An efficient social media advertising technique is all about entertaining and informing your clients whereas sustaining a particular, relatable “vibe.” And lately, few are low-key vibing fairly as onerous as Duolingo’s adored, sassy-meets-snarky mascot, Duo the Owl.
Should you grew up associating overseas language lessons with rote recitation and boring textbooks, let’s simply say that’s not how Duo rolls.
Within the app, Duo acts as a cute, pleasant, encouraging assist who helpfully guides college students by means of their overseas language classes. On TikTok, nonetheless, Duo takes on a extra ironic, outlandish, and typically even downright unusual persona, typically playfully riffing on his in-app position.
As for Duo himself, he prefers a extra modest self-description — “simply an owl tryna vibe,” based on his TikTok bio.
Video Supply: Duolingo TikTok
“The best way I give it some thought … Duo is that pushy pal [who] motivates you,” one member of the corporate’s social media workforce advised Digiday in 2021. “However we by no means need Duo to be that pushy pal [who] makes you hate your existence. He desires you to do effectively and can at all times be up in your enterprise.”
Notably, the owl appears to encourage loads of clients to stand up in Duolingo’s enterprise too. For the reason that TikTok account launched in February 2021, the owl’s following has soared to greater than 12 million, racking up greater than 1 / 4 billion “likes” in engagement. Not unhealthy, proper?
However what precisely accounts for Duo’s social media success? And, maybe much more importantly, does it actually matter to Duolingo’s backside line?
Study what makes Duolingo’s social media marketing campaign so partaking with customers and the way different manufacturers within the market might apply these classes to their very own accounts.
Why Does Duo the Owl Work So Properly?
Duo works effectively as a result of he displays leisure worth, is aware of tendencies, and “retains it actual.”
He Values Leisure Over Promoting
Take into consideration your personal experiences on these platforms, particularly previous interactions with manufacturers. Which of them stand out, in your thoughts, as essentially the most memorable?
Should you’re like most folk, you most likely aren’t reminiscing a couple of Fb submit with easy particulars a couple of sale or coupon code. As an alternative, you’re doubtless recalling the time a model did one thing surprising, hilarious, or awe-inspiring that immediately grabbed your consideration.
You don’t need individuals visiting your social channels to really feel like they only walked right into a pushy, unscrupulous automotive lot. As an alternative, you need to make them really feel comfy and at residence like they’re about to sit down down to look at one among their favourite reveals on TV.
Now, this isn’t to say you can’t point out upcoming gross sales on social media — removed from it. Simply be sure that your clients are visiting your web page to have a great time and aren’t encountering a stale, lifeless expertise after they arrive.
Clients don’t want to complete your complete shopping for journey in only one step. Somewhat, every submit presents a person contact level that, when finished effectively, can construct the belief that results in buy.
He Speaks Knowledgeably About Tendencies
Whether or not it is the information of the day, superstar gossip, or the newest trending subject, your clients are speaking about it on-line. So why not be a part of within the enjoyable?
Bear in mind: Social media is all about having conversations along with your clients — full cease. The easiest way to get their consideration is by offering a novel tackle one thing that’s already attracted their curiosity.
With that being stated, stay cautious of weighing in on one thing if the second has already handed. Leveraging tendencies ought to make your model look agile and responsive — not like a boring bandwagoner.
He ‘Retains It Actual’
On the web, readers can odor inauthenticity from a mile away. This isn’t the time to be boring — however don’t fake to be one thing you aren’t both.
Duo staked a declare for itself by exhibiting a playful, cheeky model character, thanks largely to Duolingo’s social workforce having the braveness — and freedom — to make errors, experiment, and perhaps get it flawed from time to time.
Audiences aren’t solely forgiving of that strategy — they find it irresistible.
The Significance of an Efficient Social Media Advertising Technique
Should you’re questioning why a model may expend assets, time, and vitality simply to create a humorous TikTok video or viral Instagram submit, there’s a great likelihood you may not totally comprehend the potential of those platforms — not less than in a advertising context.
There’s a motive entrepreneurs say they make use of social media advertising technique greater than every other channel. Think about these factors.
Affect on Buy Choices
The obvious draw? Social channels have been proven to constantly drive not solely model discovery but in addition clients’ buying choices. In keeping with Influencer Advertising Hub, practically three out of 4 world web customers report trying to find model data on social platforms.
A Retail Touchpoints research discovered that 76% of customers have bought a product after seeing it on social media.
Excessive Consumer Engagement
Globally, the common person spends about 2.5 hours every day on social media, says Statista, with a lot of that point spent on cell units. And with greater than 5 billion social media customers worldwide, based on one other Statista report, your potential viewers is about as huge as it could actually get. Benefit from it.
Price Efficacy
In keeping with Hubspot’s newest advertising business tendencies report, out of all advertising channels, social media drives the very best return on funding — and it’s exhibiting no indicators of slowing down as clients’ favourite social media manufacturers more and more evolve into frictionless ecommerce platforms.
It’s additionally price noting that the identical Hubspot research notes that short-form video “nonetheless presents the very best ROI and can see essentially the most progress of any advertising content material format in 2024.”
Important Gen Z, Millennial Enthusiasm
Should you’re seeking to promote to youthful audiences, a compelling social presence is an absolute must-have in your model. In distinction to their Gen X and child boomer counterparts, millennials and Gen Zers report that social media is definitely their most well-liked product discovery channel, based on Hubspot.
From Shares to Gross sales
Duo the Owl is an inspiring determine not solely to aspiring multilinguists but in addition social media strategists who acknowledge the worth of related, genuine content material on their channels.
Do not be afraid to experiment, take dangers, and most significantly, keep true to your model’s distinctive voice. You gained’t simply be “tryna vibe” — however pulling it off.