April Fool’s Gives Companies Another Way to Boost their Social Media
Did you get fooled on April 1st? Once a slightly obscure holiday that focused on practical jokes aimed at people you know, April Fool’s has now become a way for companies to boost their social media presence by poking fun at themselves. The goal? Getting people to repost the company’s “April Fool” and generate more social media buzz.
The University of Texas joined in on the fun yesterday, posting that a new mixed use development mall was going to be built around the UT tower. And judging from the comments to the post, some people were fooled—if only for a moment. But the audacious announcement (audacious anyway to all those who love burnt orange) was reposted and shared throughout the social media world.
Major brands also joined in the April Fool’s fun, creating ads for new, exciting products or services, such as T-Mobile Pets Unleashed featuring Tinder for cats, or a special BMW motor mouth guard. Companies are learning that if they want a strong social media presence, they have to create something that people are going to want to share—and that means taking a different look at their products and services, sometimes in an extreme way.
It’s all about creating buzz. And it’s also lots of fun for the people dreaming it up—and the people hitting “share.”
by Sara Rider
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