What is Netflix? We all know the answer. It’s become part of our everyday vernacular to the point where ‘Neflix and chill’ has become a euphemism. So what’s the connection to your organisation and what can Netflix possibly do for your organisation’s communications?
This week, I read a great article on TechCrunch which argued that with ‘4.6 billion pieces of content produced daily’, it’s got to the point where we are ‘drowning in content’. At present, when we want to acquire useful knowledge we Google a certain topic then sift through the results to find what we need. They argued that this is an inefficient use of time and in the learning development industry there’s a real need for a solution which ‘adapts to the user’s needs and learns how to make ongoing customized recommendations and suggestions’ – in much the same way that Netflix recommends shows you may be interested in based on your viewing habits.
It got me thinking, for many people Netflix is treated as the default home of entertainment – whenever we feel like watching something we turn to Netflix, to the point where some people don’t even have traditional TV anymore. So, when someone wants to know something about your industry, where do they go?
How do you turn your website or social media channels into that home?
The answer is:
A clearly defined theme
Give your respective websites and social media pages a clearly defined theme. It could be about inspiration, aspirational lifestyles, thought leadership, celebrating financial success, whatever it is will be dependent on the industry in which you operate and what your organisation wants to achieve – keeping in mind that organisational goals should be aligned with social media goals.
Think about what you do, how you do it, why it benefits your stakeholders and ultimately what you achieve for them. That should then help to define what your theme is. If you’re marketing a residential development it could be ‘living a life of luxury’ or celebrating the lifestyle of the local area. For a recruiter, the theme of your communication channels could be about ‘getting where you want to be’.
A social media expert I know recently talked to me about Lego being a great example of an organisation that’s doing this well. The theme of their social media channels is to ‘inspire the builders and thinkers of tomorrow’.
Having a clearly defined theme for your website and social media channels does two important things:
Sets audience expectations
Your audience knows exactly what it’s getting by following you. Humans of New York’s tagline is: ‘New York City, one story at a time’. By following HONY I know that I’m going to get a rich tapestry of authentic stories which explore people’s hopes and fears and tell the stories of the different journey’s we’re all on. Whenever I’m in the mood for people stories, HONY is where I go. When some people need a good laugh, they go to the Lad Bible, and so on.
By having a theme for your communication channels you help people, amidst the daily barrage of content, to know what they will get by engaging with you. This can set you on the road to being known as the home for whatever it is you want to be known for. It also:
Provides structure
When you have a set theme, it helps you to decide what kind of content you should be creating and curating. If you work for Lego and you’re wondering whether or not to post something, ask yourself: does this ‘inspire the builders of tomorrow’ or help them to imagine the possibilities? If so, great, post it. If not, it doesn’t make the cut.
If you want to discuss themes for your communication channels, please get in touch via welcome@theclaritybusiness.co.nz, call us on 09 950 2690, on reach us via LinkedIn or Twitter @ShapeTheMessage.
http://www.theclaritybusiness.co.nz/
By Daniel McCabe