What were over 100 million people woldwide doing on Wednesday afternoon? How did that number turn into an extimated 300 million in less than an hour? White smoke.
The election of a new Pope has followed the same process for hundreds and hundreds of years. And for as long as the process has followed the traditon of sending out black smoke for no new pope and white smoke for a new pope, people have been riveted.
The white smoke is a signal of success, but it's not the whole story. It's the hook. The next question everyone wants answered is, "Who is the new Pope?" so they go looking for more information. That's what you want consumers to do with your brand.
When CNN reported online and the Catholic faithful reported via Twitter that white smoke had billowed out of the chimney at the Vatican, signifying a new Pope was succesfully elected - everyone wanted to answer the next question: "Who?" That's when social media activity tripled.
For your next social media take a lesson from the Vatican. Don't give them the whole story, leave an improtant question lingering, but give them a good hook. What's your white smoke?