Happy #ThrowbackThursday everyone! Yes, this long running phenomenon (in relative social media terms) has social networkers tossing out their awkward baby photos on Instagram and other photo sharing applications once per week. However businesses too have adopted the concept of returning to the “days of old” when it comes to their content marketing strategies. Because generating new ideas for your social media marketing is a tough task week in and out it is important to take advantage of every trend and opportunity. Thus on this day before TGIF I am providing you all with tips to using the concept of #ThrowbackThursday to market your business and or product/service online.
5 Ways to Use #ThrowbackThursday for Your Content Marketing on Social Networks
1. The Obvious – Photo Sharing of Your Company’s Past
It all started on Instagram so the obvious place to begin is on there and other photo sharing sites such as Pinterest. You all know (right?) that you should be taking advantage of the popularity of these visual social networks but too often the picture gallery well runs dry when it comes to current images. #ThrowbackThursday allows you to dig into your archive of photos and showcase your corporate personality by posting pictures of the humble beginnings of your storefront, office, or even members of the team (baby photos or embarrassing high-school pics from the 80′s!). The great thing about #ThrowbackThursday for sharing photos is that it is the only time where it’s acceptable to scan and digitize those old Polaroids from back in the day without coming off as someone lost with technology.
2. Post a Blog Article About the History of Your Business
Your blog should be one of your top content pieces slated for distribution on your social networks. #ThrowbackThursday allows you the opportunity to pen an article about the history of your business, be it in regards to one of its founders or the beginnings of the industry itself. Complement the article with engaging vintage photos and post the article, or series of articles, on your social networks on #ThrowbackThursday.
3. Where Applicable, Show Consumers How Your Prices Have Stayed the Same
Do you take pride in the fact that over all of these years your prices have remained about the same? Is this a big selling point for your customers? Then #ThrowbackThursday once again presents the perfect opportunity to share this fact with the public on social media. Find old ads, flyers, and anything else that details your pricing from years ago and create a collage of media (photos or video depending on the mediums used) and use it to promote your message.
4. Generate Social Media Promotions Featuring Throwback Prices
The more likely scenario when it comes to pricing is that you too have had to adjust for inflation or you are simply a new business that is pricing competitively at today’s rate. Either way #ThrowbackThursday is commonly used by businesses on social media to offer reduced prices, figures that reflect the price tags of five or ten (or more) years ago (depending on what you can afford to offer). Jump on board with this strategy to encourage customers to come to you on the backend of the work week.
5. Where Applicable, Promote Products/Services with Inherent Vintage Appeal
Obvious examples of candidates for this item include antique shops, vintage clothing retailers, and music stores that still sell LP’s. However with some “out of the box” thinking you too may be able to identify products and services in your business that can apply to the appeal of #ThrowbackThursday and promote them with the perfect excuse accordingly on your social networks. For example, a real estate agent may have a heritage styled home buried within their listings that they’ve had a hard time marketing – #ThrowbackThursday will allow them the reasoning to give this home a big push on their social networks once per week until it’s sold. A grocery retailer can feature long standing brands like Coca Cola that have long connected to vintage collectors OR even offer free home delivery (as an ode to an era passed) on that day to their social media followers.
6. Host Social Media Contests Encouraging Customers to Submit Best Throwback Content
Success on social media is evident when users (potential customers) are engaging your business in conversation in some manner. Holding a contest with a #ThrowbackThursday theme can be a tremendously successful one. Encourage users to follow your business page by entering a contest where they share their most embarrassing #ThrowbackThursday photos or images/videos of items that incite strong sentiment from an era they connect to. A well-promoted contest presented as “Share Your Best Memories of the 80′s on #ThrowbackThursday to Win Tickets to (insert event)” will result in a hilarious collection of snippets from Miami Vice, Alf, and various glam-rock hair bands. The public eats that sort of thing up. They will respond in hoards and boost social media signals for your brand significantly. This is also a method that allows your brand to curate social media content through the submissions of others – a win/win all around.
Don’t forget to use the all-important hashtag of #throwbackthursday when posting anything related to the above detailed strategy. Keep it consistent week in and out and customers will quickly learn that your social networks are the best places to hangout online, on Thursdays.
Follow Marcus Maraih on Google
The post How to Use #ThrowbackThursday for Content Marketing on Social Media appeared first on Standard Marketing.