Suppose you're at a gathering, and a screen is showing Instagram photos. Perhaps you've seen a trending hashtag used in every picture caption. Your picture, avatar, handle and description will be offered for everyone to see a few minutes after you decide to publish a post from your account using that hashtag. You're still thrilled and validated even when yours isn't the only profile to appear.
That's the power of a social media wall, a massive digital signage that displays a stream of social network updates. It's a way for companies to make TVs more engaging for their customers than ever, and it doesn't need touchscreens. What appears on a social media wall may be modified, giving companies some leeway for innovation. The following are six examples and opportunities on how this can benefit you:
1. Display user-generated content
Hashtag walls are a fantastic source of user-generated material and an innovative display method. As gratifying as it is for the people whose posts are shown, viewers of the stream will also find them engaging. Because it needs so little effort on the brand's side, brands also like it.
2. Social media walls and retail
A survey by DataTrend.com found that digital displays boost consumer spending by 29.5% and encourage them to spend 30% more time in-store. Combine this with the fact that 44% of consumers say social media impacts their shopping choices, and you have a significantly higher chance of boosting your sales.
A social media wall may range from a simple Tweet wall to a comprehensive real-time social dashboard that tracks interactions across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. Use this user-created content with your posts to boost engagement and get new followers.
There are several advantages to using a social media wall in a retail setting.
- Value for money
Free social media reach no longer exists on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Companies are investing massive amounts of money (and resources) in creating memorable client experiences that inspire them to comment on the brand on social media. Incentives to post on social media might be hard to come up with online, but in-store, when consumers are already there, it's a breeze. Because UGC is being produced and shared by your consumers for free, it may also be considered free advertising.
- Content cross-promotion
You undoubtedly invest a lot of time in influencing customers to leave reviews, creating creative Facebook updates and generating stunning Instagram posts. Using a social media wall in-store allows you to compile all of this information into a single visual display, extending the life of your material and exposing it to more people.
By displaying your social media symbols and handles in-store, you may attract more customers and promote your online presence. Include QR codes on your displays to direct consumers to your social media accounts or sites, or display your handles prominently.
- Improved rates of conversion
More than 40 percent of consumers surveyed in a Cisco IBSG research agreed that digital displays could influence their purchasing decisions because of the convenience of having relevant information shown to them at the point of sale. Put a screen next to your new jacket that displays brand influencers wearing the garment. Genius!
- Assisting in real-time
Apps for smartphones and computers make it easy to filter the content shown on social network walls in brick-and-mortar stores. It's a terrific method to ensure your consumers only see the tweets you want them to see, and you could even use it to assist customers in the shop immediately. Brandwatch found that shoppers who reach out through social media to in-store aid anticipate a two to three minutes response time. If you can get back to them in that time frame, they'll be interested in what you say.
3. Social listening
To many businesses, "social listening" means keeping tabs on online discussions about their brand or a related issue. Social listening encompasses a wide range of activities, including monitoring postings that reference your business and tracking a hashtag to assist your brand make educated choices. To check what people are saying about Taco Bell, for instance, the company might search for the terms "Taco Bell" or "@tacobell" on Twitter, while HubSpot could look for the hashtag "digital marketing" to generate ideas for new blog posts.
A social media wall is not a replacement for a comprehensive social listening platform, but it may be an effective supplement. Try to follow accounts or engage in discussions so your target audience will appreciate and benefit your business. Focus on what's on the screen, and think about how you may put it to use.
4. Create interest in upcoming events
The addition of social media walls boosts conventions, trade exhibitions, networking events and even ordinary happy hours. They give the event a distinctive flavor that people will discuss with others long after leaving. People at the event are thrilled by how easy it is to get their message shown on a screen.
Focus your social media feed on postings with a hashtag or account attendees use to talk about the event. Attendees will feel like they are a part of the action when they see their posts and images shown on a screen. It gives the occurrence a sense of immediacy and significance. You may use the wall to promote interest in your business and lure visitors to your booth or another specified area during an event.
5. Publicize upcoming deals or events
Social media is a great place to spread the word about upcoming sales or events your company organizes, thanks to the many people who might see your posts. By connecting your offline and online presence, a social media wall may help you reach even more people.
Spread the word to local consumers and passers-by by projecting your brand's social media feed onto a social media wall if it already contains promotional content. Putting your feed on display in the real world will allow folks to view your updates that they otherwise wouldn't have seen. It's the online equivalent of using printed window displays.
6. Increase your following and engagement
Regardless of your present social media standing, setting a goal of increasing your following and interaction with others is a perfectly acceptable strategy. Acquiring new fans and readers is a nice side effect that may happen even if you're not actively promoting your account. Simply posting high-quality, relevant, shareable and actionable material suited to your audience is all it takes to utilize a social media wall.
It's time to start thinking outside the box regarding how we use social media. The purpose of a social media wall is to provide a large-scale, interactive social media experience in real life. They're popular with both brands and consumers. Despite its name, the social media wall brings people together.
