The Social Media Belfast Conference 2022 finally arrived and Team Genesis were out in force.
Now in its eighth year, the conference is firmly established as Northern Ireland’s leading social media event and we were thrilled to be a part of it.
It was so nice to attend an ‘in-person’ event and enjoy networking face-to-face again.
It was also a great opportunity to grow and develop fundamental digital communication skills across various areas of our agency, by hearing the latest insights from a range of world-class speakers.
Here’s our 8 key learnings of the day:
1. Investing in social media is worth it.
So many organisations are still underinvesting in digital.
With social media there is pain, but today we were reminded there is also tremendous gain.
2. People don’t want to read content, they want to watch it.
Mastering short form video could not be more essential.
Regardless of industry, size or budget, businesses should do whatever they can to create quality video content for their socials.
3. Talking doesn’t earn trust, action does.
Brands build trust when they make a positive contribution to the world.
In a fascinating talk on ‘The Power of Gen-Z,’ Felicitas Olschewski explained if people don’t trust the value of the corporation behind the brand, they’ll simply stop buying.
For example, if a brand’s sustainability claims aren’t reflected across their entire supply chain, you can be sure they’ll be called out on social media for ‘greenwashing.’
4. How you reply to comments speaks volumes.
Yes, you might only be replying to one person, but the world is watching.
So much of your brand voice and personality can be injected into a single comment.
5. The long game is best when it comes to influencers.
Tempting as it is, it’s best to avoid quick ‘number chasing’ influencer work and take time to select passionate, credible ambassadors who really ‘fit’ your brand.
6. Hashtags unite people.
They have been around for a while now.
But when it comes to building community, hashtags still reign supreme.
The Open University’s ‘#OUFamily’ hashtag gained over 37 million impressions and became an indispensable tool for people to share their personal stories and connect with others on a similar journey.
7. Need diversity of voices?
User-generated content is your friend. Utilise it!
It helped the team at St Patrick’s Mental Health to promote their services in a really natural way and it can help your organisation do the same.
8. Be brave.
A standout quote from the day from Jonathan Bell at UTV – “There’s a fine line between a great idea and the world’s worst idea.”
Sometimes it’s ok to be data informed, not data led. Take a creative risk every once in a while. Go for it!
So there we have it – our key insights from Social Media Belfast 2022.
If one thing is certain, it’s that the digital landscape never stands still.
Fast moving and ever evolving, we’re excited to put our learnings into action and create exceptional digital content strategies for our clients.