Although each social media platform has the same basic goal of allowing users to create their own content, their methods are unique. For example, short news bites are found on Twitter while long stories of friends and family can be seen on Facebook. Then videos with a five-act story are thriving on YouTube while quick 30 second clips are best for Tiktok. Understanding these social network differences is essential for any organization looking to build brand loyalty and grow their followers.
One such company looking to grow is Coded Minds, an early-education center looking to teach the importance of learning through play. They are currently on 7 different social media platforms but navigating each one has proven to be tricky. In this article, we’ll review their existing social media and find areas of opportunity.
What is Coded Minds?
Founded in 2018 by Nik Zetouni, an award-winning science and biology teacher, Coded Minds aims to inspire children and educate them in “iSTEAM” (Innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics). The company offers before and after school programs, clubs, summer camps, and online learning. In addition, Coded Minds has formulated a unique curriculum that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration through play.
Current Social Media
Coded Minds understands the importance of spreading their message through social media. They are currently active on the most popular social media networks, including a YouTube channel, blog, and podcast. For each social media channel, Coded Minds has taken the time to create comprehensive user profiles with consistent brand logos and company statements. The owner, Zetouni, is very energetic in the podcasts and YouTube videos, and his passion shines through. Zetouni and his team post consistently and at regular intervals.
The chart below shows Coded Minds’s social media networks, the number of followers, and how often they post.
| Site | Profile Name | Followers | Activity | Types of Posts |
| @CodedMindsCanada | 1,421 | 1-2x day | photos/videos | |
| CodedMindsCanada | 164 | 1-2x day | photos/videos | |
| @CodedMind | 2,522 | 1-2x day | photos/videos | |
| Linked In | Coded Minds | 75 | 5x/week | videos/links to blog |
| YouTube | Coded Minds Canada | 37 | 1x/week | videos |
| Blogger | Coded Talks Canada | 4-28 video views | 1x/week | Long-form articles |
| Spotify/Podcast | Coded Talks | NA | 2x/month | Educator focused 30 min radio |
After reviewing Coded Minds’ social media posts, it is apparent that the same content is posted to all platforms without regard to the various audience and platform styles. Additionally, the number of video views and followers is low. With all of the channels Coded Minds is on, their efforts are spread too thin. To help increase engagement and build brand loyalty, there are two areas of social media best practices Coded Minds can follow:
First, tailor the content for each social media platform. According to social media expert Gary Vaynerchuck, “Content is King, but context is God.” In other words, coded Minds would benefit by creating specific content formulated for each social network.
One recommendation area is to focus only on two social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. The reason for these two platforms is because Coded Minds currently has the most followers there and Facebook and Twitter have the most reach. According to Social Media Today, Facebook has 2.7 Billion active users globally, and Twitter has 353 MM. Also, the core age range for the Coded Minds audience falls into Facebook and Twitter primary age range of 25-55 years old.
Limiting the social media platforms Coded Minds posts on will help them channel their energy into elevating these two major networks. Once Facebook and Twitter are well established with a solid audience following, other social networks can be revisited and potentially used again.
Coded Minds’s second area of opportunity is to create consistent messaging explicitly tailored to one audience. Currently, Coded Minds posts speak to parents by promoting the programs offered, then posts with fun facts are geared towards kids. Finally, in-depth posts regarding early childhood education are written for educators.
To help Coded Minds create consistent messaging and help build loyal followers, posts need to be written for parents of young children. In addition, posts need to focus on the unique programming and the benefits to the children. ‘Edutainment’ posts that mix education with entertainment are a great way to showcase the main idea of Coded Minds.
The Competition
Code Ninjas has a very similar offering as Coded Minds, and their social media posts focus more on children learning in a fun way. Below is an example video that includes quick captions describing the class as well as kids creating all packaged in uplifting music.
Another example of an engaging post is one from Bright Champs. It mixes coding mathematics with baking chocolate chip cookies, which many parents and kids can relate to.
Addressing a Secondary Audience
While it is recommended that Coded Minds focus their social media efforts on Facebook and Twitter and speak to the parents, it is obvious that Coded Minds has a passion for helping educators as well. If resources are available, a secondary team should focus on the educator audience and continue to create Podcasts and YouTube videos but only to post this content on Linked In where it is best suited. LinkedIn was created for professionals looking to advance their careers. The audience of LinkedIn is looking to further their education and find areas of opportunity. Coded Mind’s post of “How To Speed Read” or interviews with researchers’ podcasts are perfect examples of content best suited for the LinkedIn audience.
Wrapping Up
The level of heart and dedication Coded Minds puts into teaching children is admirable. Their team puts this same energy into their social media efforts, however, with a new social media strategy and focus, they can go further. By centering on the primary audience of parents and posting a consistent message on only two platforms, Facebook and Twitter, Coded Minds will be able to grow their followers and build brand loyalty enabling them to further build their company.
References
Quesenberry, Keith A. (2021) Social Media Strategy. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Quesenberry, Keith. (2015) The Power of Storytelling in Social Media Marketing. Social Media Today. Retrieved from: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/2015-04-08/power-storytelling-social-media-marketing/
Lee, Kevan. The 15-Minute Social Media Audit Everyone Can Do. Buffer. Retrieved from: https://buffer.com/library/social-media-audit/
Vaynerchuk, Gary. 2016. Content is King, But Context is Good. Gary Vanerchuk. Retrieved from: https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/content-is-king-but-context-is-god
