From my portfolio - 3

Again, this was written for a client, but I was not paid for the work.  Because I was never paid, the copyright does not pass to the client but remains with me.  To guard my copyright, I am posting it here on my own blog.  I do not know if this was published online elsewhere but if so it was done without the promised compensation to me.

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Successful branding in the social media marketplace does not happen by good luck, like Cinderella's fairy godmother waving a magic wand.  Were Cinderella to succeed in catching her prince today, she would need the true magic of social media: high quality content.

But what is high quality content?  Cinderella, or for this example, the Cinderella Company, Incorporated, needs to know its audience and to tailor the social media message to meet audience expectations.  That communication should be consistent but specialized for each chosen outlet.  

For instance, Instagram is more visual than textual and requires photos more than mere words.  Picture captions can enhance the message, but if the photo does not capture the attention, the words will never be seen.  Twitter, on the other hand, revels in the textual and relegates photos to an also ran status.  Video works best on YouTube, especially if the presentation is longer than a few seconds.  The Cinderella brand can be consistent everywhere it's seen, but the presentation must match the chosen outlet.

In addition to tailoring the presentation for each platform, the message must resonate with Cinderella's audience.  There is little use in pitching the company's princely aspirations to a group composed mostly of wicked stepmothers or jealous sisters in a FaceBook group.  Cinderella's social media choices would more reasonably be guided by the knowledge that her royal audience hangs out on Instagram or Pintrest where they peruse photos of glass slippers or pumpkin shaped carriages.

Only by knowing her audience intimately and choosing the right venue to attract their interest will the Cinderella Company succeed with their social media message of living happily ever after.