Learning from the best of January on social media – turn our insights into action

How do people feel about Victoria Gate - From Maybe*

Local joys take pride of place in Leeds

Victoria Leeds are (a little) spoiled with their architectural options, but when your surroundings look like this, can you blame them for wanting to show it all off? This fabulous image is great addition to their feed; its evocative lighting and stark contrasts draw the eye and makes the photo stand out amidst the colour and detail of their other posts. Victoria Leeds have also made excellent use of some UGC (aka User Generated Content) here, by repurposing an image taken by one of their followers.

UGC is a really useful content stream for businesses, as sharing follower posts on a regular basis can be a great way for your customers to feel more involved with your social media.

Bullring & Grand Central celebrate good times

Using your social media to showcase your local place is always a good idea, and Bullring & Grand Central do just that. This post, from a series around the Lunar New Year celebrations in Birmingham, is a lovely round up following a day of festivities.

Getting involved in local conversations, and topical moments in your area - such as Lunar New Year - show your commitment to engaging with your place. Do also use your social feeds as a starting point for those conversations and invite your followers to engage with you, just as Bullring & Grand Central have done.

How do people feel about Bullring & Grand Central - From Maybe*

How do people feel about Innocent - From Maybe*

Innocent know what works

There's a lot to say about Innocent's approach to their social media, and it's fair to say that they've found their audience online. Cheeky, dry, sarcastic humour won't appeal to everyone, but it certainly appeals to their followers, and that's what matters. Innocent can afford to be lighthearted, as they sell a lighthearted product. All of this irreverence is backed by a solid, supportive tone, and this is why it works: they use their social media as a voice to amplify charities and causes that matter to them, all woven through the 'nonsense' (as they put it) that forms the bulk of their social channels. If you want to cultivate an audience of like-minded individuals as Innocent have done, consider bringing more personality (whether your natural setting is sarcastic or not) into your content.

All the facts with Forbes

Forbes' social media adopts a particularly 'no nonsense' approach. In a calm, objective style, they do not offer up opinions on the topics they share via social, rather they leave that task to their followers. They stick to the facts, and present topics just as they are - that is all that is needed. This tone works well for them; if you need to offer up more of a personality to build connections with your audience, then it may not work for you. If you are keen to take a more objective approach in your social captions however, then the Forbes feed is a great starting point.

How do people feel about Forbes - From Maybe*

How do people feel about Superdrug - From Maybe*

A super giveaway from Superdrug

Nothing says 'we have a new product line launching' like a giveaway on your social channels. Superdrug have embraced the standard magnificently here, with a simple yet very eye-catching post. This particular comp works brilliantly for businesses with a larger or very engaged following; it had a very short running time, and the entry requirements were a follow and an emoji comment. Bish bash bosh - you've entered. Now you can move on with your day.

Community focus makes Parkrun UK a top finisher

Parkrun UK know that their followers likely sit in two distinct camps: the truly dedicated, and the not-so-sure. They've used their New Year's competition post as an opportunity to focus on the community aspect of Parkrun, by inviting their followers to tag a running buddy in the comments of their giveaway. The wording they've used is very important here: 'parkrun story'. This simple phrasing says so much: it's their community's individual stories and experiences that are the centre of what they do. So tag your friends, get involved, and you might win some lovely things to set you on your way as well.

How do people feel about Parkrun UK - From Maybe*

How do people feel about Aldi - From Maybe*

A juicy boost from Aldi

Typically irreverant Aldi have gone off piste here with a pretty standard promo post. Well, they are a business after all, and sharing your wares on social is an important part of a retailer's general content. They've tapped into the annual New Year health kick, for those customers enjoying their fruit in juice form this January. It's been a busy post on Facebook, with lots of engagement, and plenty of chat going on in the comments section, too. Keeping it simple and straightforward is sometimes all you need from a post.

ASDA's pizza the action

January can be a tough old month. It's cold, it's dreary, but in the brightly lit aisles of your local supermarket, you can find succour. ASDA clearly understand this, and have offered up some comfort for their customers in the form of a Reel all about pizza. Nice. ASDA have really stepped up their Reel game in recent months, and this whistlestop pizza from start to finish in store is a good one from them. It tells their customers exactly what they need to know, what to expect, and how much it'll cost.

How do people feel about ASDA - From Maybe*