Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Use Social Media to Test Product Names
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and saw a brand I follow asking their audience to pick between two names for a new protein bar. And I thought, that's actually a pretty clever move — but is it as straightforward as it looks? Luna: You mean like testing product names directly on social? I've seen that too. But I bet there's more to it than just posting a poll and counting votes. Lucas: Exactly. On the surface, it seems like a cheap, fast way to get customer input. But there are a few layers — what you're really testing, how the algorithm skews your sample, and what to do when the crowd picks something that feels wrong to you. Luna: Let's start with the basics. What are brands actually doing? I mean, besides the obvious poll sticker. Lucas: Right. So there's the explicit route — Instagram polls, Twitter polls, even LinkedIn polls if your audience skews professional. But there's also the more subtle route: dropping two potential names into a post or a story and watching which one gets more saves, shares, and positive comment sentiment. Luna: So you're saying even without a formal poll, the engagement metrics can tell you something. Lucas: Yeah. And some brands go private — they have a dedicated community, like a Discord server or a Facebook group, where they can have a more focused conversation. That's often where you get richer feedback, not just a binary vote but actual discussion about connotations and vibes. Luna: I remember Glossier did something like that with their early products. They were really good at making their community feel like part of the process. Lucas: Exactly. Glossier built its whole brand on co-creation. They've used their social channels and private groups to test everything from shades of makeup to product names. And it works because their audience is deeply engaged and feels a sense of ownership. Luna: But that's a brand with a massive following. What about a smaller company? Is there a realistic way to do this without a million fans? Lucas: Totally. In fact, smaller can be better because your audience is more niche and more representative of your actual buyers. I've seen a local coffee roaster do this — they put two potential names for a new blend in their newsletter and on their Instagram story, and the response was surprisingly strong. Luna: That's a nice example. So what did they learn from it? Lucas: Well, the newsletter responses were more considered — people wrote back with whole paragraphs. The Instagram poll was quicker but shallower. And interestingly, the two channels picked different winners. That's a red flag — it tells you that your audience isn't a monolith, and you need to dig deeper. Luna: So which one do you trust? The engaged few or the quick many? Lucas: That's the million-dollar question. The key is to look at the why behind the votes, not just the tally. If a name wins in a poll but the comments reveal that people are picking it for the wrong reason — like it's funny but not serious — you might want to reconsider. Luna: And on the flip side, a name that loses the poll but has a really passionate minority behind it — that could be your niche indicator, right? Lucas: Exactly. Look, one thing we've learned from prior episodes is that the loudest voices on social aren't always your target market. You have to be careful about the vocal minority. Luna: Before we go deeper, I have to say — if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own work, that's the kind of thing that keeps this show going. If today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, no pressure, but that's a nice way to say thanks if you're feeling generous. Anyway — back to the algorithm. Because here's the thing: the way Instagram and TikTok serve content can really skew your results. Luna: Oh, interesting. How so? Lucas: So, polls tend to get higher engagement, which means the algorithm pushes them to more people. That sounds good, but those extra people might not be your target audience — they're just people who like clicking things. So your poll could end up reflecting the broader internet's taste, not your customer's. Luna: So you're saying the numbers might be inflated by curiosity seekers. Lucas: Exactly. That's why some brands limit their polls to stories, which are more likely to be seen by your actual followers, rather than a public feed post that can get distributed to random people. Luna: What about TikTok? I feel like that's a different beast entirely. Lucas: TikTok is trickier because the For You page can blow up a video with a poll, and suddenly you have comments from people who have never heard of you. But that can also be useful if you're testing broad appeal — just be aware of what you're actually measuring. Luna: So it's about matching the method to the question you're asking. Lucas: Right. If you want to know what your loyal customers think, go to your most engaged platforms — email, private community, maybe even direct messages. If you want to test mainstream appeal, a public poll on TikTok might be fine, but then you have to filter out the noise. Luna: And then there's the legal side. You can't just pick a name that everyone loves if it's already trademarked. Lucas: That's a critical point. Social media testing can give you a false sense of confidence. You might fall in love with a name that scores great in a poll, only to find out it's already taken or too similar to an existing brand. So you always want to run a preliminary trademark search before you even go public. Luna: Yeah, that's a real buzzkill but a necessary one. Lucas: And even if the name clears legal, there's the risk of a vocal minority hijacking the conversation. I've seen cases where a small but loud group on Twitter made a name seem toxic, when in reality, the broader audience didn't care at all. Luna: So how do you tell the difference between a genuine problem and just a loud few? Lucas: Look at the numbers. If you get three negative comments in a sea of two hundred positive ones, that's not a trend. But if those comments are getting a lot of engagement — likes, replies, shares — then you might have a real issue. And also consider the source: are these people actually your customers, or just drive-by commenters? Luna: That's a good heuristic. So let's talk about when to trust your gut over the data. Lucas: That's the final layer. Sometimes you have a strong brand instinct about a name — maybe it's a founder's vision or a strategic angle that the crowd can't see. In those cases, you can use social media testing as a sanity check, not a decider. Luna: But if the feedback is overwhelmingly negative, you'd have to be pretty stubborn to ignore it. Lucas: Absolutely. The best approach is to look for patterns. If multiple channels and multiple formats point the same way, that's a strong signal. If they conflict, that's a sign that you need to do more research — maybe a focus group or a more in-depth survey. Luna: So, what's a concrete framework someone could use next week? Lucas: Okay, here's a simple one. Step one: shortlist two to three names that are legally available. Step two: set up a poll on Instagram stories and one on Twitter, and also post a question in your community group. Step three: look at the distribution of votes, but more importantly, read every comment and DM. Step four: weigh the sentiment against your brand strategy. And step five: if the data is clear, go with it. If it's muddled, dig deeper. Luna: That's practical. And I'd add one thing: make sure you're not just testing the name in isolation. Test it in a sentence, or with a mockup of the product, because context changes everything. Lucas: Great point. A name that sounds great in a poll might fall flat when you see it on a package or hear it in a commercial. So always test in context. Luna: So, to wrap up, social media can be a really powerful tool for name testing, but it's not a magic bullet. Lucas: Yeah, it's one input among many. The key is to design your tests thoughtfully, watch out for algorithmic and vocal-minority biases, and keep your brand instincts in the driver's seat. Luna: And remember, the name is just the beginning. Once you launch, the real conversation starts. Lucas: That's a good place to leave it. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.