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One of the challenging things about social media is encouraging others to be aware of, and then hopefully, share your posts. Here at RTO7, we use “mentions” in posts often and “tags” in photos less frequently. People often use these terms interchangeably when discussing social media. Confused? Here’s some clarification:
Mention* – The act of tagging another user’s handle or account name in a social media message. Mentions typically trigger a notification for that user and are a key part of what makes social media “social.” A properly formatted mention also allows your audience to click through to the bio or profile of the user in question.
(Note that we generally “tag” you, our partners, via a “mention”)
Tag* – A keyword added to a social media post with the original purpose of categorizing related content. You can also tag someone in a post or photo, which creates a link to their social media profile and associates them with the content.
Why We Use Them
To get attention! And create awareness of the post, especially for whoever is featured in it. We like to push out our partners’ information – on both @BruceGreySimcoe and @RTO7Connection – and to let them know about it. What are we looking for in return?
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A post like (makes us feel good and it’s an acknowledgement that you’ve seen the post)
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A comment, maybe with more info about whatever is featured in the post, a thank you for sharing or a link with more info for our social media users. Can’t think of what to say? We like emojis, too 🙂👍😍
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A reply (in the comment section) to an inquiry from a user that you can answer way better than we can. It’s also a good way to establish a relationship with a potential new customer, client, visitor, etc. – good customer service is part of being online, too, whether through social media, your website or blog
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Sharing/retweeting the post, if it’s relevant to your followers (you need an app to share posts on Instagram – there are free ones available)
Bonus: sharing helps increase engagement for all of us (think chain letters)
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A mention or tag in your posts – helps to let us know what you’re doing and to share your info (this applies to your Facebook events listing, too)
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And, finally, liking/following us if you are aren’t already!
How We Respond When BruceGreySimcoe/RTO7 are Tagged
(Note that, due to volume especially on BruceGreySimcoe, we cannot share all posts we are tagged/mentioned in)
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We like the post and may comment on it
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We share the post, if:
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It fits in with our tourism mandate
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Our current social media calendar allows it
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Our number of posts hasn’t been exceeded (we are cautious about “over posting”, especially on Facebook when we have numerous campaigns running as it can disengage followers)
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When we share, we tag other relevant partners (helps to increase post reach and engagement)
How to Manage Them
Due to volume, we check our social media notifications at least once a day and usually first thing in the morning, as part of our daily routine. This makes it easier to keep up, especially during busy campaigns, and it’s easier to respond. How to do it:
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Set up email notifications – when your social media account is mentioned or tagged, an email goes right to your inbox. This can be overwhelming and totally jam your inbox, so we changed it up to checking online.
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How to check notifications on your social media channels
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Facebook offers several options
Note that Facebook (which owns Instagram) makes it easy to check notifications on Instagram, too, under “Inbox”
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Instagram
Liked posts, comments, tags and mentions can be found by clicking on the heart while direct messages and other requests show up by clicking on the icon in the upper right-hand corner. Tag notifications for photos will also appear on your profile photo in the bottom right hand corner. All are indicated by a red dot.
Why We Need Your Input on a Post
When we’re running our paid social media campaigns, these posts usually generate lots of engagement, which is a big part of the campaign’s goal. Most of the time, we’re able to respond to this and often link the users directly to your websites for more information, especially if it’s about cost, how to book, location, etc.
Now and then, however, our users require more detailed information or, unfortunately, may have had an unpleasant experience at your establishment - this is where you come in! We will tag you on that post so you’re aware of negative comments or need help with inquiries, usually with a request for help. i.e. @RTO7Connection, can you help us with this?
This is especially important if you are running a campaign with us through one of our partnership programs, implementation programs or the partnership video campaign. Picture your social media channels as your “online front desk” where customer service is just as important (maybe more so, due to how rapidly content can be shared) than in-person or on the phone at your place of business. To reiterate, social media is “social” and online users want to – and expect to - interact with a real-life person. As business owners, tourism operators and tourism organizations, nobody knows your business region or community or is as familiar with an event as you are – you are the experts.
Good news for our partners who work with us on social media marketing campaigns! Going forward, direct links to your social media campaign posts will be made available so you can track comments, likes, etc.
A Note About Events
As you may have noticed, we love to share! If you are using the Facebook Events listing on your page, keep us in mind:
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Tag us, mention us or ask us to be a co-host on your Facebook events as we can then easily share them on our events pages (@BruceGreySimcoe for tourism events and @RTO7Connection for industry events). One of the really cool things about sharing this way is that any changes you make on your event will automatically show up wherever it has been shared on other Facebook events.
Our Social Media Channels
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We have a large following on both Facebook (31,500) and Instagram (11,255) on the consumer side – take advantage of our reach by tagging and mentioning us! Use @BruceGreySimcoe for these and Twitter, too.
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RTO7’s industry following is not as large (Facebook, 677 followers and Instagram, 775 followers) but is continuing to grow steadily and can reach a wide audience in the business community. Use @RTO7Connection for these and Twitter, too.
@RTO7Connection