Cluttered. Disorganized. Juvenile. Wrong tone. Despite sounding like the description of a typical teenager, this is actually how many new clients describe the state of their social media channels. Hundreds and even thousands of people visit brands’ social media channels each month, so when it comes to modern marketing plans and budgets, social media strategy should not be kept on the back burner. By implementing even the simplest, on-brand social media strategy, even a minimal effort can do wonders. Here’s why:
Visibility
Social media shows consumers who you really are and this visibility influences their opinion of your business. In fact, many people turn to social media first, even ahead of the news or even Google to determine whether or not they’d like to engage with your brand. Perhaps the most fruitful aspect of social media is the brand discovery. Social media allows brands to speak for themselves, literally, and tell their own story before others get a chance to, attracting like-minded consumers and even future business partners. Leveraging social media to tell your story, while engaging with your followers, is a great differentiator amongst a crowded industry.
Having a sharp social presence is important for all industries but especially for those who rely heavily on visuals, such as Food & Beverage, Fashion, Interior Design, and Architecture.
Fast-paced solution
It’s difficult for brands to keep up with the fast-paced, dynamic world we live in–full of real-time messages, immediate responses, geo-targeted ads, and more. Creating a plan that allows your brand to capitalize on the right message at the right time in front of the right audience is game-changing.
By chiming in to relevant conversations, such as fun national holidays, trending hashtags and even sharing insight on donations to charities during tragic events, brands are able to get in on the conversation, take a stance and make their values known. With a thoughtful plan in place, brands can personify their business and become familiar, relatable and reliable to consumers.
Personality
Consumers expect brands to function as people. They want to see passion, humor, empathy, relatability. Social is THE place for brands to showcase emotion.
KFC’s Twitter account is a great example of showing humor, as the brand only follows accounts that tie into their famous “11 herbs and spices” tagline: five members of the Spice Girls and six guys named Herb. Who would have thought a fast food fried chicken restaurant chain could be so witty?
On a similar note, the Away luggage Instagram account strikes a note of adventure and endless possibility, speaking to wanderlusts directly–providing far more than just a carry on bag.
LUSH Cosmetics quite literally displays their promise of “fresh, handmade cosmetics,” by publishing their “How it’s made” series on YouTube. This is a great example of brand empathy – they know what matters to their customers, and they’re willing to pull back the curtain in the name of transparency.
The world of social media is ever-changing, fast-paced and unpredictable. As brands and marketers continue to navigate this space together, one constant remains the same: authenticity stands the test of time. Staying true to your brand identity in your social media strategy is crucial to attracting, and maintaining, followers and customers.