Music. TV. Sports. Celebrities. Social Media. Ahhh the subcategories of pop culture. Arguably, these days pop culture comes directly from social media trends. And with so many trends coming and going, there’s no reason why your platform shouldn’t hop on one or two of them. Incorporating pop culture into your marketing strategy can keep your brand trendy, relevant, and in the know on everything deemed to be “cool.”
Engagement and Reach
Referencing pop culture on your social media platform works wonders when it comes to engagement and reach. Being involved in trending topics can bring more people to your platform since people are more likely to check out a post if it's about a topic they’re already interested in. The same goes with interaction. When accounts discuss something that interests people, it’s more likely to spark conversation among an audience! Users love when brands relate to them and their interests, so pop culture references are likely to gain the positive reactions you’re hoping for.
Target Audience
The pop culture that’s relevant can vary based on your target audience. For example, if your target audience is middle-aged adults, it wouldn’t be smart to reference a recent TV show made for teenagers. Diving in and analyzing what pop culture references grab the most attention is a great way to get to know your audience better. Keeping track of the things they enjoy and know a lot about can help strengthen your marketing strategy all around!
Soft Selling
Pop culture provides endless angles on how you can approach advertising your products or services. A soft sell is an advertisement that uses subtle persuasion. Posting about pop culture not only allows you to soft-sell but allows a more creative and unique approach to selling your brand that isn’t your typical advertisement. An example of this could be using an upcoming holiday to post content of people celebrating that holiday while using your products.
Examples of using Pop Culture
Here are a few ideas of how to do this!
- Recognizing and making a statement on big, newsworthy events.
- Collaborating with influencers.
- Use trendy internet memes from TikTok, Reels, or other platforms.
- Focus on trending audio, hashtags, and buzzwords.
- Referencing new TV shows and music.
Being the brand that knows what’s up truly can’t hurt ;), so start broadening your horizons on what is talked about on your platform, make valuable impressions on your customers, and liven up your brand!