Do brands have identifiable personalities? Can a brand express positive or negative moods? Absolutely! And this has never been more true than in today’s social marketing world which is driven by emotion and sentiment.
Most of us have heard of Dale Carnegie’s infamous book, “How To Win Friends & Influence People”. In this book he offers an array of tips and tricks to grow your, well, popularity. Yet, the question to be considered in this logic is whether one is happier being liked by all, or if it is more fulfilling to be liked by those who are most meaningful to them? For most people it’s the latter that becomes their true objective over time. The same objective applies for brands engaging in social media; how do we win over those individuals in our target audience to build their awareness, favorability or loyalty for our brand?
Going back to the original questions about whether brands have personalities or display moods, I’m sure all of us feel the difference when we hear Southwest Airlines in the same sentence as larger airlines. Even think about recent Coca-Cola ads. These are all about happiness and joy around the use of their product. So how does a brand make these emotional connections and win the adoration of their target audience? There is no silver bullet to do so, but there is a general formula that can be followed in crafting your social media communications. As you will see many of the same principles outlined in Dale Carnegie’s book are evident in these vital social media strategies for success.
1. Ask questions, then listen: Think of the last great conversation you had at a gathering with someone. Who led the dialogue? Most likely it was you that was asked a question and shared an area of interest that the other person found compelling. One of the biggest challenges for social marketers is driving consumer engagement and interactions. “Can’t they just agree with how great we are saying that we are?” ask many frustrated marketers. Yet, why not ask them what makes them enjoy or feel great about using your product? Or how about challenging them to capture their use of your product in a creative way? Give your ‘fans’ a voice and encourage them to speak. Then, most importantly, LISTEN and respond. Even acknowledging with simple praise makes someone feel important and your brand gave them that positive boost. What a great way to start a relationship!
2. Tell Compelling Brand or User stories: Very few passionately care about the technical specs of your product. No offense but it’s true. Rather, most consumers care about how it can make their lives easier or better define their personal lifestyle. So rather than promote your product features over and over again and then start knocking your competitor’s offering to change things up, try sharing real consumer stories about their benefit and success with your product. Again, you may entice someone with a shiny fancy product ad but you’ll hook them with a customer testimonial that validates it truly lives up to the hype.
3. Win Them with Kindness: No one can be liked by everyone, but it is possible to be respected by many. With social media we can proactively create and share a lot of positive messaging around our brand. But we are also susceptible to complaints and critic’s challenges. If you encounter such a person don’t flinch for a second. Follow this simple formula to win the encounter by taking the high road; first offer up an apology that they feel unsatisfied with your company, then thank them for reaching out and sharing their concern (if it’s a legitimate one) and lastly state that you would like to work towards a resolution either via phone or email. By simply doing that in a timely fashion you will have diffused the anger to the complaint and earned respect in the eyes of those who see the exchange.
4. Be authentic, real and transparent: I’m not perfect, neither are you and that’s great as it humanizes us. Brands can benefit the same way by stating their mistake and desire to work harder in the future. Most consumers are loyal to those brands that put their interest first and work hard to keep the customer satisfied, even if it’s a result of a mistake they made. Don’t be afraid to apologize for any wrongs your company may have inadvertently done. Also, be transparent and let the public see what it looks behind the curtain at your company. Embrace your core customer following at the center of your company culture. If the public sees you have nothing to hide they won’t go looking for reasons to expose you.
As you can see, similar to Dale Carnegie’s advice, having success in social marketing is a lot like how we have learned to have success in our personal relationships. The more your brand can express genuine interest in your customers by asking questions or featuring their story (if consented), the higher your engagement with them will turn out. By not shying away from admitting mistakes, offer customer support and staying transparent the greater your customer loyalty. Just think if your business could hire someone to go around your community and compliment everyone and find out their needs as it relates to your industry, that is your potential with social media.
The Social Media Frontier 