Hat tip to Cerebra for inspiring this post.
Dear Santa
I have been a very, very good girl this year. No, wait. I have been an exceptional girl this year. It’s been a long, hard year for most and to top it all off, I work in social media. I’m a social media manager, Santa.
That means I’m paid to talk to people on behalf of brands. That’s hard work. I have smiled when most would have cried, I have sat quietly when I wanted to run screaming from the boardroom and I have spent hours behind my computer being ‘engaging’ when it was hot and sunny outside.
I’ve learned a lot this year, about things I like and things I don’t like so much. That’s why I’m writing to you. Last year, I asked for a GHD flat iron. This year I want to ask for something completely different. I want to ask you NOT to bring me the following:
- A brief for 30 engaging, interesting and shareable wall posts on teeth whitening.
- A client whose revert is simply: “Can you make it more engaging?”
- A client brief that includes: “Can you come up with a concept that will go viral?”
- Clients who take my beautifully crafted wall post and add their own, long (un-proofread) copy to it.
- Clients who don’t grasp the urgency of responding to escalated social media queries.
- Clients who forget that we’ve created a perfect social media voice/tone for their brand – and who write their own posts using txt spk.
- Clients who forget that the content strategy you painstakingly prepared for them actually contains guidelines for the thing they just cocked up.
- Trolls.
- Customers who overreact.
- Clients who think a great competition prize is an iPad.
No socks, no soaps, no stationery. No iPhone covers, percolators, books, fruit dainties or pedicure kits – I don’t want any of that stuff either.
But if you could manage to stack a few of these in your sleigh, I’d be most appreciative:
- Fabulous reactions to the social media content I generate. (Remember that Facebook post that got over 300 comments in half an hour? More of those, please.)
- More lovely commenters – there have been such funny and clever responses this year.
- Clients who really get how valuable it is for their brand to tell the truth – and who realise that they can get so much out of interacting with their customers rather than just broadcasting to them.
- Clients with big social media budgets.
- ‘Penny drop’ moments. I love the look on clients’ faces when they realise that the things that annoy them personally on Facebook are things that their brand should avoid doing too.
- Happy clients who are thrilled when we reach their objectives way before they expected it.
- More insights into human culture and behaviour. I’m learning so much about people from the way they interact with brands on social media.
- More compliments from customers on brand pages/Twitter. It’s lovely when we hear from people who honestly appreciate the brand and take the time to share good feedback on social media.
- Clients who will give me leeway to do something a little more fun, different and unexpected.
- Clients who value my strategic input on social media so much that they start involving me in other areas of their brands.
- Inspiration, so I can actually write 30 engaging, interesting and fun wall posts about teeth whitening.
I know I’m asking a lot, but I figured you’re used to greedy girls. After all, that woman used to ask you to bring her the deed to a platinum mine and decorations for her Christmas tree from Tiffany, of all places. In light of her wild requests, I think a couple of good briefs and some mildly mannered fans isn’t such a big ask.
Hugs
xx
