Mini-Series: What 'Brooklyn Nine Nine' can teach us about Social Media

Brooklyn Nine Nine is all about a team of detectives who couldn’t be more different, but work together seamlessly to solve some of New York’s toughest cases. They’re faced with cases featuring recurring bad guys, stake outs that make and break their relationships, cruises and remote locations, and spectacular car chases just like Die Hard. But when they’re not out saving New York City, we’re led through the ever-dramatic and always comedic (yet often quite close to home) personal lives of each of the colleagues, as they learn about love, loss, prejudice, ambition, and the dangers of investing in pyramid schemes. 

Brooklyn Nine Nine is the sitcom of the century (oof, big call… ), and because of that, we’ve been watching reruns of it since it was released on Netflix a couple of years ago. It’s taken a comedic spin on how we view prejudice and other serious topics, has been commended by the way it’s portrayed the LGBTQ+ community, and has been acclaimed by critics for its cast, especially with Andy Samberg (Jake Peralta) and Andre Braugher (Raymond Holt).

Ultimately, the show beautifully exemplifies how a group of unsuspecting characters can work together to create a show that has now been airing for seven seasons over seven years. You could say it’s a great example of how when multiple things work together, it increases longevity, engagement, and people will watch it over and over again for years. 

We’re talking content. The things you post. How different types of posts all come together to create a story that people will love and follow for years to come. 

Below is a comparison of how each Brooklyn Nine Nine character would look if they were a social media post, and how you might want to use all of them, depending on the ‘story’ you’re telling on your social media feed! 

Jake Peralta - has a high rate of successful arrests and solved cases, in spite of his relaxed, carefree and (at times) childish attitude

Jake posts are your personal posts, the ones that really show who you are - your successes, your relaxed personality, your posts you post when everything that could go wrong, goes wrong. These posts are vital for sharing your personal brand, but also added a personality to your brand so that your audience can connect with you on a personal level. 

When to use: Often. People want to see you, see your face, see your highs and lows, and know that your Instagram isn’t just your highlight reel, but is also a place you can be honest and transparent too!

Example: Introduce yourself! Show what your family looks like, what you’re up to on the weekend. Share a post from someone else that you think is funny. Share an event or incident that happened to you recently, and how you responded to it (did you go shopping at Aldi where you didn’t pack your groceries quick enough, and you were left with a long line of Karens waiting for you to get out of the way after your transaction? Share it! Tell us all about it). Be real and tell us about a struggle that you’re dealing with, or a win you had this week. 

Rosa Diaz - apathetic, aggressive and stern

Rosa posts are posts that have urgency behind them. You need people to listen and you need people to listen now. They don’t always have to be as stern as Rosa is, but your followers know that when you post a Rosa post, it’s important because not only does it concern them, but there also is a follow-up task (or Call To Action) at the end of it. 

When to use: Sometimes. Unless your entire business is based on high-urgency events and needs, Rosa posts could stress your audience out if you post them too often. Keep them for when you’re having a flash sale, or a sale that is finishing soon, or if you’re launching something and people have the opportunity to get on a wait list or VIP list that lets people have early access. 

Example: “Our best selling earrings are going on sale tonight for 24 hours only!” 

“We’re launching our very first online course, and you can get it for half price if you’re on our VIP list - sign up here” 

“Ever wanted to know how to create 60 pieces of social media content in 60 min? We’re sharing all our secrets tonight at 6pm in our webinar - secure your spot here”

Terry Jeffords - a gentle giant and devoted family man who initially has a phobia of going back to active field police work for fear of being killed in the line of duty and leaving his children fatherless

Terry content is content that is all about your audience. Sharing Terry content gives your audience a sense of community, and makes them feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves. Terry content is also great because often it will look like asking your audience a question, or sharing feedback or ‘User Generated Content’ (images that your followers have taken with your product - essential content that your followers have made for you), which means it’s a lot less work for you to create. 

When to use: Sometimes. People loooooove seeing their photos on their favourite brand’s pages, and seeing their reviews on their favourite brand’s stories. Not only does it make them feel special and valued, it also makes them feel like they’re a part of an exclusive community, and it also subtly encourages them to post more about your brand and/or share your share of their post. That means more eyes on your brand! 

Example: “Check out how cool our earrings look on @AimeeDuroux!”

“Have you got an #overheardatMaccas story you want to share with us?”

“Post your photos of how you’ve styled our socks to be featured on our newsfeed!” 

Amy Santiago - nerdy, by-the-book but loveable

Amy posts are all about being educational. Whether it’s educational about your product or brand, or about your industry, informing people of something that you know lots about is exactly what Amy posts are for. Amy posts are important for establishing your expertise in an industry, and ensuring that when people think of minimalist living, holistic wellness, graphic design, or geology, you’re the first brand or person that they think of, because you’ve been posting all your Amy posts for so long!

When to use: Often. Amy posts may not get as much engagement as Jake or Terry posts, but they exist for more of a Brand Awareness purpose. People may not need your expertise just yet, but you’re there sharing it, so that when they’re ready, you’ll be front of mind (if you’ve attended one of our workshops, we talk about this in depth. You want to be the professional they call on when they’re ready, but to be that professional, you should be posting about what they need about 6 months prior). 

Example: “Did you know that fossils are created by…”

“Resumes are an essential part of the hiring process, but are you writing your resume in a way that makes you stand out? Here’s how to do it…”

“Exercise doesn’t have to be hard, in fact it should make your day better! Here’s why…” 

Charles Boyle - hard-working but timid

Charles posts are all about community support. In Brooklyn Nine Nine, Charles is the ultimate cheerleader, and often is the one that pushes his colleagues to do something they didn’t think they were ready for. Being on social media is not only about connecting with your followers, but also connecting with like-minded business owners, other people that are killing it in their industry (and yours!), and brands that work alongside you and compliment your business. Social media is all about community, and Charles posts are all about that. 

When to use: Sometimes. If one of your biz friends has released an online course, share it! If someone you meet over Instagram just launched their own business, share it! Sharing is free, talking about and lifting up other brands and businesses doesn’t cost you anything, but it means that more people are seeing their stuff. We’re all working towards making Instagram a community-centred place, so if we all posted some Charles posts more often, we could achieve that. 

Example: “Did you see K Rae Designs JUST released an illustrated journal?? How cool! Go and check it out!”

“We’re attending Elise Hodge’s Copywriting Blueprint course and it’s AMAZING! Will we see you there??”

“Joining The Founders Team has been the best thing for Gabbi J Digital and we would so recommend anyone who wants to level up their business to join!” 

Gina Linetti - sarcastic and dominating, who dislikes her job, plans her life around social media and focuses on dancing as a life goal. 

Gina posts are all about entertaining, memes, and humour (after all, Gina Linetti IS the human form of the 💯 emoji). These exist to connect with your audience on a more humorous level, share a joint appreciation for particular types of jokes and memes, and bring light to situations that might seem a bit heavy (we see you Covid). Gina posts are essential to break up all your sales and promotional posts, and your information-heavey posts.

When to use: Often - particularly on stories. Bonus points if you can edit a meme to make it relevant to your business! Sharing humorous posts will boost your engagement, but also people love sharing humorous posts, and we know that Zuck loves it when people share stuff! The more share you can get, the more people will see your posts - it’s a win win! 

Example: Here’s some meme’s we’ve adapted for our client Ze Pickle 

Captain Raymond Holt - overly serious, newly appointed captain of the precinct

Holt posts are those necessary, operational posts that communicate important information that needs to be shared with your audience. It’s not always fun (bonus points if it is!), but it’s the stuff you need to share that may affect purchasing processes, membership situations, or any overall operational stuff.

When to use: Rarely, but as often as necessary. You would have seen a ton of Holt posts with Covid rolling out - these posts direct followers to new purchasing websites, delivery and take away alternatives, and inform followers of new trading hours or (in the worst case scenario) if a business has had to temporarily or permanently shut their doors.

Example: “We’re now operating from 5pm-8pm, Mon-Fri for take away only! Here’s the link to get your take away feast”

“Our shipping time may take a little longer than usual at the moment :( Our current estimated wait time on products getting to you is approx.10 business days, so please think ahead!”

“Our website is currently down for maintenance, so if you were planning on placing an order this week, feel free to shoot us a DM!” 

Michael Hitchcock + Norm Scully - often seem incompetent, stupid and lazy, but have solved more cases over the years simply because they’re been on the job much longer. 

Hitchcock + Scully posts are all about doing the unexpected. Whilst Hitchcock and Scully seem to fly under the radar a bit in the shows, and only come out when there is food or an opportunity to take off their shirts, they sometimes throw a spanner in the works by solving a random case or revealing a clue that the other’s had missed because they think a little differently. Likewise, Hitchcock + Scully posts aren’t super common, but they’re the posts that you throw in to see how your audience responds. Tester posts, if you will.

When to use: Rarely, but as often as you want with discretion. You don’t want to constantly be trialing different types of posts, because you’ll confuse your audience. But, throwing a Hitchcock + Scully post in every now and then (maybe when Instagram drops a new feature, or if you see someone else’s content that you think might work for you) will help you identify what types of things your audience could respond to.

Example: Why not try IGTV. You might have hidden away from it for a while, but why not give it a go? If it doesn’t work, that’s fine! It’s a Hitchcock + Scully post

Trying different formats of Instagram stories or captions. You might find that your audience responds better to shorter captions, or stories that have lots of images rather than words. And if it doesn’t work, that’s fine! It’s a Hitchcock + Scully post.

Try throwing a Behind The Scenes timelapse video into your Instagram or Facebook feed. If this works, it would then become a Jake post (and we can never have enough Jake posts). And if it doesn’t work, that’s fine! It’s a Hitchcock + Scully post.

Maybe even try a new platform (that’s a whole Hitchcock + Scully move right there) to see if you can reach your ideal audience there. Have you looked into Pinterest? Should you move to LinkedIn? Have you ever considered Twitter or TikTok? If it doesn’t work, that’s fine! It’s a Hitchcock + Scully move. 

Remember: Some episodes feature Jake + Boyle heavily, with some Rosa + Amy in the background. Some episodes are all about Captain Holt + Gina, with some input from Scully + Hitchcock, and some episodes are all about the Halloween Heist, and it’s an all in with elements of every character throughout. Your social media strategy should include a range of character posts, and sometimes (during a launch, during a worldwide pandemic, during Christmas) you might rely on more of some posts rather than others, and that’s okay! They can all work together to achieve the purpose that you’ve set out to achieve.