Running an online marketing company I often hear business owners or marketing managers tell me “Oh yeah, social media definitely isn’t for us!” And while it’s sometimes difficult (or downright impossible) to dissuade them from this belief, it’s never true. Any business, no matter the size or industry or audience, can benefit from social media in some capacity!
Social channels are used most commonly for customer service, education, brand awareness, and selling, which really covers a wide range of marketing goals. In that list is at least one focus area that every business needs in order to succeed. Don’t believe me? Consider this – there are local and national brands with thriving social media communities around offerings like toilet paper, tampons, deodorant, household cleaners, condiments, porta potty rentals, allergy medications, athlete’s foot remedies, dog food, kitty litter, bug removal, and probably a million other odd products/services that don’t strike you immediately as being particularly social in nature.
So how can your business build a social community around products/services that aren’t typically social? These three tips will help you create a winning strategy:
Social channels are used most commonly for customer service, education, brand awareness, and selling, which really covers a wide range of marketing goals. In that list is at least one focus area that every business needs in order to succeed. Don’t believe me? Consider this – there are local and national brands with thriving social media communities around offerings like toilet paper, tampons, deodorant, household cleaners, condiments, porta potty rentals, allergy medications, athlete’s foot remedies, dog food, kitty litter, bug removal, and probably a million other odd products/services that don’t strike you immediately as being particularly social in nature.
So how can your business build a social community around products/services that aren’t typically social? These three tips will help you create a winning strategy:
Develop a Fun Brand Personality
People can’t help but like fun brands because, well, they’re fun! Having a fun brand voice adds personality and rallies people behind your offerings. If your business is relatively new, you can just use a light-hearted and exciting brand voice from the beginning, but if your brand is more established, you’ll have to find ways to work it into existing communications over time or re-launch your brand to your existing audience. Now remember, being fun doesn’t have to mean being silly or slapstick or crazy. Just giving your brand voice a fun and refreshing sound can do the trick. The most successful brands on social media are just really likeable because they’re entertaining and relevant simultaneously.
Find Something Universal
The best way to attract a big following is to be relatable! Honing in on something universal allows you to connect with followers. In the example above, a toilet paper company uses the universality of everyone having to go to the bathroom and focuses on common concerns like cost, cleanliness, durability, softness, etc. This is certainly an extreme case because absolutely everyone is in a toilet paper brand’s target audience, but even among businesses with much smaller target audiences there are certain shared problems or worries that can be addressed through a social media strategy. For instance, imagine you’re selling chewable prenatal vitamins. Certainly not everyone will be in your target audience, but within your target audience of pregnant women there are common concerns like safety, taste, gentleness on stomachs, and so on. Having a brand voice that’s kind and helpful and cognizant of these key concerns will be essential in attracting and relating to your followers.
Be Really Likeable
Being generally likeable is incredibly important for brands on social media, but likeability isn’t all about being fun or being relatable. In order to really get social media users to like and want to follow your business, you have to give them something valuable. This means doing more than just talking about yourself and why you’re so great. Share the type of things that will appeal to your audience and help them more than help you. Pull in news topics and resources that they just can’t help but enjoy and want to share. Once people see your business’s social media profiles as a great place to find information about the things that they care about and like, they’ll like you too as a result because it will make them feel like you’re on their side!
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
People can’t help but like fun brands because, well, they’re fun! Having a fun brand voice adds personality and rallies people behind your offerings. If your business is relatively new, you can just use a light-hearted and exciting brand voice from the beginning, but if your brand is more established, you’ll have to find ways to work it into existing communications over time or re-launch your brand to your existing audience. Now remember, being fun doesn’t have to mean being silly or slapstick or crazy. Just giving your brand voice a fun and refreshing sound can do the trick. The most successful brands on social media are just really likeable because they’re entertaining and relevant simultaneously.
Find Something Universal
The best way to attract a big following is to be relatable! Honing in on something universal allows you to connect with followers. In the example above, a toilet paper company uses the universality of everyone having to go to the bathroom and focuses on common concerns like cost, cleanliness, durability, softness, etc. This is certainly an extreme case because absolutely everyone is in a toilet paper brand’s target audience, but even among businesses with much smaller target audiences there are certain shared problems or worries that can be addressed through a social media strategy. For instance, imagine you’re selling chewable prenatal vitamins. Certainly not everyone will be in your target audience, but within your target audience of pregnant women there are common concerns like safety, taste, gentleness on stomachs, and so on. Having a brand voice that’s kind and helpful and cognizant of these key concerns will be essential in attracting and relating to your followers.
Be Really Likeable
Being generally likeable is incredibly important for brands on social media, but likeability isn’t all about being fun or being relatable. In order to really get social media users to like and want to follow your business, you have to give them something valuable. This means doing more than just talking about yourself and why you’re so great. Share the type of things that will appeal to your audience and help them more than help you. Pull in news topics and resources that they just can’t help but enjoy and want to share. Once people see your business’s social media profiles as a great place to find information about the things that they care about and like, they’ll like you too as a result because it will make them feel like you’re on their side!
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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