What Taco Bell And Wendy’s Can Teach You About Social Media Marketing

Social media continues to be a powerful strategic force in the marketing world. With over 53% of the world’s population on social media, and with 90% of consumers buying from brands they follow on social media, all businesses should have an active social media presence. Not only is it the perfect opportunity to show your products to thousands of people, it’s also a great platform for sharing stories and building a loyal following.

Taco Bell and Wendy’s are two fast food brands that do exceptionally well when it comes to differentiating themselves on social media. This distinction increases overall awareness and customer retention. As of September 2021, Taco Bell had well over 1.9 million followers on Twitter, and Wendy’s Twitter account surpassed 3.8 million followers. Curious to know how these brands build their fan base? Read on.

Do Something Unexpected

It’s difficult to stand out from the competition when everyone is using the same social media methods. Let’s be real: social media is a breeding ground for gossip. When brands steer away from the norm, information spreads like wildfire.

So Wendy’s did something unexpected: they began streaming video games on their Twitch account. In the last few months, they’ve played games such as Genshin Impact and The Sims. Both games feature their mascot, Wendy, to promote the brand and keep awareness high among younger audiences. Since opening the account, they’ve gained over 115,000 followers, with videos receiving a few thousand views each.

Just recently, Wendy’s created a Discord account, which as of September 2021 had over 50,000 members and is still growing rapidly. A fast food brand that streams video games—did you see that coming?

Create A Unique Brand Personality

Everyone has their own unique personality, so brands should as well. Wendy’s brand personality on social media is known to be feisty and outspoken. It went viral on Twitter back in 2017 due to their signature brand of roasts, in which they insulted competitors and haters. Because Wendy’s took the risk of letting their social media team fight people on Twitter, they have become one of the best social media users in the industry. Since then, they’ve slowed on the insults, but are still known as the iconic, plucky brand.

On the other hand, Taco Bell exemplifies a relatable and humorous brand personality, talking the way a friend would. Since Taco Bell recognizes that younger adults make up a large portion of their loyal following, they have shifted to a tone their audience is able to relate to.

Occasionally, they take risks by tweeting posts such as “Time has no meaning. But Taco Bell? Taco Bell has meaning.” They know people will respond by accepting or denying this statement, thus making it the perfect place for a lively discussion to ensue. Their efforts paid off: the post received over 3,000 likes and 700 retweets.

A strong social media persona can be risky, but standing out requires trying something new. No matter what you do though, make sure your brand personality ultimately makes sense for your unique selling proposition and overall mission.

Engage With Your Audience

It’s easy to get so caught up with developing future social media strategies that you forget to respond to what your audience is saying currently. However, this mistake can and should be easily avoided. As we mentioned here, it is essential for brands to communicate with their followers should they want a successful social media campaign. Instead of ignoring them, brands must utilize what their audience says and potentially incorporate it into future posts or strategies. After all, social media is a great place to connect with your audience on a personal level, so take advantage.

Taco Bell has mastered brand communication by constantly reading and retweeting their audience’s posts, oftentimes responding back using their fun brand personality. Social media communication not only encourages likes and reshares, but it also lets followers know they’re being heard.

If one of your favorite brands responded back to your social media post, would you suddenly feel more loyal to them? Connection makes such a difference, doesn’t it?

All in all, companies should be open-minded and explore multiple avenues to reach potential customers. If done right, social media has limitless opportunities, and it should definitely not be neglected.

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