As a social media manager, do you ever sit back and swoon at some of the world's biggest brands-the Nikes, Gatorades, Starbucks and Coca-Colas of the world-and ask yourself, "how can we be more like them"? They reach millions of fans and have engaged audiences. Yes, we all want that.
The truth is, most of us will never have the marketing dollars that these brands work with. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Despite the differences, there's one thing that any company who has invested something (i.e. resources) in social media can replicate from these brands.
What's this thing? It's simple: Conversation.
Conversation goes hand-in-hand with stellar community management. It is perhaps one of the most undervalued aspects in all of social media and marketing. Community managers are the heart and sole of your brand online. They know the pulse of your consumer, are the voice of your brand and serve as eyes and ears. Community managers have the ability to bridge the gap between a brand and the consumer, making a personal connection that says, "there are humans behind this logo, and yes, we care".
Take a step back and look at what Nike, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Gatorade are posting in the social space. It's amazing what you will find (please note these are very loose numbers):
- @Nike does not post new content every day, but every day they are engaging with their consumer.
- For every @Gatorade post, there are at least 8+ engagements with consumers.
- @Coca-Cola, like Nike, does not post new content daily but they are engaging with upwards of 50+ consumers daily.
- @Starbucks posts new content once or twice a day and are engaging with consumers on the hour every hour it seems.
Starting to see a trend here? While a lot of brands are worried about pushing out content, these brands are worried about conversing. It's a smart approach:
The IAB found that 90 percent of consumers would recommend a brand to others after interacting with them on social media.
Nike, Gatorade, Coca-Cola and Starbucks understand the importance of taking the time for their consumer. They know how to leverage the passion of their brands to strengthen relationships. They understand that social media's benefits extend far beyond the bottom line to include the ability to listen, connect and engage. We have many ways to reach the masses. Social media's uniqueness lies in the ability to build relationships and foster community. And, the beauty in this approach is that any company who has put some resources (as in manpower) behind social media can work on fostering a community and engaging with their consumer.
So, what's the lesson to be learned? The lesson is simple: We need to worry less about pushing content nonstop and more about building a relationship with the consumer. We need to worry about a new ratio:
CONTENT TO CONVERSATION.
If you are pushing more content than you are conversing, then it's time to take a step back and revaluate your approach. It's time to get back to genuine one-on-one conversations that build authentic relationships and likable brands consumers recommend.
Photo courtesy of AJ Cann.