A couple of years ago I came up with this great idea….
I thought to myself:
Hey self, wouldn’t it be fun to write a blog post like “Five Animals with a Better Social Media Strategy Than You”?
The I’d thought I’d highlight the things we could learn from these social….well animals (hehe, get it? “Social animals!” Gah…I kill myself).
So I turned to Facebook to ask everyone who their favorites were.
Here’s the thing: I quickly learned this post actually should be titled, “Five Million Animals with a Better Social Media Strategy Than You.”
Because, in fact….our animal buddies are kicking our two-legged butts when it comes to social media strategy.
Like, for real folks.
So, while this list is NOT exclusive of all the awesome social animals (hehe…one paragraph later, still find that clever…) out there, here is very small sampling to help inspire your own social media strategy.
Social Media Strategy Lessons from Animals
Warning: before further, make sure you have nothing important to get done today.
You will, I repeat, you will fall down a black hole of animal amazingness.
If anyone questions you, just let them know you are doing intensive research to improve your company’s social media strategy.
Go with that, OK?
We will back you up.
Doug the Pug Really is the King of Pop Culture
Doug the Pug: Doug got so many votes, I doubt he can even count that high. He is, undoubtedly, hipper than you. And he is the one-stop-pug to stay up-to-date on all your most pug-alicious pop culture trends and news.
What makes Doug great?
- His unique voice.
- Use of visuals like a freaking pug boss.
- Plays into contemporary culture and trends.
- Extremely responsive and interactive with his community.
Theodore Rules The ‘Staff” on Pibble Hill
Pibbling with Theodore: Another all-around crowd favorite.
So popular, in fact, his mom got the word “pibbling” into the Urban Dictionary (I’m still working on getting PetroPower there….help a girl out already folks).
Why everyone loves Theo:
- Strong and unique voice and personality.
- Relatable situations and struggles.
- Interactive persona.
- Clever memes and signature catchlines.
Loki’s Adventures Will Make You Wish You Were a Dog
Loki the Wolfdog: One word for what you can learn from Loki’s social media strategy: imagery.
The beautiful use of photos and video is breathtaking and makes me jealous of Loki’s adventures.
Gawk over Loki because of:
- Amazing imagery and user of photographs and videos.
- Simplistic, yet effective content style.
- Visual storytelling.
Esther Could be Your Next Spokesperson
Esther the Wonder Pig: Esther is a case study in clear and consistent messaging.
She would be a communicator’s dream spokesperson.
She has some very clear talking points she wants to get across and she does so in a variety of ways, with a light and fun tone.
But regardless of if she is dressed-up, going for a run, or just lounging around, she keeps on message like a boss (a pig boss!)
Why Esther is oink-aful:
- Consistent personality and voice
- Clear and targeted messaging
- Consistent talking points and great segues
Unique and Notable
A couple of others with unique social media strategy and tactics, specifically when it comes to using content and voice to connect directly with their niche audience.
Cat Food Breath: If you have a cat, you’ll get it.
Why you’ll love to hate cat food breath:
- Painfully relatable.
A Single Bear: This is the most philosophical bear on social media.
What’s unique about this bear?
- You can ponder the universe with him.
Captain Cowpants and Dimitri the SharPei:
Almost any animal person will tell you they have distinct voice with which they imagine each of their furry (or scaly, or feathery) children might have.
Cappy and Dmitri bring that to life on social media, which makes their vibrant personalities that much more charismatic.
Why you will crush on Captain Cowpants and Dimitri:
- Strong and consistent voice and personality.
Hope You Weren’t Planning on Working Today
…because here are a ton of other fan favorites!
(Note: Of those suggested, I didn’t include them if they weren’t managed by the animal, weren’t currently active, were a personal account vs. a page, or were posted after this was set to publish—although I tried to add a few of the later ones.
If I didn’t include you it doesn’t mean I don’t love you and your social animal.)
Facebook Animal Social Media Stars
Rhea the Naked Birdie (warning this one is NSFW, because…. #naked)
Pete the Tapeworm (Pete doesn’t follow any of the rules laid out above. It’s not an active account and it’s a personal account not a page, but #nepotism is alive and strong here at Spin Sucks)
Lisa-Lee’s World, Poly-Ana’s World, and Lil’ Shih
Unlucky Victor (Victor has a very unique technique of side-commenting under each post, which is a lot of fun)
Instagram Animal Celebrities
Who are your favorites?
Post who and why in the comments below!
(Note: I think there are more than 36 here, but I lost count.)
The 30-Day Communications Challenge begins on January 3. Are you subscribed?