Fierce and focused, our social media team are genuinely passionate about our clients’ online presence. The team is led by our digital communications guru Jenni Tepsa. We asked Jenni why social media matters for businesses and what the secret to a successful social media presence is.
Jenni Tepsa, who joined Manifesto in 2019, specialises in multi-channel content creation, with a particular focus on social media. With an IAB certificate in digital marketing and sales, Jenni is responsible for creating social media content for Autotalo Laakkonen, a Finnish car dealership as well as insurance provider mySafety. Her day-to-day role involves social media management, content production, moderation and reporting.
Social media is a brilliant tool for creating dialogue with customers
“Social media allows you to reach your target audiences quickly and efficiently. Through your social media communications, you can establish relationships with potential new clients, encourage commitment and build up your brand,” Jenni explains.
Jenni says when social media content is interesting, it’s also memorable.
“The important thing about social media content is that even if a potential customer is not needing your products or services right this very moment, they may well remember your content and seek you out when they do. Don’t forget that your social media presence supports your sales activity. It can be used to drive up traffic and encourage new customers to engage with your products and services.”
These days, people use the internet, and social media specifically, to source information, so it’s important that you have an active presence where your customers are. It’s important to provide useful information on the products and services you’re offering but also to tell your unique story.
Aligning your social media strategy with your business plan is always the key to success
The results of a recent content marketing survey conducted by IAB and Dagmar show that 59 per cent of businesses have no clear content marketing objectives in place and 35 per cent admitted that their target groups are not clearly defined.
“With every new client, the first thing we do is take a thorough look at what they are hoping to achieve in strategic terms from their social media presence. If there isn’t a clearly defined set of objectives or target audiences or even a clearly articulated voice for their content, we will sit down together and work it out. Making sure that your social media strategy is aligned with your business plan is absolutely fundamental to a successful social media presence,” Jenni explains.
“On a purely practical level, the most common challenge many businesses face is how to generate genuine discussion and engagement on social media. On social media, interaction is everything. As a business, you need to be able to offer the same, if not higher, level of service to your customers online as face-to-face. Being genuine on social media really matters.
Strategic approach to social media offers a competitive edge
At Manifesto, our digital marketing team are passionate about social media and look forward to sharing our expertise with our clients.
“We manage our clients’ social media channels as if they were our own. We challenge the status quo and use our experience and expertise to offer fresh new alternatives. We will encourage you try new things and identify a bespoke social media approach that’s just right for your business,” Jenni says.
A strategic approach to social media and a carefully managed online presence are an important competitive advantage. A steady, long-term commitment to your social media presence will translate into increased impact. MySafety is an excellent example of what can be achieved. In 2020, we took over the running of mySafety’s social media presence and delivered instant growth. On Facebook, mySafety’s organic and paid reach went up by 14 per cent, with reactions up 74 per cent year-on-year, but we delivered three-figure growth across all other social media platforms.
Social media trends 2021
- Engagement, dialogue and presence all matter, more than ever before. Businesses must be able to offer the same, if not higher, level of service to customers online as face-to-face.
- Paid visibility matters. No spend, no visibility. Tailored interventions bring the best results.
- Experimentation, playing around with different content styles. How will your business stand out from the crowd?
Jenni Tepsa completed an IAB Finland-certified digital marketing and sales training course in autumn 2020. Aimed at professionals working in the fast-changing and challenging digital advertising and marketing communications environment, the qualification allows participants to develop a thorough understanding of the digital market and ecosystem, to gain the latest skills in digital media buying and selling across different channels and to enhance their understanding of social media management objectives and reporting tools.