Social Media Week Austin crowded Austin’s Central Library late last month as digital marketers, entrepreneurs, and business owners flocked to downtown Austin, Texas. During the three-day conference, attendees spent hours learning in-depth strategies for social media, branding, and getting to know their targeted audiences better. We sent our content marketing specialist, Mar Maldonado, to bring back some terrific tips and savvy skills to implement for our clients.

Mar and Hot Dog Marketing Founder, Jessica Scanlon at Social Media Week Austin 2020

Here are some highlights from that adventure:

Know Your Place on The Internet

During Wednesday’s Agenda, Kaitlyn Hieb stressed that “social media is not one big clump”—and that we should talk and think about each channel separately. It’s essential for both agencies and clients to take the time to understand each platform and absorb the content and the differences between them, in order to know why all industries and businesses shouldn’t be on every social platform out there.

We also have to remember that social is human, and it’s essential to “read the room” to see what kind of content people are engaging with, so you can then know what language is needed to participate. Just like in the real world, businesses and brands must be themselves. Audiences today are very good at knowing when brands aren’t being themselves on social media. Being authentic on the internet today can help companies spread a positive message and, in turn, keep loyal customers in their court because they know they can be trusted.

The Rise of Generation Z

Social media and the “youth of today” always seem to go hand in hand—and with good reason. This generation of rising young adults has never known a world without the internet and information at their fingertips.

With their smartphones glued to their hands, it’s no surprise that social media has become the new checkout counter, especially now that more platforms are enhancing the e-commerce experience. Businesses now need to take on the mindset that your social content may soon be viewed as a retail storefront, particularly on visual platforms like Instagram, so it needs to be viewed as such.

You Can Stop The Scroll

As so many mindlessly scroll through the many social platforms that we now have at our fingertips, you have to use unique tactics to “stop the scroll” and grab someone’s attention. This can be done through many different creative aspects when making social content, specifically making social graphics.

Color, movement, and “keeping it weird” all aid in making eye-catching graphics. Cute animals, kids, and close-ups of products always seem to work best in this area.

It’s also worth mentioning that you shouldn’t try too hard with graphics and, if possible, use the caption as a sub header on the image, as fewer people are prone to reading captions rather than just looking at a picture. Let people know why they should spend a second looking at your post—and why they should stop scrolling.

With all the knowledge we learned last month, we are excited to implement some of these new ideas and strategies to see how they work in practice, so that we can continue to help our clients reach their targeted audiences in the best way possible. And as we put these skills to use, we cannot wait for next year’s Social Media Week Austin!