Social media gives businesses an exciting new way to market their goods and services. Not only can you use these channels to inform consumers about your latest deals, but you can also leverage them to create genuine online communities. By encouraging your biggest customers to follow your accounts and engage with you online, you increase brand loyalty and expand your cultural clout. These five strategies can help you expand and maintain a thriving digital community around your brand.
Engage Early and Often
As the company at the center of the community, it’s on you to set the tone. That means you need to start engaging with users as soon as the community forms. If you remain silent, people will assume that your accounts aren’t really worth their attention. By posting regularly and going out of your way to engage with fans, you’ll establish the online community as a vibrant place where people can look for connections.
Educate and Entertain
The best online content is both interesting and entertaining. A funny cat video might be entertaining, but it doesn’t actually provide value to the viewer. A detailed tutorial might be packed with information, but it will be too boring to read. Your goal should be to produce content that mixes the excitement of the cat video with the informational value of the tutorial. You can do this by producing appealing videos and maintaining a light tone in written posts.
Respond to Your Fans
Simply posting content on your accounts isn’t enough to build a community. You also need to respond to your fan’s comments with personalized, heartfelt messages. Nobody wants to feel that they’re too small to warrant attention. By actually engaging with customers directly, you show that you care about their opinions and value their support. You can also ask questions that will help you improve your business. In a healthy community, your followers can act as both fans and expert consultants.
Spotlight Individual Community Members
While responding to your followers’ comments makes them feel heard, you can make them feel even more appreciated by spotlighting them in posts. Use your status as the community leader to call attention to the fans who are doing the most to promote your business. Every marketer knows that delighted existing customers are the best advertisements, and nothing delights a customer more than public praise.
Exude Positivity
Today’s consumers are more likely to support brands that reflect their values. Portraying your company as a force for good doesn’t require bold promises or taking a stance on controversial issues. All it takes is maintaining a positive attitude in your branded communication with consumers. With the right mix of uplifting messages, silly emojis, and heartwarming images, you can inject a little optimism into your customers’ feeds. When they see brief glimpses of positivity in the midst of their doom-scrolling, they’ll start to associate your brand with joy. This, in turn, will make them more likely to engage
FORUM Your Workspace in Downtown Coral Gables
FORUM offers various membership levels from hot desks to private suites created to suit the needs of entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, and enterprise businesses. Contact us today to learn more about your membership opportunities and to schedule a tour to view our space and amenities by emailing [email protected] | 305-203-5006
