For a brand of the people, like our client Screwfix, leveraging the power of reactive content is a no-brainer. In the fast-paced social ecosystem, speed is the name of the game. Brands that act quickly will dominate, with timely, well-crafted content making all the difference.
What sets social apart as a honeypot for reactive opportunities is its power to be immediately responsive. Traditional media, with its longer lead times and higher costs, just can’t keep up with the rapid pace and immediacy that social can to offer.
Social draws brands into culture-first conversations, empowering us to push the boundaries of tone of voice and inject humour into our interactions. With this approach, brands can connect with their audience in real-time, showing up in the right spaces and at the right time to catch the attention of potential consumers. What’s more - the beauty of social is the power to experiment with creativity without putting hard-earned reputations or entire quarterly budgets on the line.
The Recipe For Reactive
Audience Insights
Understanding your audience’s interests through insights and research data is key to successful reactive content. In our case with Screwfix, audience insights showed a significant crossover between tradies and football fans.
Stay on the Pulse
Knowing our audience were likely to be keeping up with Euro 2024, we did too, scanning for the perfect opportunity to create reactive content around popular football moments. Kylian Mbappe’s broken nose early in the tournament (and his subsequent tweet) set us up for a reactive post around workplace PPE, garnering 221 likes and making it June’s most engaged-with organic post.
Monitor Community Feedback
You know you’re hitting the mark when comments like “Admin deserves a raise 👏🏽” start rolling in. If you’re looking for a sure-fire sign that your content resonates, this is the ultimate audience approval! Stay tuned for direct, positive responses - they are a great yardstick that your content is not only being seen but appreciated and enjoyed by your audience.
Brands today need to show up in more creative ways in order to show up at all. Creativity is essential, and being reactive on social media is one of the most effective and prolific tactics for capturing that much-coveted social spotlight.
For brands like Screwfix, social media brings the perfect opportunity to be quick, creative and connected. If we truly understand our audience and embrace reactive social, we can engage in meaningful conversations, push creative boundaries and make a real impact without breaking the bank. The game is fast-paced but with the right approach, your brand can not only keep up but lead the way.
