Storytelling is a powerful marketing tactic in a field as classic and time-honored as the marine industry. The rich history behind our businesses, our customers, and the culture grown from a love of boating is what lends power to a company’s mission. Your unique story is what inspires loyalty in your client base. And while words play an important role in storytelling, knowing how to display these narratives on social media through visuals can take your marketing strategy to a whole new level. In order to do that, you have to understand and utilize the social platforms that will connect you to your customers.
1. Facebook – When you make a Facebook Business page, there’s a right-hand column where you’re encouraged to post “Our Story.” This is where you can post a photo, followed by copy about how your company first started, who started it, and how it’s grown into what it is today. This gives customers an immediate opportunity to learn about the growth of your company. You instantly become real and relatable, taking your customers beyond a typical sales pitch the moment they visit your page.
2. Linkedin – This is a B2B social platform and an awesome place for storytelling. The first thing a viewer reads on a company’s page is the “About Us” section, where you can write up your company’s story. You can also list current employees on the page. When someone clicks on an employee’s name, they are taken to their personal page, which opens up a whole new perspective about their work history and what led them to your company.
3. Instagram – This is an inherently visual platform, providing your customers with a view straight into the heart of your marine company, as if they’re personally visiting your headquarters. This happens primarily through the different kinds of video options available beyond simply posting one to your page.
• Live Video – Instead of viewing something that’s already happened, live video brings your viewer straight into the action as it unfolds. Walking around while live streaming what’s going on provides raw, instant insight into your company’s culture and daily happenings. It also creates a direct interaction with viewers who tune in to watch, as you can view their comments in real time and answer while live streaming, which creates an immediate dialogue and sense of community.
• Stories Features – When you add a video clip to a story, your followers can view it for up to 24 hours, and as many times as they want within that time period. You also have the option of keeping any story permanently organized to a “Highlight” on your profile homepage for as long as you would like.
• IGTV (Instagram Television) – The latest addition to Instagram is similar to a Youtube page. It gives viewers access to video content up to an hour long, ideal for binge-watching sessions. IGTV is the perfect outlet to repurpose company videos, or inspire you to create new ones.
Social media is the captain’s log of your company. It’s a centralized platform for collecting updates, capturing events, displaying photos and videos, and composing the narrative of your business through the years. Social media brings your story to life, and you’ll find it’s an amazing asset to both your marketing strategy and overall business. Your customers are waiting to hear your story. Are you ready to tell it?