Relevance of Kaplan and Haenlein’s 10 Pieces of Advice in Today’s Social Media Marketing ~via Jiaen Tey (Student)
This post was brought to my attention by the tag to my post (The Importance of Brand Humility) included by Jiaen Tey. Nice to see my words, and thoughts, making a difference. /Ted
As a marketer, you might’ve come across Kaplan and Haenlein’s “10 pieces of advice” for social media published in the Business Horizons journal in 2010. If not or if you’re new to marketing, that’s okay as this blog will be touching on the advice and discussing the relevance of it in today’s marketing.
Despite the “10 pieces of advice” being published 15 years ago, it still serves as a guide for businesses or individuals to navigate and engage with their audiences on social media effectively.
One of the advice is “Be Interesting”. According to an article by Joshi in 2024 on Forbes, a global media brand, brands need to create engaging content on social media to increase brand awareness and engagement. An example is Spotify, a music streaming app, and its annual “Spotify Wrapped” campaign.
“Spotify Wrapped” is a campaign that users of Spotify look forward to every year. It tracks users’ listening data, delivering personalised insights in a fun and engaging way at the end of the year. It features video messages from top artists and analyses how users’ music tastes changed over the years.
With “Spotify Wrapped” presented in a way that enables easy sharing on social media, users are encouraged to share their wrapped on social media, increasing Spotify’s brand presence on social media organically through users’ engagement and hence, creating a trend. Linking back to Kaplan and Haenlein’s advice of “be interesting”, “Spotify Wrapped” turns basic listening data into a unique experience, keeping users engaged and eagerly anticipating its release each year.
Another example of the relevance of Kaplan and Haenlein’s advice is shown by Grab, a Singapore ride-hailing and food delivery company. Through its #GrabForGood campaign, it reflects the principle of “be humble”. The initiative was set up to empower and contribute to the community in Southeast Asia by focusing on areas such as community care, education, and climate and disaster relief.
This initiative aligns with Kaplan and Haenlein’s “Be Humble” advice as it focuses on the community over self-promotion. According to a quote by Ted Rubin, a leading Social Marketing Strategist, on his website, “A humble brand prioritises building relationships over making immediate sales”, fostering a sense of value that encourages consumers to buy from the brand. By supporting the community, Grab showed its commitment to creating meaningful relationships, ultimately building loyalty among its consumers.
In conclusion, Kaplan and Haenlein’s “10 Pieces of Advice” remains relevant in today’s marketing landscape. If you’re still feeling lost and need a guide for your social media marketing strategy, you can refer to Kaplan and Haenlein’s advice for insights!
