By Editor Morten B. Reitoft

At SPICYtalks19 Business Track, the second day is kicked off by editor & CEO Bernhard Niemela. The subject is how printers can use Social Media as part of their marketing mix. The numbers are stunning. In his presentation, Bernhard Niemela presents the different platforms/services offered today. No question that you can get a reach, however, an ever-recurring question in a world that seems to become more and more superficial, is quality. When Social Media are used in your marketing, should you aim for the lowest denominator, or can you choose to use Social Media more like a delivery platform? This question wasn't answered by Bernhard Niemela.

Photos, videos, emojis, hashtags, are important - of course. 

You can't, of course, disagree with the things Bernhard Niemela explains, but you can ask, how you want your brand to be perceived. One of his tips he referred to as FUBI. FUBI is short for Funny, Useful, Beautiful, and Interesting, and every post you do should deliver at least one of the words. I like that; however, the words are not facts, but more like opinions. If I read a long post about CHILI Publisher Version 6 it's interesting for me, but for another billion people this isn't, so the use of Social Media is not only about having a broader reach but about utilizing a content channel to your already known audience. 

The reason why I mention this is because I also believe that the stagging number of users, of course, is interesting from a 'whau' perspective, but this isn't any close to what most businesses in the printing industry can ever reach - so its merely a number! Of course, you will be able to use Social Media to reach prospects that share your interest and may be addressed to you by multiple channels.

One of the challenges with Social Media is that behaviours change. Bernhard Niemela mentions that young people are not using facebook anymore, now shifting to other channels. The companies delivering these services isn't static, and you can wonder what makes people move? I believe especially young people are sick and tired of being 'products' for companies using their data to try to push "relevant" content. Maybe some moves from one platform to another because platforms like facebook have too many adverts and too much noise?

I believe that brand-owners should consider how Social Media can be used to communicate with their stakeholders, their audience, and of course, convert, but do it with respect. When I see large brands producing hand-held video content, with bad sound, regardless of the story, I believe it decreases the brand value of that particular company. There is nothing wrong in DYI, but please ensure that the quality you deliver is aligned with your brand, and the values you represent in all other channels.

Well - this is just my opinion. The presentation was great, but don't be fooled with the numbers!