Animal Kingdom December Content Calendar

The purpose of this content calendar is to increase engagement through Facebook and Twitter. The purpose for the content calendar is to also make people want to visit Animal Kingdom during the holiday season. 

December 1:

Facebook: A festive start to December calls for a harmonious parade with Mickey and his friends. Will we see you there having a merry time?

Tweet: Mickey is ready to kick off December with his #JingleJungle parade this afternoon! Retweet this post if you are ready to sing along!

December 2:

Facebook: Our Festival of the Lion King show is ready to make you roar with excitement this afternoon! Help us celebrate Simba become King of the Jungle by purchasing your tickets here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets/.

Twitter: Roar with excitement as #Simba becomes King of the Jungle at our Festival of the Lion King. #HakunaMatata

December 3:

Facebook: A trip to Animal Kingdom is not complete without a visit to our outdoor petting zoo! Complete with goats, sheep, donkeys, cows, and pigs, we want to know which furry animal will you befriend in our Affection Section?

Twitter:  Post a photo of you petting Billy the Goat in our #AffectionSection! We will retweet our favorites! Don’t forget to hashtag #BillyTheGoat

December 4:

Facebook: Savor the flavors of Nepal at Yak & Yeti after a day spent exploring Animal Kingdom. Our chef recommends the Sweet and Sour chicken for a pan-Asian feast you won’t forget! Make your reservation here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/animal-kingdom/yak-and-yeti-restaurant/

Twitter: Savor the Flavors at Yak & Yeti after a day spent exploring Animal Kingdom. #PanAsia

December 5

Facebook: Be sure to “sea” Finding Nemo- The Musical! Our 40-minute show is sure to make a splash with the whole family bringing this fun movie to life!

Twitter: Sure to make a splash with the whole family, Finding #Nemo- The Musical is the perfect way to enjoy an afternoon of animated fun!

December 6:

Facebook: Friday has arrived, and we are celebrating the start of the weekend with our Oasis Exhibits! Explore The Pathway to Adventure with a self-guided stroll through the wild jungle! Which animal are you most looking forward to spotting?

Twitter: Celebrate #TGIF with a self-guided tour through the lush jungle with our Oasis Exhibits! #AnimalKingdom

December 7:

Facebook: We are getting ready for the birth of our new baby cubs, and we need help naming them! Comment with suggestions, and we will announce the winning names on the day they are born!

Twitter: We are enlisting the help of our Twitter followers to come up with names for our new baby cubs! Reply with suggestions, and we will announce the winners!

Note: Photo of pregnant lion

December 8:

Facebook: How well do you know the Animal Kingdom? Can you tell us the name of our 13-foot T-Rex skeleton?

Twitter: Reply to this post if you know the name of this 13-foot T-Rex skeleton that can be found on site. #TRex #AnimalKingdom

December 9:

Facebook: We want to know what your favorite exhibition is at Disney’s Animal Kindgom!

Twitter: Do you have a favorite exhibition at #Disneys #AnimalKingdom?

December 10:

Facebook: It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, and we can’t think of a better way to spend the holiday season than with a family trip to Animal Kingdom! Like this post if you agree!

Twitter: Retweet this post if you think the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season is with a family trip to #Disneys #AnimalKingdom.

December 11:

Facebook: Who can tell us what major exhibit is set to open in 2017?

Twitter: #AvatarLand is set to open in 2017! Retweet this post if you are just as excited as we are!

December 12:

Facebook: Zip #BackInTime and sweep through the Prehistoric Age in our dinosaur themed rollercoaster, Primeval Whirl. Here is a sneak peek:

Twitter: Visit the Prehistoric Age and zip #BackInTime with our dinosaur themed roller-coaster, Primeval Whirl!

 Insert video of rollercoaster ride.

December 13:

Facebook: The holiday season has arrived! Celebrate with a harmonious parade with Mickey and his friends. Post your photos from the parade and hashtag #JingleJungle! We will repost our favorites!

Tweet: Mickey is ready to kick off the holiday season with his #JingleJungle parade this afternoon! Retweet this post if you are ready to sing along!

December 14:

Facebook: A day in Animal Kingdom is not complete without a visit to _______________.

Twitter: Retweet this post if your favorite part of Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris!

December 15:

Facebook: Escape the cold with a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom! During your visit, we recommend the Kali River Rapids for a whitewater rafting joy ride along the scenic Chakranadi River.

Twitter: Take the ride of your life at Kali River Rapids for a scenic joy ride down the Chakrandi River. #AnimalKingdom

December 16:

Facebook: The holidays are around the corner and we want to know how you will be celebrating! We think a trip to Animal Kingdom is the perfect gift for a weekend of family fun!

Twitter: Retweet this post if you think a trip to Animal Kingdom is the perfect holiday gift.

December 17:

Facebook: Are you a thrill-seeker? We found the perfect thing for you! #ChallengeYourself

Twitter: Retweet this if you are ready to challenge yourself at our Expedition Everest Challenge. #AKChallenge

December 18:

Facebook: This is our motto for the day! #HakunaMatata

Twitter: #HakunaMatata is our motto for the day.

December 19:

Facebook: Are you wild about wildlife? We recommend an exhilarating tour of our facilities. Click here to find out more.

Twitter: Learn about our extensive wildlife with a tour of our animal facilities. 

December 20:

Facebook: We want to see a photo of you and your family enjoying a day at Animal Kingdom! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #AKAdventures

Twitter: Tweet a photo of you and your family enjoying a day at Animal Kingdom! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #AKAdvneutres

December 21:

Facebook: In need of a delicious breakfast on the go before exploring Animal Kingdom? Stop by Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery!

Twitter: In need of breakfast on the go? Stop by Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery before exploring Animal Kingdom.

December 22:

Facebook: What is your favorite attraction at Animal Kingdom?

Twitter: What is your favorite attraction at Animal Kingdom?

December 23:

Facebook: Share a photo of you standing next to the Tree of Life in a Santa hat for a chance to win a free day pass. 

Twitter: Tweet a photo of you standing next to the #TreeofLife in a Santa hat for a chance to win a free day pass.

December 24:

Facebook: Christmas Eve has arrived! Celebrate with Mickey’s #JingleJungle Parade this afternoon!

Twitter: Spend Christmas Eve celebrating with Mickey’s #JingleJungle Parade!

December 25:

Facebook: Merry Christmas from our Animal Kingdom family!

Insert photo of animals

Twitter: Merry Christmas from our Animal Kingdom family!

Insert photo of animals

December 26

Facebook: Did you spend Christmas at Animal Kingdom? Share your Christmas photos with us, and we will repost our favorites! Use the hashtag #AKChristmas

Twitter: Did you spend #Chrismas at Animal Kingdom? Tweet your Christmas photos, and we will repost our favorites. Use the hashtag #AKChristams.

December 27

Facebook: Say Wingapo to Pocahontas at Camp Minnie-Mickey this afternoon! Post your photos and hashtag #Wingapo.

Twitter: Say #Wingapo to Pocahontas at Camp Minnie-Mickey this afternoon! 

December 28:

Facebook: Not ready to say goodbye to Christmas? Indulge in one last holiday celebration at Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade this afternoon.

Twitter: Indulge in one last holiday celebration at Mickey’s #JamminJungle Parade this afternoon!

December 29:

Facebook: How do you plan to ring in #2014?

Twitter: How do you plan to ring in #2014?

December 30:

Facebook: New Year’s Eve in Animal Kingdom is best-spent ____________.

Twitter: Retweet this post if you wish you were spending New Year’s Even in #AnimalKingdom.

December 31:

Facebook: Let the countdown begin! Tell us your New Year’s resolutions!!!

Twitter: Tweet us your New Year’s resolutions! 

It's Hospitality: An Industry-Related Social Network

It’s Hospitality is a business network for the hospitality industry. Its target audience is anyone involved in hospitality including those who work in the travel, lodging, restaurant, and gaming industry. This platform specializes in connecting businesses, organizations, service providers, vendors, and companies in the hospitality industry. It works by allowing members to connect to other people in the industry by joining the network. Members can interact with other users, send messages, and participate in chat sessions. In addition, members can use the site to update information about their own future events, plans, and needs so other groups in the industry are aware and available to offer assistance. This network also allows members to follow updates of other members that they do business with. In other words, this industry related social network helps members connect with other people in the industry in an efficient way so they know what is going on in the industry. Members can communicate through forums. They also have access to people and product searchers, job searches, and news about the hospitality industry. This network is important to help people in the hospitality industry stay connected with the other companies, businesses, and individuals they work with. It’s a great resource since members have the ability to connect, interact, and communicate with others.

I think this platform is very useful for people who work in the hospitality industry. Hospitality is such a large industry, and this network helps companies and professionals in this industry stay connected so they can be efficient and productive. According to Ruszczyk (2012), industry-related social networks “may be less distracting than regular social networking sites." I think this platform can stand out from the major channels because it offers its members direct access to other people and businesses in the industry. Members can maintain their relationships with companies they work with and find new contacts that might provide them with valuable information, products, or services. For example, if you need to fill a position in your company you can post it on this network and have direct access to people who might be interested and qualified for the job.  According to Ruszczyk (2012), you can network with other professionals in the hospitality industry on LinkedIn, but that social network is not devoted entirely to hospitality so you would spend more time trying to search for information related to your field. This channels stands out because it makes it easy to communicate with others in the hospitality industry.

The hospitality industry could incorporate proximity marketing into its communications plan in a variety of ways. Proximity marketing allows users to increase engagement with customers, send ads at a time when customers are most likely to purchase, and customize ads depending upon availability of products and services.  The hospitality industry could use proximity marketing to offer customers digital coupons for discounts at restaurants, hotels, spas, or gift shops. They could post promotional content as well. According to Reaves (2012), hotels could use proximity marketing to provide information about happy hour, restaurants, or the benefits of signing up for loyalty programs, while restaurants could advertise menu specials and provide media entertainment while customers wait for their table. Proximity marketing provides businesses the unique opportunity to reach consumers at the time when they could most benefit from the advertising message so its relevant and advantageous to the customer.

Since proximity marketing only targets the customer when he or she is near the actual location of the business, other social platforms need to work alongside this program to ensure its effectiveness. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be used to interact with customers and prospects and help maintain relationships that build brand loyalty. Content communities like Pinterest, and Instagram can offer customers visual content in the form of photos to increase engagement with specific businesses and brands in the hospitality industry. YouTube is another content community that brands can use to engage customers visually and tell a brand’s story. Email marketing is another great channel to reach a target audience. According to an infographic by Constant Contact, businesses that combined social media marketing and email marketing had better results . By combining social media marketing, email marketing, and proximity marketing, businesses can effectively reach customers and increase sales. All three are an important part of an IMC plan to bring a consistent message to the audience.

A Review of Twitter and the Best Twitter Practices

Click here to watch to learn How To Rock the Twitterverse

Twitter is one of the major players on social media, and it continues to grow in popularity and use. According to a study conduced by Global Web Index, the number of Twitter users increased by 40% during the last 6 months of 2012 making it the fastest growing social platform worldwide during the last two quarters of 2012. By understanding the nature of Twitter and how it works, brands can utilize Twitter to communicate with customers and prospects and build brand awareness. But first, it’s important to understand what Twitter is and how it became such a popular social channel.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging platform that is used to communicate short messages to followers called tweets. A tweet is a text- based post of 140 characters or less. Tweets are posted on a user’s profile page for others to see. A person can decide to only deliver tweets to his or her friends or to make tweets public for anyone to see. Twitter has revolutionized how we communicate by forcing Twitter users to summarize their thoughts into short messages.

Why do people use Twitter?

Twitter is used for a variety of reasons. Users can use Twitter to post updates about what is going on in their lives, share photos and links to articles, and follow other Twitter users and brands. Basically, Twitter is a great platform to share information and to engage in conversation with other users.

How did Twitter Start?

Twitter has an interesting history. Like most great ideas, it began from a need to survive in the world of business. Twitter was created by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone who were programmers at Odeo Inc., a podcasting company in San Francisco, California. When the company learned that Apple was going to be allowing free podcasting through iTunes, Dorsey, Williams, and Stone started to brainstorm to find a new project to work on. This led to the birth of Twitter a little over seven years ago.

Although Twitter wasn’t available to the public until July 2006, Twitter was officially launched on March 21, 2006, with the first tweet, “just setting up my twttr” sent by Jack Dorsey. Since it began as a service to text short messages on cell phones to communicate with others, its text is limited to 140 characters. Twitter didn’t immediately take off flying. It wasn’t until a South By Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, in March of 2007, that Twitter gained its wings. Concert events were tweeted on large screens. As a result of the use of Twitter at this event, the number of daily tweets tripled and have continued to grow ever since.  Twitter has become a popular social media platform used by individuals, businesses, and brands to communicate and share short messages with others .

How many people use Twitter? Who uses Twitter?

Twitter reports that 200 million people worldwide actively use Twitter and post on average 400 million tweets daily.  Based on data found in the Pew Internet and American Life Project 2013, eMarketer reports that 18% of Internet users are using Twitter. There are slightly more males (18%) than females (17%) on Twitter. Adults between the ages of 18-29 had the greatest percent of Twitter users (30%), while adults aged 30-49 came in second (17%). The numbers of Twitter users is expected to grow in the future, especially since Twitter is mobile friendly. A study by eMarketer (2013) estimates that 28 million people in the US will access Twitter through mobile devices in 2013, which is a 22% increase from 2012.

What do these statistics mean for brands? Brands can use these statistics to understand the audience that uses Twitter and target their content to meet the needs and interests of their audience. An infographic by KISSmetrics reports that 64% of Twitter users state they are more apt to buy from a brand they follow on Twitter. Such statistics suggest that brands and businesses should use Twitter to communicate with their target audience and to acquire new followers by building brand awareness, especially since so many people are using this platform. But before tweeting, it’s important to understand how Twitter works.

The Basics of Twitter

Before tweeting, you must first open up a Twitter account. Then you can read other users’ tweets to see what people are talking about. If you are a brand, you need to search for tweets about your company by using Twitter’s Advanced Search tool so you can see what conversations users are having before you join in. You can reply to someone’s tweet or start a conversation by using a user’s name with the @ symbol in front of the name. If you want everyone on Twitter to see your reply, you can add a period in front of the @ symbol. You can also send direct messages (DM) to one of your followers.

Retweets are taking someone’s tweet and reposting it. They begin with “RT” followed by the person’s name who posted the tweet first. Retweets are very valuable for getting content out into the Twittersphere and in front of a new audience. When someone retweets your tweet, it will appear on the feed of all the followers of that person. This is where brands can generate new leads. This special feature of Twitter has great value to brands and businesses since it can cause a tweet to go viral. This is where content comes into the picture.

Content Counts

A tweet is only as good as its content. This applies to all social media platforms. The quality of the content is the key to maintain and engage an audience on Twitter. According to a study released by Nestivity (2012), Notebook of Love is the brand with the most followers on Twitter.  Branden Hampton, the CEO of the company that created @Notebook, states the reason for his success is the following: “It all has to do with creating high resonating content."  Quality content engages the user. The content needs to be meaningful to the audience and address their interests so knowing your audience is key. A brand needs to establish themselves as a resource for the audience.

Effective Twitter Practices

Many studies have been conducted that analyze the effectiveness of a tweet and what works best on Twitter. It’s important to understand what these practices are and to use them as a guide when using Twitter.

Keep Tweets Short

Although tweets are limited to 140 characters, shorter tweets do better than longer ones. According to a report from Buddy Media, tweets that were under 100 characters had 17% more engagement. A shorter tweet gives others a chance to add some words of their own before they retweet the content.

Add a link

The report by Buddy Media also showed that tweets with a link attached have 86% higher retweet rates. Links add a higher level of engagement, especially since tweets are so short to begin with. If you grab a user’s attention with your tweet, then you can use links to offer more relevant content. URL shorteners such as  bit.ly  help shorten your link. According to DanZarrella.com, bit.ly is one of the most recognizable link shorteners and leads to the most retweets. Links can include photos, blogs, videos, or articles.

Use Hashtags

A hashtag is a # symbol that is used before a tweet to make it searchable. Using this symbol makes it easier to find and share information about a topic.

The study conducted by Buddy Media showed that using up to two hashtags per tweet doubles the engagement rate. However, getting carried away and using more than two hashtags decreases engagement by 17%.  It’s important to use hashtags, but don’t use more than two per tweet.

Include a Call to Action

The study by Buddy Media also showed that including a specific call to action increased the number of retweets a brand received from followers. When brands specifically asked for a retweet in a post, the retweet rate increased by twelve times. If the word “retweet” was actually spelled out, the average retweet rate increased by 23 times (http://askaaronlee.com/twitter-strategies/). Including a call to action is a great technique to increase engagement and interaction.

Optimal Time for Tweeting

Timing is everything, even on Twitter. Since Twitter is an interactive network, there are certain times of the day and week that people are more active on Twitter. Those are the times to take advantage of when trying to ensure your tweets are reaching your target audience.

According to the study conducted by Buddy Media, brands have 30% higher interaction rates when they tweet between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. and a 17% higher engagement rate on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, weekends are an important time to share content since people are more engaged. According to an infographic presented by KISSmetrics, the best time to tweet to optimize your chances for a retweet is 5 p.m. local time, while click through rates to websites occur more often on Wednesdays and weekends at noon and 6 p.m. EST. It’s also important to keep times zones in mind. If you want to reach the largest numbers of people in the US, you will need to plan tweets for Eastern and Central time zones since 80% of the US population lives in those time zones.

There are many tools available to help schedule tweets to post automatically including Hootsuite and Twitterfeed.com. Other tools help companies optimize tweets. Tweriod is a tool that can help brands determine the optimal time to reach their followers. Google Analytics allows brands to see when they receive the most CTR to their websites, and Twitter traffic reports in Advanced Segments can be used to analyze how much traffic Twitter drives to the website.

How Often Should You Tweet

As with any social network, it is important to be consistent when using Twitter. The optimum number of times to tweet a day according to Buddy Media is 4. Any more than four tweets a day starts to decrease engagement rates.

Integration with other Social Channels

Twitter does integrate with other social channels. You can connect your Twitter account to your Facebook page, Google+, and Tumblr, which increases the number of people that see your tweets. You can also upload videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and Vine directly onto Twitter. Since Twitter has integration with other social channels, it’s easier to share content. Having a unified presence on multiple channels really increases a brand’s opportunity for reaching a greater audience.

Twitter and Mobile Devices

Twitter is mobile friendly. Twitter reports that 60% of users access Twitter from mobile devices. Twitter offers different features that make it easy for customers to use Twitter on their phones. Twitter apps are available for Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Blackberry phones. If someone doesn’t have a Twitter account, they can sign up to receive updates on Twitter by simply sending Follow (username) to 40404 on a cell phone. Customers that are interested in receiving coupons or notifications about sales or promotions can sign up in the mobile settings on their Twitter accounts to receive text message updates any time a brand tweets. Businesses can use Promoted Tweets to send valuable information to a target audience directly through mobile devices. Since Twitter can be accessed on mobile devices, it’s a great platform for businesses to use to stay connected to customers and potential customers and to be able to communicate with them at any time.

Images and Videos

One of the best features of Twitter is that it allows users to share photos and videos. This feature increases the level of engagement that followers can have with a tweet. Studies have shown that using visual content on Twitter makes a big difference and increases the chances of your tweet getting spread through the Twittersphere.

Nestivity reported that 76% of tweets with a photo and 18% of tweets with a video attached were shared. Another study conducted by Buddy Media (2013) showed that tweets that have links to images have double the engagement of tweets with only text. It’s easy to add a photo to a tweet. All you have to do is click the symbol of the camera that is located in the lower left hand side of the Tweet box and upload your image. Although you can only post one image per tweet, the file size of your image can be up to 3MB.

Videos are just as easy to add to a tweet. Twitter is compatible with YouTube and Vimeo so you can choose a video you want to share and add it to your tweet.  There is also another option to use to post videos on Twitter. Vine is a mobile app that allows users to create and share 6 second videos on Twitter. Even though Vine is a separate network, it integrates with Twitter. Businesses and brands can use this app to increase engagement on Twitter. Steel (2013) states, “Whether it be photo, infographic or video, people prefer to see their information displayed visually and are more likely to reply or retweet a video than dig through a mountain of text. This app can be used by businesses to create short videos that engage viewers visually and wet their appetites for more. It could also be a great way to share information about promotions and sales. By using a video, rather than just text, companies can increase engagement that could lead to sales.

Why should brands have a presence on Twitter?

Twitter is a unique social platform since its message is so short. It’s a great channel to give the target audience small bits of information to keep them interested and wanting to learn more. According to Brito (2009), Twitter can be used by brands to create conversation, build brand awareness, and inform followers. Twitter has another unique feature. According to Bornstein (2013), “Twitter is the fastest viral content.". The potential to have someone share your tweet with all their followers is great. Tweets that are shared have the ability to reach a huge audience, which makes Twitter an important platform for brands and businesses to use. Furthermore, a study by Compete shows that people on Twitter follow six or more different brands to receive information on discounts, promotions, upcoming events, sales, free items, and to gain access to content.  Twitter is a great platform to use to interact with followers and build your brand so find your target audience and start tweeting!

IMC Success!

Successful brands have an IMC plan that includes social media. Successful marketing strategies include maintaining consistent messages and imagery across all channels. I have chosen three of my favorite brands and analyzed their social media sites.

Disney does take an IMC approach by maintaining a consistent message on all of their social media sites. Their voice and content are the same. The images and colors are consistent on all of the channels as are the logos.  Disney does keep their content up-to-date on their sties. Hashtags are used regularly on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. On Twitter and Instagram, they post new content practically everyday and sometimes twice a day, as is the case on Facebook. They post less frequently on Google+ but at least once every few days. They have a variety of Pinterest boards on different Disney themes including many of the different Disney characters and movies. There are social media buttons on Google+ to drive traffic to their other channels. Some of the links on their Twitter account lead to Instagram. They do have links to images and videos on Twitter to increase engagement. Disney does really use great images on all of their sties that really capture the brand image and attention of their followers and fans. Disney has always been associated with making dreams come true and providing magical experiences and that persona is present on all of their sites.

Walmart is another company that takes an IMC approach. They have a consistent message on all their sites. Their voice and tone is carried through the different social media channels as is their imagery, colors, and fonts. Their content is very current. They post new content on Facebook at least three times a day, and their content varies from specials on products to pet photo contests. They tweet at least three times a day. Walmart also posts content regularly on Google+ and Instagram. They have many different boards on Pinterest from recipes to wedding rings. They use hashtags regularly on Twitter, Facebook, and on Google+. Walmart includes its moto “Save Money

Live Better” on all its sites. They maintain their brand personality across all their channels. They have great images. On Facebook and Google+, they drive traffic to their website, which has links to their other social channels.

Amazon also has an IMC approach. They present a unified campaign on all their social media sites by maintaining a consistent voice, tone, and imagery. Amazon’s content on Facebook is current, and they post at least once a day if not more. They don’t tweet everyday. Their content on Instagram has not been updated since August. They only have five photos for August so they don’t have a huge presence on Instagram. The last time they posted new content on Google+ was on September 7, and they don’t post very frequently. Amazon does have many different boards with a variety of topics on Pinterest that range from furniture to food. Amazon does use hashtags frequently on Twitter, Pinterst, and Facebook. Amazon drives traffic to their website from Facebook and Twitter.