Madison Vale

Evaluating Current Organic Social Media Performance

Polar Seltzer is a household name in the sparkling water market, known for its bold flavors and history spanning over 140 years. Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, the brand stands out for its commitment to creating beverages with natural ingredients and zero sugar, calories, or artificial sweeteners. What started as a local favorite has grown into a household name.

Being one of the oldest family owned seltzer companies out there, Polar Seltzer has carved out a unique space in the market. However, their social media performance shows some less consistent results. Through using the analytics provided by Sprout Social, we can see that engagement rates are stronger for posts that showcase their drinks through creative and/or themed posts.

On the flip side, content that showcases less specific graphics or inconsistent imagery tends to see lower engagement. Additionally, there appears to be inconsistency when it comes to posting frequency – having only posted 25 times over the last year. Overall, affecting follower retention and overall reach.

Some Key Trends and Insights

1. Higher Engagement on Fun Content: Posts that incorporate storytelling or evoke a sense of fun consistently outperform straightforward promotional posts.
2. User-Generated Content (UGC): Followers often share the ways they enjoy Polar Seltzer, but the brand could better amplify these voices.
3. Inconsistent Posting Schedule: There are some considerable graps in content publishing that are likely limiting audience growth and engagement.
4. Video Content Potential: While Polar Seltzer has experimented with some video content such as motion graphic videos, there’s definitely room to expand with more engaging formats like short-form videos.

Proposed Organic Social Media Strategy

1. Encourage Storytelling: Develop a content series featuring real-life stories about how people incorporate Polar Seltzer into their daily routines. From day to day activities to creative cocktail recipes, these are posts that will help make their brand feel more human and relatable.
2. Increase Posting Consistency: Aim for a consistent posting schedule (three to five times per week) to keep audiences engaged. Through posting more frequently and regularly, Polar is sure to expand their reach and encourage interaction on posts.
3. Leverage UGC: Actively encourage followers to share photos and videos using a branded hashtag, and regularly feature this content.
4. Incorporate Short-Form Video: Create playful, visually appealing content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts to capture attention and boost engagement.
5. Lean into Seasonal Campaigns: Develop thematic content around key seasons or holidays, such as summer refreshers or winter mocktails.

Justifications for Recommendations

• Storytelling Boosts Engagement: According to recent analytics, storytelling posts see a higher engagement rate compared to standard product announcements. According to Sprout Social, playing towards audiences preferences will make you more favorable for the algorithm.
• Consistency Matters: Brand that maintain a regular posting schedule have a better chance at organically growing their overall reach and audience retention.
• UGC Builds Community: Featuring user-generated content not only increases engagement but also fosters a sense of brand loyalty.
• Short-Form Video Wins: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are prioritizing video content, and brands leveraging these formats report significant increases in organic reach.

As covered by Olivier Blanchard in Social Media ROI, “Having a ‘presence’ in social media is worthless unless you do something with it.” The next step that Polar needs to take is towards optimizing their social media usage, because just being there is simply not enough anymore. By implementing these strategies, Polar Seltzer can better connect with its audience, foster engagement, and drive meaningful growth on social media.