Is your small business capitalizing on the Throwback Thursday — aka #TBT — phenomenon? If not, it’s time to join in the race to post nostalgic content to reach out to and strike a chord with followers.
Throwback Thursday Ideas
If you’re unsure how to execute a Throwback Thursday strategy, help is here, with the following 10 best Throwback Thursday ideas small businesses are successfully using to celebrate #TBT in 2018.
Share an Event You Hosted a Long Time Ago
Okay, so if you’re a start-up this idea might not be applicable, but if your small business has been going for some time, use the #TBT trend to alert followers of your past events. If you have an image of a past event you are proud of, post the image — on a Thursday of course — with the #TBT hashtag and a brief description of the event.
Posting about past events can be an effective way to gauge interest in a forthcoming event you have by tying past and future events together.
Tweet Old Business Cards
Another popular way to celebrate Throwback Thursday is to post an image of your old business cards. For maximum effect, post the old business card alongside your current business card. This will provide some subtle but effective marketing getting your business in front of anyone searching the #TBT hashtag.
Jessica Borg, a reporter at KHOU, the CBS affiliate in Houston, does just this on Twitter.
Post Baby Photos of Yourself or Employees
No one can resist looking at baby photos of colleagues or, better still, their boss! Generate interest on your social media feeds by posting Throwback Thursday pictures of you or your colleagues as babies or kids. Garner even greater interest in the posts by asking people to guess who the youngster is.
Share Photos of Past Projects Representing Milestones
Show just how much your business has evolved and expanded over the years by posting a Throwback Thursday image of your first office or home office. It doesn’t need to be from a bygone era, as a #TBT post from several years ago can be just as effective.
The social media savvy building company Sundt Construction does just this by tweeting an image of an unused warehouse they converted into new administrative offices for Habitat for Humanities five years ago.
Repost Old Ads on #TBT
Posting old ads is an incredibly easy and effective way for small businesses to celebrate Throwback Thursday and promote their brand to followers and prospects. Posting old ads that highlight how products have changed or advanced, or how much prices have changed, can be a great way to create nostalgia amongst followers.
Interject Customers into Your #ThrowbackThursday Campaign
As Hootsuite notes, your customers are what it’s all about, “so celebrate them with a throwback to the customers of yesteryear.”
Post images of your customers’ former involvement with your brand, such as using your services or products in past decades and pointing out just how far your products or services have come since then.
Recall a Fun and Relevant Fact About Your Business
No matter how long your business has been going, it has a history. Capitalize on the Throwback Thursday craze by posting a fun fact about your business, such as how many employees you started out with, or what significant thing happened in the year your business was founded.
Starbucks Coffee makes good use of Throwback Thursday by posting about the good old days — for example when it first opened its first Seattle coffee shop 43 years ago.
Post About Your First Logo
How far has your business logo come over the years? Generate intrigue and interest in your brand by posting images of your first logo alongside a #TBT hashtag. Use the post to show how more stylized and sophisticated your brand has become.
Publish Content About Your First Award
Which year did your business win its first award? Showcase your former awards and just how successful your business has been over the years by celebrating Throwback Thursday with some of these posts.
Veritas Tech APJ does just this, posting a photo of their Geo of the Year Award achievement.
Run a #TBT Contest
Generate maximum social media exposure on a Thursday by running a #TBT contest. Encourage followers to participate in your Throwback Thursday promotion by posting their own #TBT content and giving a freebie or prize to the followers who post the best #Throwback Thursday content.
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