“Although the world of social media is changing everyday, few businesses realise just how useful these platforms can be for their brand. Equally, few realise how quickly misuse of these channels can damage their company’s image,” so says Anthony Galliano, CEO of Dynamo Innovative Digital Advertising, Cambodia’s first and foremost social media marketing and advertising agency.
Galliano, who has spent the majority of his career in banking, corporate finance and accounting, enthuses, “digital marketing was always a type of business that excited me.”
In 2012, when Dynamo Innovative Digital Advertising was first launched, Galliano recalls Facebook was the only widely used social media platform in the Kingdom, and by far the most fashionable: “Everyone was on, or wanted to be on, Facebook.”
Still, the audience was tiny compared to contemporary rates of use. The country had only around 300,000 Facebook users, with a reach Galliano likens to that of a single TV Channel.
Corporate Facebook pages became Dynamo Innovative Digital Advertising’s bread and butter, says Galliano, with clients frustrated by their own attempts to create and consistently manage their own corporate pages: “Get us some traction, some engagement, they would say—and increase our audience, please!”
“Many try to manage their own pages at the outset,” says Galliano, “but they soon realise the amount of work involved in maintaining and nurturing a growing social network, and that’s why they come to us.”
“Facebook provides substantial branding and digital engagement with your audience,” states Galliano.
“The social network branding must match the corporate branding, the guidelines must match corporate guidelines on branding, and the design must match the corporate design, exactly. If you lose universality you will weaken your brand in the eyes of the consumer,” attests Galliano.
“But just like branding, Facebook is all about relevancy,” says Galliano, “and what is relevant for one brand is not necessarily relevant for all.”
“Content management on Facebook and other platforms is absolutely about relevancy,” continues Galliano, “and one part of social media marketing that many struggle with.”
“We must ensure at least two posts a day, but this will vary according to the client and product. And it must be visually stimulating, making graphic design a large part of our job. This allows posts to always appeal to the senses of the consumer.”
Never forget, says Galliano, “the Facebook user’s attention span is minute and constantly being contested.”
However, content doesn’t always need to be exactly relevant to the product. Diversifying content with quirky additions to your feed can expand your audience and avoid appearing to present a “hard sell”.
“But,” warns Galliano, “universality in tone across the channel must be maintained, and always remember to respect the sensibilities of your target audience.”
Finally, Galliano notes, “content management shouldn’t be a spontaneous exercise.” It is not easy to produce enticing and engaging content twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. “It’s not like a magazine advert or billboard that is stagnant for a month or more. You have to be very creative, quick on your feet, but committed to the essence and meaning of the brand”
“In fact,” says Galliano, “some of our clients require content to be preapproved a week in advance to ensure consistency of the present marketing communication strategy and freshness of the brand voice.”
Yet, despite the difficulties of social media management in contemporary business, “all you need to do is Google search your business name to see the importance of Facebook,” says Galliano. “For most, it is the first point of contact between you and potential consumers, and first impressions count.”
