In the digital landscape, the rules of social media engagement are often shifting. We’re diving into three “ah-ha’s” that shed light on not just why people follow certain brands on social media, but what those brands are actually doing behind the scenes to create maximum engagement. (Surprise: the strategy we’re sharing is really simple!)
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Takeaway #1: People follow Authentic Brands
People crave real authenticity.
People are also drawn to positive energy.
People appreciate hard work.
Put those three elements to work in your social media plan, and you have a winning combination, according to the popular digital content marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk (also known as “GaryVee.”)
He suggests we think about it like this:
- authenticity is the unfiltered, raw personality that a brand puts out there. Read this as: “you be you!” and people will connect with your brand.
- sharing positive energy subtly shows people that you also believe in your brand and that it will add value.
- showing hard work is a different story. This is “earned” and comes with time. But when a consumer sees that you have a consistent, dedicated social media presence, they will believe in you that much more.
Gary shares that this is part of the reason that people are leaning into video content and podcasts with such vigor. Because we live in such a saturated brand market, people naturally need a way to help make decisions about a brand, product or issue. By watching or listening to personalities share information, they’re having a “conversation” with you (albeit a one-way one).
Nevertheless, being real with your audience helps to set the stage for establishing trust between the consumer and the brand at hand.
Takeaway #2: People follow Authentic Brands that Post…a Lot
The results are in, and the truth is: brands that post a lot on social media have much higher engagement.
Now this doesn’t seem like rocket science, but it’s an important fact to drill into.
According to GaryVee’s Content Strategy, he suggests that the stickiest brands are posting up upwards of six or more times per day across social media platforms.
Six per day GaryVee?
At least six, says he…and the reason it works is that you're providing value by way of impressions.
Lots of impressions.
How are brands doing this? He shares this insightful set of steps that help you maximize postable content in a streamlined way:
- Create Pillar Content
- Repurpose into “Micro Content”
- Distribute across Social Media Platforms
So what does this mean?
In a nutshell, you start by creating one thoughtful long-form piece of “pillar content.” Perhaps that’s a thoughtfully written, info-rich video or podcast that highlights the story of how your brand developed.
That larger content is then broken down into bite size “micro-content” pieces. These can be in the form of blogs, postable images, carousels, or even smaller blogs, videos or voiceover posts. And then they’re posted (with purpose) across multiple social media platforms.
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This strategy has proven to be successful across the board because it’s allowing a brand’s message to be conveyed broadly, and then thoughtfully distributed in a more consumable way.
This is how, for instance, you might find yourself feeling a connection again, and again with a brand to build trust and loyalty.
Takeaway #3: People Follow brands to Gain Insights, Meaning (and Discounts!)
So far we’ve learned that:
- People follow brands on social media that are authentic, positive, and hard working.
- People are reached more often when a brand shares a higher number of consumable posts across multiple platforms.
Now for the last takeaway: one of the main reasons that people follow brands on social media is to simply learn about new products and services. They like to gain insights, information and relevant knowledge about a brand.
Bonus points if the product or brand:
- can save the consumer time or make life easier.
- offers “hot-off-the-press” information that is engaging.
- or offers a discount or promotion for the customer.
Knowing your customer, what drives them, and what is important to them is key when communicating your authentic, info-rich posts to the consumer.
We hope these three insights into why people follow brands were helpful as you grow your brand. Want to chat more with our team at ALINE about your digital marketing strategy? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Carolyn Baughman