Jessica Kaplan of Orange 142 Shares Inside Knowledge
By Calvin Scharffs
We all know that consumers are on social media, and brands that want to build their customer base must reach them there. But social media can be fickle. What’s hot one day is passé the next. Even the popularity of platforms can change from year to year. Knowing when to pounce and when to pivot is crucial. Even more vital is knowing how to tag a post so that it lives on, ready to serve up important product information to a generation of people who use social media as their search tool of choice.
To learn the ins and outs of successful social media campaigns, I sat down with Jessica Kaplan, a Social Strategy Manager at Orange 142. Jessica has been with Orange 142 since 2017, developing, executing, and optimizing social and influencer campaigns for various clients.
Calvin Scharffs: When planning a brand or destination campaign, what are the first steps?
JK: The first thing to think about is the overall campaign goals. Are we trying to grow a fan base? Drive traffic to a website? Boost ticket sales? Aligning these overall goals is crucial.
Next, it's important to understand the audience: What are their interests? What content typically resonates with them? And, of course, how can we continue to engage them in new and innovative ways?
CS: Do you need to reinvent the approach with every campaign?
JK: We always need to look at a campaign with a fresh eye. Social media as a whole and industry are ever-changing. We see new platforms arise and gain popularity, algorithm changes, and trends that come and go fairly quickly.
A fluid approach is essential so that we can continue to optimize continuously. We like to tap into trends where applicable, assuming that those trends fit the brand voice.
But the biggest contributor to success with social media campaigns is the ability to test different approaches and see what works and where we can fine-tune strategies.
CS: In his book Filterworld, Kyle Chayka, writes that understanding how a social platform optimizes content is incredibly crucial, and when an algorithm changes, it can make or break an influencer’s relevance, and ultimately, career.
JK: Understanding how the platform prioritizes content is essential, and the platforms change their algorithms for a number of reasons. This is why we must have a strong relationship with clients for whom we manage their social media initiatives. With the rationale behind our recommendations, our clients support us in making adjustments as necessary. For example, as Instagram has prioritized Reels, we implemented more short-form videos into our content rollout to drive more views.
Understanding a platform’s priorities and algorithms helps us to push out the right content to more audiences.
CS: What are some of the misconceptions about social media you encounter when speaking to clients about campaigns?
JK: We can’t predict organic engagement, and any social media management agency that says it can guarantee engagement isn’t being forthright. This is why it’s really important to align on goals upfront. If the brand has engagement goals they want to hit, we may need to put more effort into the paid portion of the campaign.
That said, we take a lot of pride in our content in optimizing our content based on fan reaction, and we’re good at it.
CS: I’ve heard social media is challenging because a trend can be super hot one day and get no engagement the next. Do you find that to be the case?
JK: Keeping up with trends is a definite challenge because they come quickly. We always jump when the iron is hot when we manage a client’s social media presence. However, among vast swaths of the population, social media is also used as a search tool. So, even if a post doesn't initially perform well, it has the potential to reach audiences later. We see that a lot with the posts we create for clients, and it’s cool because those posts, when created with the correct copy and hashtags, will continue to deliver new fans to the brand.
CS: Each platform attracts different audiences. What nuances of each platform tell you it’s the right channel for the right audience and campaign?
JK: We have clients who are present across all social channels. Whether it's Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, deciding where to focus depends on the audience and industry.
For instance, Instagram is great for leveraging trending audio and building a community of people who care about what you say so you can speak directly to your target audience.
On the other hand, TikTok has the potential to reach a broad audience. Even if you have s, a post can still take off and reach many people, a unique opportunity not all platforms offer.
Facebook, as we've seen recently, has become more of a 'pay to play' platform, so having a paid strategy in addition to organic content is really important there.
And then there's YouTube, which we've started to invest in more, especially with the rise of long-form videos becoming more crucial. So, each platform has its strengths and specific uses, and it's about finding the right mix based on the audience and goals.
CS: Video is really hot right now, but there’s long-form video and short-form video. When should each be used?
JK: It's crucial to have a mix of both long-form and short-form videos in your content strategy. This approach ensures that we cater to different audience preferences and viewing habits.
Short-form content, like the 60-second or less video, appeals to younger demographics and those who prefer quick, easily digestible information. On the other hand, long-form videos are ideal for vacation planning, as they provide detailed information on specifics that short-form content can't cover.
By offering both types of content, we can effectively engage a broader range of audiences and meet their diverse needs.
CS: You’ve mentioned social media in conjunction with destinations several times. Do you recommend social media marketing for all destinations?
JK: Absolutely. Social media marketing is especially important for destinations because it allows them to connect with visitors and share content from their perspective.
User-generated content (UGC) plays a crucial role in destination marketing, and we encourage the clients we work with to embrace it. It’s a great way to tap into an audience and give them a realistic perception of what to expect when visiting a place.
Influencers and content creators are the other critical components of destination social media marketing campaigns. They can amplify the message to their followers, who consider the influencers they follow authentic and trustworthy.
CS: Is UGC a risk for brands? What if a user says something negative about a brand or destination?
JK: There’s always a risk that a user will have something negative to say, but these experiences can be an opportunity to turn a situation around. This, by the way, is why Orange 142 will actively manage social media channels for our clients. We look for reactions to a brand and either thank the user for their kind words or address what fell short for them. Consumers appreciate that kind of transparency.
CS: What is the breadth of services Orange 142 offers clients?
JK: Our services begin with a comprehensive strategy that includes understanding the audience, setting clear goals, and identifying the types of content to be shared on various channels. Whether working with existing channels or starting pages from scratch, we kick things off with an open discussion with the client to tailor the approach to their specific needs.
The next step in strategy development involves deciding on the types of content, such as Stories and short-form videos, and recommending different post types based on the audience size and industry.
Once the content strategy is established, we build out a content calendar, which reflects the strategies we put in place. This calendar is shared with the client and content is distributed across the relevant channels. After the content is posted, we measure the results, provide detailed reporting, and optimize the strategy as needed to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Another critical component of our process is community management. This involves responding to posts in a timely manner and actively engaging with posts that use our hashtags or similar key terms, even if they don't tag us directly. By commenting, liking, and engaging with these posts, we aim to bring more users over to our page. This approach also helps in generating and collecting user-generated content for sharing on social media.
So really, our social media services cover everything from initial strategy development to content creation,performance measurement, and community engagement, ensuring a holistic approach to maximizing our clients' social media presence.
CS: What level of optimization and reporting do you provide clients?
JK: We provide monthly reporting for our clients using Sprout Social. This involves evaluating key metrics such as engagements, impressions, top posts, and fan growth. By analyzing this data, we can make informed decisions and implement one or two changes at a time. This approach allows us to test different strategies, such as experimenting with hashtags, adjusting the inclusion of links, increasing video content, and incorporating more user-generated content.
Maintaining consistency with successful post tactics is also crucial. While we can’t predict engagement, we can make informed decisions from past performance and fan sentiment. Overall, understanding the audience and making targeted adjustments based on data helps us continuously improve and ensure ongoing engagement with our content.
CS: Are there any tactics that you deployed that delivered unexpected or surprising results?
JK: One example that comes to mind for our client, Pigeon Forge, is their annual Chuck Wagon Cook-Off event. As our focus was to build our TikTok audience, I saw an opportunity to increase on-site social media coverage and provide fans with an inside look they had never seen before. We had a hunch that content would perform well, though the results were overwhelmingly positive.
We saw tremendous engagement and views across posts, leading us to our biggest social media fan growth in years. On TikTok, we gained about 25,000 followers, and on Instagram, we added approximately 15,000 followers and received millions of views overall. Because of this success, we now craft a dedicated social media strategy around the event to entertain and engage our fans while reaching new audiences.
CS: That’s amazing! Final question: What prompted you to specialize in social and influencer campaigns?
JK: I was always interested in a career in marketing, and have been working in social media since 2011. Seeing the industry grow so much over the years has been incredible, especially regarding content creation. I’ve worked with clients in the entertainment, gaming, technology, and health industries, though my focus has been on travel and tourism. What I especially love about our travel clients is having the opportunity to work with influencers to showcase destinations in unique and creative ways.
