A number of my readers are in the “industry” and I often get asked for advice about social media so I thought that now would be a good time to start a little series on the subject. My goal is to highlight the folks who do it right as well as to spark discussion. I think that is something we can all learn from. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!
+Joseph Wesley Black Tea is a very small company based in Detroit that specializes in single source, estate grown black teas. Facebook can be really hard to do right but founder Joseph Uhl does it without even realizing that he does.
- Style
Joe’s product packaging is impeccable and he carries that same sense of style to everything he does on Facebook. All of the photographs are beautifully done and he uses logo placement well without coming across as pushy. Seemingly unrelated photos, like the current gritty snapshot, carry across the urban feel and hand crafted message of the brand.
- Authenticity
Every status update is in Joe’s voice and by extension of that, the voice of the brand. Candid Instagram shots (like when Joe and his wife stopped in to see me at +Tea Drunk) and a healthy dose of outside links prevent the page from feeling like an advertisement.
- Responsiveness
One thing you’ll notice about this Facebook page is that every comment is responded to. Even if it is just with a jolly “Ha!”, responding makes your audience feel valued. That will make them much more likely to interact with your page in the future.
- Using Reviews Wisely
Review apps like Yotpo are a great way to get the word out about your tea but if used incorrectly, they give the impression that your hard earned reviews are spamy or fake. A small scattering of reviews will have a bigger impact that posting hundreds of them consecutively. Watch your app settings to make sure that you are in control of how frequently they post on your behalf.
- Giving a Shout-out to those who help your brand
There is nothing more frustrating as a blogger than to pour your time and energy into a review only to have the company barely acknowledge its existence. Joe does a great job of giving props whenever someone writes anything about his brand.
I’d love to hear some other perspectives on this too! Is there a brand that you would like to see highlighted? Leave it in the comments or just shoot me an email at [email protected].