Social media allows businesses to talk with their audience instead of just talking at them.
People use social media to connect with friends, share photos and videos, and read the news. The average person spends almost two hours each day on social media, according to Global Web Index. The average person spends almost two hours each day on social media, according to Global Web Index. Share on X
This affords brands a sizable window in which to find, reach, and deliver personalized experiences to their audience.
Companies that effectively engage their customers on social will see increased brand awareness, enhanced credibility, reduced advertising costs, and superior customer service.
1. Increase Brand Awareness
Social media is a low-cost way to generate awareness for your company. If you share content that aligns with your audience, you will garner clicks, likes, and shares.
People who engage with your content will then investigate your business profile, click-through to your website, and be inclined to read future content.
In fact, according to Visual Objects, 81% of social media users click through to businesses’ websites. According to Visual Objects, 81% of social media users click through to businesses’ websites. Share on X This makes it essential for your business to make it easy for people to click, too.
That said, the ad-driven model of social media networks weakened the organic reach of brands. To gain their audience’s attention, brands must now compete with friends and family but also paid advertisers.
This means that you must deliver top-quality content to grab your audience’s attention and spark a dialogue. People use social media to chat, learn, and be entertained – so create a rewarding blend of branded content to satisfy these desires.
To be most effective, offer a stream of authentic and valuable content tailored to your audience’s preferred platforms. This will allow you to elevate your brand recognition and promote the organic engagement needed to grow your following.
2. Generate Social Proof
The larger your social media fanbase, the more credible your brand will appear to prospective followers. If your brand is perceived as trustworthy, you’ll generate more engagement and more quickly grow your following.
This phenomenon is known as social proof, or when people conform to the collective opinions of others.
Such valuable social proof can only be gained through engagement. Trust hinges on familiarity, and talking is the fastest way to achieve this level of comfort. Hence, each interaction on social is an opportunity to develop trust in your brand, which will later translate into likes, shares, and more followers.
Post regularly to reach and grow your follower base. Adopt a brand voice that positions your company as approachable and unique, and use your content to demonstrate your thought leadership.
Once you reach a critical mass of fans, you’ll be able to instantly secure the trust of newcomers. This built-in trust will also help promote engagement, website traffic, and sales from your followers.
3. Provide Customer Support
Social media is becoming a go-to resource for customer service. According to the same Visual Objects survey mentioned above, social media is the second-most used channel that people use to contact businesses, second to only email.
Customers use social media for support because it’s convenient and efficient. In turn, they expect a quick response. Twitter research found that most people (71%) expect a response within an hour. Customers use social media for support because it’s convenient and efficient. In turn, they expect a quick response. Twitter research found that most people (71%) expect a response within an hour. Share on X
Social media is open to all, so people will talk about both successes and failures. If you impress customers with prompt and thorough service, you will create goodwill among loyal and sometimes vocal brand advocates. But if you fall short, expect the word to spread and your reputation to suffer.
Be sure to show up for your customers in a prompt and attentive fashion. To this end, social media customer service can also be used to solicit, gather, and implement feedback that will improve your overall brand experience.
4. Reduce Your Advertising Costs
Organic social media engagement is more cost-effective than traditional advertising. Rather than paying per-click or by impressions, you only need to invest in quality content to get a response.
Unlike a traditional ad buy, social media content also has lasting value. As users scroll your feed, prior posts function as a library of resources and proof of your brand’s thought leadership.
Balance your own, curated, and promotional content to drive optimal results.
People don’t want to see ads, but they will tolerate them from a trusted brand. Your audience wants original content, which nets a 54% higher click-to-conversion rate than other content types and relevant curations from thought leaders in your industry.
Investing in top-notch social media content will help you drive awareness, conserve your budget, and boost your brand’s equity online. This can be done in-house or with a digital marketing agency.
Start a Conversation on Social Media
Great content is the vehicle for your success on social media.
Use your posts to attract, inform and entertain your audience. Ask followers for feedback, and be sure to deliver customer support that’s worth talking about.
Organic engagement will help conserve your budget but also cement your position as a genuine and reputable brand that cares for its fans and followers.
Kristen Herhold is a content writer and marketer at Clutch and The Manifest, business news and how-to websites in the heart of Washington, D.C. Connect with her on LinkedIn, or reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns at kristen@clutch.co.
