healthy mix of informational, educational, edutainment content, and so forth. Pushing too much of click baitey, feel-good content might actually diminish your brand over the long run.
Embrace your inner purple cow
The basics have worked and always worked. When I pick up client projects that are to do with storytelling, social media or publicity — I trust the basics and then work upwards — what has worked, will work with minor tweaks.
I’m sure all of us have heard of the Purple Cow and Seth Godin. If you haven’t here’s the link to buy the book.
To summarize the book in one line is predictably impossible, but here’s the biggest takeaway: Businesses of today have to focus on creating something truly exceptional or different that gets people talking and sharing with others.
3 purple cow theories you can implement today
- Invisibility is a curse of not doing social media well
In a world where scrolling is behavior, and scroll stopping content is rather rare, brands needs to start thinking about what makes them special.
To implement a content strategy for your social media, you have to know these insights before posting your first social media post.
Audience insights — demographics, preferences, and behaviors
Category insights — competitors, industry trends, and consumer sentiments
Cultural insights- The evolving norms, values, and behaviors within society
When brands produce content that is differentiated — spunky and out of the box — they tend to stand out. Just having a *sometimes amazing* product to sell is not good enough.
When done well, you actually build a remarkable brand that stands out on a cluttered feed.
2. Differentiation is your sword
What worked before: a one-size-fits-all approach
What works now: focusing on specific segments of the audience
How to do this well: Brands should ask themselves: What unique value can we offer to our customers? What conversations are they having, and how can we contribute?
The days of one-size-fits-all approaches are over. What works now is focusing on specific audience segments rather than trying to please everyone.
When creating content, brands must think about content:audience alignment — what belief system does my brand embody, that are also present in my consumers, so that when they read it — we build a deeper more meaningful connection with them.
The goal is to move from a scroll, to a memory, to move into their consumer’s consideration circle — to be bought when the time is right.
Spotify’s #SpotifyWrapped allows users to share their personalized music statistics from the past year. The campaign generated over 400 million tweets in the first three days after its launch in 2022, highlighting its strong shareability and engagement.
When brands put our differentiated, targeted content, it not only captures attention, but it positions the brand as a relatable and valuable resource.
Focus on what resonates with your core customers.
3. Do the thing you’re scared of
With social media there are no thick lines on what can be done, and what can’t. Brands that aspire to stand out, have to push boundaries and explore new territories within their markets. New ideas that are derived from deep insights yield high rewards in the long term.
It’s going to be a challenge to get everyone on board with your out of the box but relevant idea, but fear stems from uncertainty — as long as you’re on the clean line of not offensive — social media is designed for experimentation with content types, POVs and more.
Starbucks UK — #WhatsYourName Campaign is one such example that was edgy but hit the mark — their goal was to support gender-diverse youth. Partnering with the charity Mermaids, they aimed to raise awareness and foster conversations about gender identity.
Social media is always a two way street. Experiment with different formats — such as video content, interactive polls, or user-generated campaigns — that encourage participation and interaction.
The long-term rewards of this approach — enhanced visibility, deeper connections, and increased loyalty — are well worth the initial discomfort of stepping outside one’s comfort zone.
Conclusion: be bold, be different
It’s time for brands to embrace their inner Purple Cow — be bold, be different, and above all else, be remarkable.
All in all — to be remembered, you have to differentiate, tell stories worth hearing and take the risks that might lead to conversations and engagement.
As Godin wisely states, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”
Thanks for reading! I’m the founder of The Fingerprint Labs, a strategic brand studio for challenger brands. We’ve worked with 100+ brands in DTC/E-comm/FMCG and Tech to create, build and evolve their brands.
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