Do you want to drive customer engagement and attract new customers through social media? If so, you’ve come to the right place! With millions of users on various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn—it can seem overwhelming to figure out how to effectively market your brand online. But fear not! In this blog , we’ll discuss the three ways to attract and retain customers through social media and more in order to effectively reach your target audience and increase your customer base. Whether you’re an experienced social media user or a beginner–we’ve got all the information needed for making sure your efforts get the reach they deserve. So sit back with a cup of coffee (or tea!) while we help break down how attracting customers through digital channels can be easier than it may sound.
Table of Contents
Create Relatable Content
There is no question that content is King in the realm of social media marketing, however, relatable content that continues to resonate with your followers will always reign supreme. Everyday consumers are immersed in a world of digital content overload, use this to your brands advantage by guiding your consumers through the digital noise with content your target audience is excited to see and engage with. This will keep your current social followers continually engaged in the brand, and potentially attract new followers to your brand’s social platform. Lastly, be sure to take the time to research your target consumer’s digital content style as this will allow your brand to continually evolve your content as consumers want and needs shift, and aid in keeping your brand relevant on social media platforms.
One brand that is at the forefront of creating relatable content for their consumers is Glossier, the millennial skincare and makeup brand that entered the beauty marketplace a little over 10 years ago. From the brand’s start, Glossier flipped the typical script on how brands build their social audience through their social media marketing platforms. Rather than starting with a product line and attempting to build a community around their product offerings, Glossier started with a community first and curated products that reflect its needs.Their social media marketing style and content tone is more humanistic and organic, which allows the brand to appear genuine and trustworthy within their marketing and product lines. This organic community-centric content style and approach which often includes customers testimonials and funny memes, allows social users to feel as if they are following a friend rather than another Instagram beauty brand. We think all of Glossier 2.7 million Instagram followers would agree.
#Hashtags Over Everything
Despite the jokes and comments that the word hashtag may cue in casual conversation, ask anyone that works in the social media marketing world and they will assure you hashtags are no laughing matter. Being in the social media marketing world for over 8 years now, I can boldly and wholeheartedly say, (and you can quote me on this) hashtags are one of the most integral parts of digital marketing. They were just as important, if not more important than they were when social media marketing was in its infancy. The simple # before buzzwords of your content can allow your social content to reach a wider but more targeted audience. Be aware of the fine balance between using too little or too many hashtags in your social content. Utilize only a few hashtags and your content may have limited social reach, in retrospect, if you use too many your content may appear “spammy” and lacking a solid message. If you ask social marketing professionals the magic hashtag number is between 10 and 12, however, we recommend testing the number of hashtags that yields the best engagement for your brand’s content.
One brand that always comes to mind in regards to exceptional hashtag use is Coca-Cola, and their #ShareACoke campaign. This holiday campaign from 2017 prompted their consumers to share their favorite Coke beverage with one another with their newly reinvented personalized bottle labels that dommed common and “uncommon” names. The brand also launched a website from where consumers could order their personalized Cokes. This campaign that focused on sharing and being with one another around the holiday (pre-covid19) was a winning campaign for Coke that is still used in many of their marketing campaigns and initiatives today.
Use Social Media To Be, Social
Of course posting content and creating a social presence and following is crucial for any brand. However, many brands often forget to use social media platforms for what they were purely intended for; social interaction. Consumers not only expect brands to keep them in the loop of brands new products or services via social media, but also expect brands to interact with any comments, questions, or concerns that their followers have in real time. Make sure your social media profiles are frequently engaging with your followers by replying back to comments and direct messages, and keeping a positive social face with any negative consumer feedback or concerns.
There is no question that Nike marketing reigns supreme, and their customer service via their social media platforms is no different. Not only do they have a dedicated social media customer service team that quickly assists any customer that makes a complaint or asks a customer service related question on their social platforms, they take the time to completely solve their customer problems. This shows their dedication to upholding their gold standard for customer service, and making sure that all questions and complaints are handled in a timely and efficient manner. Lastly, their dedication to excellent customer service can build strong brand experience relations even when a product or service is not what the consumer expected.
Content Consistency Is Key
In conclusion, attracting customers through social media can be a challenge, but with the right strategy, it’s entirely possible to create an effective presence on any of these platforms. Make sure that your content is relatable, use appropriate hashtags, and remember to look for opportunities for engaging with potential customers – with these tips in mind you’ll be able to form strong relationships between yourself and your audience. It’s important to remember that different platforms cater to different types of users; make sure you tailor your content in order to cater towards them appropriately in order to get the most out of any interaction you have. Lastly, don’t forget that consistency is key – creating content consistently will keep followers interested and engaged as they continue come back in anticipation of new posts. By implementing these methods in your social media marketing strategy, you’re bound to see success using social media platforms as a tool for finding and retain customers.
