The morning of June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court made history when it ruled that same-sex marriage was legal across the country. And very quickly people could see an impact — at least on social media. Politicians, brands, and everyday social media users went online to share their opinions. Facebook and Twitter made it possible for people to celebrate the day’s news in a couple of easy ways.
On Twitter, using the hashtag #LoveWins produced a rainbow heart, making it easy for users to show their support for the ruling in a colorful way.
By 10:01 a.m., there were 12,000 tweets per minute using the hashtag, according to a report by Twitter Data. By 12:18 p.m., there were 36,000 tweets per minute using the hashtag.
On Facebook, 26 million people changed their profile photos to include an overlay of a rainbow flag, an article in the Washington Post says. Users could visit https://www.facebook.com/celebratepride to change their profile pictures.
Big names were part of the millions changing their profile pictures. Mark Zuckerberg changed his profile picture, unsurprisingly, and received more than 440,000 likes for it — a significant jump over his previous profile picture.
Some companies reacted by incorporating their brand into the big news of the day. Skittles took advantage of its colors to spell out its message.
What happened in June offers some lessons for social media professionals. For anyone managing a social media page, it’s important not to be blindsided by big news. Stay up to date with the news, especially on areas where your brand has a strong interest or opinion. A community manager can help your brand adapt to breaking news.
It’s important to be as prepared as possible because getting your message out early can help it gain traction and recognition. A positive message and a bit of creativity can go a long way. Being prepared could mean the difference between sharing a generic, uncreative message and one that helps tell your brand’s story in context of the news.
Besides, who knows how long it make a map of the U.S. out of graham crackers?
(Honey Maid’s post received 15,000 favorites, the most for any of their tweets in June — by a lot.)
For brands of any size, social media can be an easy place to turn to get out an important message. For example, Twitter can be great for advocacy. Don’t let an opportunity to share you or your brand’s heart pass you by.
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Hurrdat is a Lincoln, Neb. digital marketing agency specializing in social media and content marketing. The company was founded in 2010 and merged with B² Interactive of Omaha, Neb. in 2014 bringing even more digital marketing specialties to both firms’ clients. Together they provide a full range of social media, SEO, and website development services to both national brands and local clients. The companies employ more than 75 people in Nebraska and have won multiple awards for their business efforts, company culture, and clients’ campaigns.
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