If the UK alone boasts over 40 million Facebook users, and that number soars over 300 million across Europe, then it’s safe to assume that your customers are very digitally-savvy creatures. They enjoy spending time in a social ecosystem offered by the networks we use every day, and businesses can no longer afford not to be present on said networks, but even more importantly, active and engaged. Only engaged brands can attract and inspire engaged customers. With that in mind, are you doing your finest in this aspect of your business to get those happiness points through the roof?
Before we move any further, it’s key to note that there is no cookie-cutter social solution that fits every brand and its customer base. You are a unique business entity, and the social realm expects you to behave like one – with authenticity in mind. However, certain ground rules that open up worlds of creativity and exploration also apply to these digital social circles. Here are a few of those rules of thumb you can use to increase those engagement rates, and expand your social impact online.
The social learning curve of each platform
With the exception of Labradoodles and bunnies, which can appear anywhere on social media (and beyond) without any justification, each one of your posts needs to make perfect sense. As a business entity, you need to have a structured approach towards posting on different platforms, while taking into account your audience’s preferences, time of visit, and communication styles. If your target customers are old-school business owners, you will likely waste your time haphazardly posting curious bits of wisdom on Twitter.Likewise, if your target audience are members of the GenZ, you’ll want to be active and innovative with your posts on Instagram. For them, however, Facebook is “for old people”. These trends change and evolve together with these generations, and their usage varies from industry to industry, hence the need to adapt and learn. Searching for the right people in the wrong place can only yield to digital crickets as the result of your efforts, so make data-driven decisions and adapt with the times.
Mastering the art of content creation
Content is not just king. Content is the supreme overlord of all things digital, and social media is no different. Not even the aforementioned Labradoodles can save you from the shame of posting subpar content with outdated information, useless tips, and images that are out of focus. The modern age requires brands to be exceptionally creative and smart with all of their content formats, especially if they want to engage their customers.
Experts in the field such as the OMG SEO services in Singapore focus on creating strategies that allow brands to consistently publish quality content that provides value for their audience. No value? No engagement. Social media content is the lifeline that inspires emotion, a channel that lets you ask and answer relevant questions, and invite others to join relevant conversations. Content means learning to speak with your audience, not at them. Brands that have started treating content as a two-way street have become leaders in their industry, and their customers are the happiest, most loyal and engaged of all.
Let your users create your brand
While we’re on the subject of loyal customers, it’s important to remember that they’re still human. And one essential segment of being human includes caring about things if they pertain to us. Since it’s your brand’s purpose to solve a problem or make its audience’s existence easier, you need to make your social media presence is about your customers, not about you. A perfect way to achieve just that is to invite each customer to share their story of interacting with your brand.It can be a video of using your product, an image of them with your product while they’re traveling, or a contest that invites them to post something unique, creative, and quirky. User-generated content on social media gives you far greater exposure to new audiences, and it allows your existing customers to feel valued, and to feel like they are creating your brand together with you.
Expanding your influence
In addition to encouraging users to generate content, the social media world has become riddled with another special digital species – influencers. A study conducted by Ogilvy pointed out that 74% of customers turn to social when deciding whether or not to buy something. The digital world has become our online word of mouth, and as such, it allows us to share our experiences and make sure we trust the right brands.
Enter: the famous influencers. People that have a vast reach and a massive following naturally engage with their audience. If they give your brand a thumbs up, you can rest assured their followers (hundreds, if not thousands of them) will sneak a peek at what you have to offer. Some will indeed make a purchase. Others will follow you and stay curious. By making that particular influencer happy, you’ve managed to make others in their social circle happy, so why not use this handy relationship to give your brand a fresh voice?
Video is the new must-have
It’s no coincidence that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat all have the very same feature of posing videos, stories, and live-streams. Is it at all strange then that we watch about 5 billion videos on YouTube every day? After all, that’s why we’re there – to be entertained, intrigued, educated, and inspired. Giving your brand a human face and a voice (or several of them when you film your entire crew of employees) gives your audience something more to relate to.Once again, we go back to content, this time from the perspective of diversification. Use this rising trend of publishing video to appeal to your audience. The content of your videos will depend solely on your customers, your imagination, and of course, your budget. The more versatile and authentic you are in your videos when you present your brand, the greater your chances are of inspiring engagement and emotion. Be the labradoodle everyone wants to watch every day on their newsfeed.
Everything above can be summed up into letting your creativity run wild and free, while you utilize all these handy trends that enable you to connect to your audience. Get better at social with these tips, and you’ll give your brand a chance to make your customers happy and engaged.
