According to Urbandictionary.com, “Throwback Thursday” is “when you put a picture from a ‘while’ ago on your social media sites.” It’s not a very elegant or complex definition but it’s not very confusing either.
If you’re not “throwing back” on Thursday, you’re missing out on a fun marketing opportunity. Just in case you thought it was pictures only, here’s a blurb from the Essex Cinemas, Essex, Vt., website that captures the essence of using Throwback Thursday in a fun, interesting and engaging way. Sure, they could just post pictures of old movie posters or movie stars from back in the day on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram but they’re taking it to a whole other level by making an event out of it and asking for participation via their online form. Well done, Essex Cinemas!
Make it an event
“Here at Essex Cinemas we are dedicated to bringing you the very best in new release movies using the latest technology. We also, like you, are real Movie Fans! We know that there are some movies that never die; classics of drama, comedy, adventure, terror or nostalgia that just beg to be seen again and again. We want to bring some of these movies back and show them to you the way they are meant to be seen, on the biggest screen in Vermont!
“On Throwback Thursdays at Essex Cinemas we will be bringing you the movies you want to see in the one and only T-Rex Theater! Plus we will have door prizes, which include free T-Rex movie theater tickets! See below for the next upcoming Throwback Thursdays Event and tell us what movie you would like to see via our online form.”
Images from public domain Wikimedia Commons and ©Shutterstock
Use hashtags
So how do you maximize Throwback Thursdays? First, you need to know that #throwbackthursday is the most important part of your tweet. Don’t believe me? Go to Twitter.com right now and type #throwbackthursday into the search bar. Everyone from Maria Shriver to the Lake Louise ski area to Simon and Schuster to Chevrolet to the Detroit Lions to Foot Locker to Jennifer Beals (from the movie Flashdance; you remember Flashdance, right?) show up in the results. That means virtually everyone is doing it!
Sure, pictures are a huge part of Throwback Thursdays but it doesn’t have to be old orthoses or prostheses. It could be pictures of your…
Staff, patients, offices, newspaper, claim forms (relevant information redacted of course), computers, uniforms, typewriters, telephones, cars, delivery vehicles…whatever. If you’re a vendor, you could add back in the day prices to the list of potential throwback content.
Elizabeth Mansfield
Remember, you don’t need to use Throwback Thursday only on Twitter; you can use it on your website or your Facebook page. You can even use it in your print advertising if you happen to advertise on Thursdays. It’s a fun, flexible trend that you can use lots of different ways.
Before you try it, here’s some sage advice from the Twittersphere… “You can’t hashtag a picture #throwbackthursday on a Monday; it doesn’t work that way!” You’ve been warned.
