2020-12-30
Almost 60% of people use social media more since the pandemic began. According to PwC, this figure stands at 58%, with 86% of these people hoping to maintain this use in the future. And this is an opportunity. Social networks allow you to connect and interact with people on a personal level, whether they are already customers or potential customers. It is a giant storefront.
If COVID-19 pushed us home, with confinement and teleworking, if we are increasingly attached to phones, computers and tablets, brands have to decide and define how they want to reach these people. It is, more than ever, the right timing to say who we are, what we have, how we see the world and how what we have can change the world.
Another fact: Fundera recently revealed that 74% of consumers rely on social networks to guide and guide their purchasing decisions. Plus: 81% of customers or potential customers look for the product online before buying. Oh, and very importantly, 60% of respondents to that Fundera study revealed that they start by looking for a product on a search engine before going to a particular site.
We return to the history of opportunity, as all communications and publications, as a brand or product, on social networks must mirror their values. They may even be different products, but that publication must say who we are, must respect the company's vision, the global objective, the brand strategy.
Here, based on a recent report from the SocialBakers platform, it is known that the Continent's Facebook page has the best performance among all brands in the southern European retail category, you can read in this article “Imagens de Marca”.
Continente has more than two million followers on Facebook. "Despite being the most followed, Continente is not the brand that publishes the most, which reveals a high level of engagement due to the higher average of interactions per publication", explains the article, which also reveals that the report reports that videos live and photographs are the preferred publication genres for the audience of retail brands in southern Europe.
And how did we get here? The Marketing Director of Sonae MC explains to the same publication: “More than a touchpoint, we see social networks as a common space and an opportunity to include customers in the path we have been taking. A path where there are news, hobbies, recipes and suggestions for a more balanced life, live concerts, solidary stories and many more things, some of which we do not yet imagine. And if 2020 has been an amazing year, it has also been the year to connect like never before and social networks have had, and will continue to have, a critical importance in this movement ”.
In the beginning of December, Forbes published an article with five points to generate engagement with consumers on social networks. With some adaptations and reflections from us, here is the essential:
"Open the curtain"
This is an invitation to open. In other words, allowing consumers, customers and potential customers to feel part of the brand. A simple way to do this is to show the day to day behind the scenes, with publications on social networks with images of the offices, the factory, the creation of a product, where you can see the face of those who make it happen. This creates a connection. Involving the curious consumer, showing something of the brand, be it faces or behind the scenes, or small details, it is still a way to sell. This without forgetting, never, never, the values that guide the company.
Forbes uses a study by the American company Sprout Social in which it reveals three important data: 81% of the people surveyed say that social networks have increased business accountability; 86% say that the transparency of businesses or companies is more important than ever; 73% of consumers are willing to pay more for products that guarantee full transparency.
This takes us in another way: what words associate the respondents of that study with transparency? Openness (59%), clarity (53%), honesty (49%), authenticity (26%), integrity (23%) and communication (19%). Social media can, and should, be an engine to meet those expectations.
Teach your followers
Selling a product doesn't always have to be about the product itself. Instead of talking directly to consumers or Internet users about the product or tool, why not show it in a video or in another way because they need that product and how can they get more out of it? If 54% of social media users use them to search for products,
says GlobalWebIndex, demonstrating how that particular product can be used can be advantageous when selling. Sales are always about seduction and convincing. It is important to show value.
"Make you laugh"
The "Forbes" article also says that there are companies that tend to be too serious or business-oriented. According to the Sprout Social, 71% of consumers watch videos on social networks to make them laugh. Humor is a weapon of seduction. Sometimes a topic in a publication does not necessarily have to be about a product or sales, but using humor can create interest in the brand, generate engagement, lead to sharing, which consequently takes the brand name further, appearing in screens of our friends and followers.
It is also important to note that resorting to humor is like walking on thin ice, as there is a world of sensitivities and red lines. Perhaps that is why brands opt for a more traditional formality ... It is important to have a rigorous, less spontaneous assessment. There it is, it is important to respect the company's values and maintain the same voice as other communications and platforms where you are.
“Share interesting content”
He writes to "Forbes": "By sharing content from other businesses or people that are interesting and relevant to your followers, you can gain their trust and increase their value". It is nevertheless important to evaluate and ensure that the source of the information or publication in question has the same values as our brand.
Another relevant note is the importance of fitting publications on social networks at the right time. It is not uncommon to have a plan, say for the next month for example, but the world may change and that publication at that moment may lose its validity or interest. It is essential that the content fell into the lap of consumers and followers at the right time.
"Sell your products"
PwC reveals that 37% of consumers say that social networks are the biggest source of inspiration for purchases, so paying to have content and publications that appear on the screens of social network users should be part of the strategy. But pay attention to one detail: if these publications are about a product, then it should be done with much less regularity.
"When creating promotional publications, consider adding a reason why buyers should buy the product at that time," writes "Forbes". “One reason could be a limited time discount, or it could encourage customers to be the first among friends to own a new product. You can also promote products that are almost sold out, such as sharing that you have 10 sleds in stock when a winter storm approaches. Make sure to include a high-quality image and price information in the publication. ”
“Create a strategy to continue”
If the pandemic has brought us here, we must seize the opportunity to give muscle to the strategy on social networks. That is, investing more and with method, failing to underestimate the power of the same networks and platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. That's where people are.
By choosing the voice, the tone, when and how, it is possible to gain more and more followers, who can themselves be a vehicle for promoting products or brands. The figures mentioned above in this text show the strength that social networks have gained and also what people expect.
