It’s Time for an Audit

In the cutthroat world of today, there is competition everywhere, whether you recognize it or not. Individuals are looking for those who are at the top, and expect quick results, responses, and attention. If that can’t match the speed of a 2021 lifestyle, then assume you have been forgotten about.

This is incredibly apparent in the business industry where consumers are becoming more involved with a company’s products, and also hold a higher power of influence. They can directly contact a business for inquiries through social media, and will then share their experiences with others on their social media. One influential person with a negative experience can wreak havoc on a company’s reputation.

However, the opposite is also true. Positive interactions can significantly boost the organization and create unintended (but very welcome) advertising. Someone will always remember a company tweeting them back, or replying to their Facebook comment. Both Aer Lingus and Chase were very quick to respond on Twitter when I DM’d them. And then, of course, there are replies like these that I will never forget:

BN, I hope you’re doing well in life

A well-constructed social media strategy looks at not only the company’s engagement, but the competitor’s as well. If your rivals are more engaged, have quicker response times, and create more enticing content, people are going to spend more time on their social media and not yours.

I decided to do a social media audit on Panasonic Lumix because my mirrorless camera is a Lumix G85. DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are very competitive, so I was curious as to how Lumix compared.

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Instagram

URL: https://www.instagram.com/lumix Username: @Lumix Follower Count: 182k Average Posts Per Week: 6 Types of Posts: Photos, IGTV reels Common Hashtags: #LUMIX #Lumix[nameofcameraorlens] #Panasonic #photooftheday #mirrorlesscamera, etc.

Instagram is the obvious choice for a company that sells cameras, and they do a decent job of it. Many of their posts are showcasing incredible shots from the Lumix community. I think it’s especially helpful that they add the camera, lens, and settings because that is the first thing people will ask for. The captions for those are nice and simple, since the point of an Instagram post is the picture and not a big paragraph of text. Other posts are a little wordy, like the announcement shown above.

Lumix also utilizes IGTV reels to show mini videos and the stories of photographers and filmmakers as they use Lumix equipment. Information is also organized in the highlight reels in their bio, making everything organized.

Verdict: Instagram is a must-have for Lumix. Keep!

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Facebook

URL: https://www.facebook.com/Lumix Username: @Lumix Follower Count: 121k Average Posts Per Week: 5 Types of Posts: Links to live streams, showcasing Common Hashtags: Lacks consistency- #WhereLumixGoes, #LUMIXmoment

Their Facebook following is the second largest of all their social media. Like Instagram, they showcase images taken by the Lumix community, but they are different than the ones posted on Instagram. These carry more of a story behind them and sometimes include pop culture references to appeal to a greater audience (Star Wars is always relevant).

Their posts about upcoming releases or live streams could use some work, however. This is mostly due to a lack of responsiveness to people’s questions in the comments. They respond once in a great while but it is not consistent enough to garner a positive reputation. Especially on Facebook, where there are many groups (like the one I’m in) where camera owners come together to discuss tips, ask questions or share ideas.

Verdict: Keep and work on responding to the community.

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YouTube

URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFkrRfEBX7hsyUFToqN_9hQ Username: LUMIX Cameras Follower Count: 17k Average Posts Per Week: 2 Types of Posts: Livestream Q&A about products or industry experts, overview of specific cameras and lenses Common Hashtags: N/A

Another obvious social media account for a camera company would be YouTube. Lumix has a wide variety of videos, from live-streaming to informational videos to sharing the stories of creators. One of the biggest things a camera owner will probably look up on youtube is how their camera works, or a general overview.

Verdict: Absolutely keep! Continue to grow with contest entries perhaps? More community engagement.

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Twitter

URL: https://twitter.com/LumixUSA Username: @LumixUSA Follower Count: 16.9k Average Posts Per Week: 3 Types of Posts: Photos, occasionally photos with links Common Hashtags: #WhereLumixGoes

I’m a bit disappointed in their Twitter account. It seems like a regurgitation of their Facebook. Very poor engagement, with an average of 1 person responding to the tweet. However, I did check Canon and Nikon for comparison's sake and they are in the same boat as well. This is more of a universal problem I believe. How does one get people to retweet or like? What kind of posts do they have to be?

Verdict: Needs overhaul and separation from Facebook account.

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Pinterest

URL: https://www.pinterest.com/lumix/_saved/ Username: @lumix Follower Count: 8.3k Average Posts Per Week: Unclear Types of Posts: Photos and links, but really random Common Hashtags: N/A

This has left me baffled. A Pinterest account is a great idea because people will pin beautiful photos (at least I do) and look for cheat sheets, or even how-to infographics. Lumix’s Pinterest, however, is a really random mish-mash of boards, some having nothing to do with cameras or equipment (i.e. Awkward photos???)

I checked out Canon and they have slightly more followers, but their Pinterest is set up like a shop. I’m not sure what the data is on how many hits they get per pin or the flow of traffic to the account. Is there a difference between the classic board set-up, or do people want a shop? Further research will be required before making a decision.

Verdict: Reassess after research/data, or just scrap it.