Social media campaigns can help you get more likes and follows on your social profiles. But if you’re starting to question the value of those likes, you’re not alone. We’ve never tried to promise n number of followers or likes on Facebook, Twitter or any other social platform as an end in itself to any of our clients. This is because likes don’t magically equal engagement or, most of all, sales. Quality is more important than quantity; how much are your followers really engaging with you, and each other on your platforms? How long do they stay on your profile before surfing away?
The bottom line is that you need to go beyond one-off campaigns. The real action is in creating a sticky, long-lasting community. But how do you encourage your followers to transform into a community instead of a group of disparate individuals with a fleeting interest in your brand?
1. You need advocates, but they’ll be easy to identify. You can’t just push your community on your own – you need advocates who are deeply committed to the topics related to your brand, either professionally or personally. Fortunately, such people are easy to identify when they come along. Engage with them and transform them into brand advocates and community evangelists, as well as valuable data sources in themselves.
2. Cut the clutter. It isn’t just about regular updates, or about trying to be all things to all people. Don’t get lost in the online chatter. Keep your community updates relevant, interesting and leave a little room between them. Stay on message, but do it interestingly.
3. Keep it real. An online conversation is an even playing-field. It is a chance for brands and consumers to engage in a free, unfettered dialogue. Don’t shy away from this or impose false censorship – beyond what is needed in the interests of decency and legality. The more personal and spontaneous communication is, the more vibrant and engaging your community becomes.
4. It’s not just about you. Community members need to voice their opinions and concerns; that’s why they join a community. If you minimize external voices and make it all about your content and your announcements, you’re curbing the very basis of a good online community.
Creating a great online community helps set up a vital, viable pipeline more than traditional marketing campaigning. The accent is on inbound marketing in the digital space. That’s something the team at iVista understands well – get in touch with us to find out how you can start building a great community!
