3 Social accounts that should be boring, but aren’t
I’ve been managing social media for small businesses for 15 years. I haven’t worked on any sexy big brands or Millennial DTC products (you know the ones—AllBirds, Away, Everlane…), but instead have helped startup SaaS products, travel & tourism, local banks, local restaurants, and the like with their social.
Over the years, I noticed that lots of smaller businesses will all say the same thing: “I know I need to be on social media, but I have no idea how to make this interesting. No one cares about what I do.”
Not true!
I guarantee there’s a way to make your ‘boring’ business not boring. And the fastest way to do that is to hunt for inspiration and/or look on the lateral.
This is exactly what I do when I’m strategizing and looking for content inspiration—I’ve always got an eye to The Greats to see what I can adapt, twist, and borrow.
Here are some of my favorite ways that plays out on social with brands that should be boring, but aren’t.
TSA Instagram
Government agency social media has the potential to be so boring. It’s all about regulation and reminders and that sort of thing—stuff that you need to know but kind of roll your eyes about.
But the TSA social managers have flipped this perception entirely on its head.
They have cracked the code to combine pop-culture moments with the TSA’s mission of keeping travelers safe. They’re able to use humor, trends, and social-appropriate editing to reinforce all the things they stand for.
Like the many, many attempts to bring firearms through the checkpoint…
Or their use of meme-able moments to connect with the frequent traveler while promoting their programs…
And of course, plenty of content about the TSA security dogs. ‘Cuz if you can post about a dog, you should…talk about low-hanging fruit.
How to take inspiration: This is like a masterclass in how to make important information memorable. If you’re in a regulated industry, how can you pop culture moments or memes to make your content more palatable and universally appealing?
Psst: if you want to learn a bit more about the way government social media works, this interview by Rachel Karten with the National Parks social manager is golden.
Pittsburgh International Airport
Sticking with the transportation theme, I have to point out PIT airport, an account I’ve been geeking out about for months.
Again, airport content could be boring—parking is easy! Schedule ahead of time! Lines are long! Here’s what 3oz looks like, don’t get stuck at checkpoints!—but they’ve found a way to make it entertaining and worth following.
Like calling for follower interaction, but making it weird and Reddit-like.
Or moving fast and using this in-the-moment meme to highlight Pittsburgh airport moments AND anywhere airport moments.
And, of course, copious ‘calling all Yinzers’ moments—because there’s nothing that’ll rally a southwest PA crowd like Pittsburgh Pride.
How to take inspiration: don’t be afraid to NOT just stick to the facts. Look on the lateral and see how you can work in pop culture, insider language, and internet-approved humor to bring interest and attention.
Dassault Systèmes Instagram
Okay, time to step away from transportation.
Whenever I’m talking to engineery-type businesses, I point out Dassault. I would have never known about this unless I knew an insider—aka my husband, an expert electrical/mechanical draftsman and CAD software implementor.
What I love about Dassault is that they have so thoroughly tapped into the brain of the engineer.
Their presence isn’t pretty or aesthetic, but it doesn’t need to be. (Have you ever walked around a drafting office or an engineering office? Honestly, their instagram looks like that.)
Like how they’re always playing on the engineer’s ego. (Find me one that doesn’t want to prove how smart they are!)
…or how they make their own memes. (There’s a missed opportunity dealing with Raspberry Pi here—check the comments to see. I’m dying to know if they did that on purpose for engagement bait.)
When I worked in an engineering office, it wasn’t uncommon to punctuate a sentence with something like, ‘of course we like that nerdy stuff, we’re engineers!” Dassault never strays from this punctuation, either.
Oh, and they do an amazing job of showing off their product.
They have learned to perfectly tap into the psychology of engineers and let it play out on social.
How to take inspiration: Every industry has its quirks and stereotypes, right? Brainstorm out the inside jokes, the laughable pains, the cultural anomalies of your industry, and think about how you can turn them into something that carries your message.
But if there’s something they all have in common…
Each of these accounts, no matter their niche, all prove that they KNOW their audience. From the nerdy, egocentric engineer to the world-weary world-traveler, they know how to embed themselves into a psyche and STILL achieve their business goals.
It was hard to only pick three accounts for this series, but I have a whole bunch of my sleeve! Check back for more, or sign up for my newsletter to have posts like this delivered right to your inbox.
