The right image: why hire a social media bureau?

Things went a little wrong for mayor Marcouch of Arnhem last new year’s day. What was meant to be a sympathetic call to clean firework waste from the streets, took a wrong turn when the photo he added didn’t match up.

Green trees in January

“One moment you’re standing near the river Rhine alongside thousands of citizens to celebrate new year’s eve,” he wrote on social media, “the next you’re in the street early morning with a waste grabber to clean out garbage you didn’t leave yourself.” Cleaning trash in his city is something he occasionally does, so no problem there. Except for the green trees behind Marcouch on the picture. Not a recent photograph, in other words, and certainly not one taken on new year’s day. That didn’t sit well with some of his followers, who questioned his message and called him a liar. An unfortunate end to a sympathetic call to action.

The wrong image

A painful incident. We understand all too well how something like this could happen behind the scenes: there’s no good picture taken at the moment itself, so you or an employee search for a representative image in an archive. Problem solved, right? Not quite. An image says more than a thousand words. Whether you’re a mayor or an organization or brand, image matters. Anything can be used to attack your credibility.

Hire a social media firm

You shouldn’t trust you’ll get the benefit of the doubt. People hardly read anymore and a single headline with the wrong photograph only confirms, in our polarized society, what they were already thinking. Better to ensure your message is both watertight and foolproof. The only way to achieve that is to be on top of it. For instance, there should’ve been a media employee tagging along with the mayor to create fitting photographs. It is his name, his brand, that’s at stake, after all.

Being a social media bureau, Vuurwerk specializes in this kind of (personal) branding. By working together with us, we will make sure you never slip up.

What is our approach

• Executing the right idea. Marcouch’s action is fine and fits his image besides. The execution could have been better. An idea in and of itself is only the start of the work, it’s the way you develop it that is essential. Taking care of the tiniest details is what makes a campaign believable, authentic. The right text, images and design, published at the best time to generate the most engagement with followers.
• Creating focus. What should and shouldn’t you do to achieve your goals as a brand or online personality? There’s a temptation to jump on any bandwagon or hype that turns up. The grass is always greener on the other side. We help you create focus in your messages on social media. A considered approach makes all the difference. Sometimes it’s wiser to sit something out.
• Applying structure. Building your brand requires patience. It takes a while to get results. In those moments, it’s important to have a good structure. For example, do you have a set rhythm for posting messages on Facebook or Instagram? Set days? Weekly themes for your content?
• Tools to make your life easier. Where most social media users are best off writing messages and browsing on the sites themselves, we approach things professionally. Using the right online tools, you can get a bird’s eye view on your channels, publish things seamlessly and, perhaps most importantly of all, analyze how your audience reacts to you and which messages are most successful. This enables you to evaluate what works and adjust your approach accordingly to achieve better results.

Start a conversation

With a firm of specialists at your side, you will save time, rest easy that the execution is perfect and prevent awkward situations like the one that happened to the mayor. Curious what Vuurwerk could do for you? Contact us today and we’ll set up a meeting.