2021-08-06
Social networks are now so ingrained in our way of life that we no longer question them. What are they used for? Mainly to keep in touch with friends and family, keep up with news and updates, occupy time, find fun content, and share photos and videos. But there is, among this huge list, a fact that studies point out and that is very important: people are looking for products and services.
But this consumer-brand connection goes far beyond search and purchase. Social network users want to feel they are part of a community, they want to extend this same community, they have the desire to connect with the world and new realities, they long to be involved in causes and activities, they want to have a voice and be heard, they seek to be inside, to know what happens on the other side. And, of course, they want to feel secure, private, and in control.
Times have changed a lot and it is already consensual to say that social networks are the main channel between brands and consumers. It is more direct, not only in brand communication but also in customer or potential customer feedback. There is interaction. And that connection brings trust. When customers feel connected to a brand, most tend to spend more money on it, while 76% will always prefer that company over a rival brand, a recent study by Sprout Social tells.
And what is it for consumers, anyway, to be connected with a brand? What does it mean? Well, having trust in the brand (66%), being aligned with its values (53%), the brand understanding the consumer and knowing what the consumer wants (51%). Half of the respondents also mentioned that to be connected with the brand is to depend on the products and services of that company.
Consumers themselves suggest that social networks are the main tool for connecting with them, ahead of television, radio, email, direct marketing, and ads spread across the Internet.
As we have seen, consumers want to feel safe, valued, and heard. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize customer service. We must never neglect this channel.
But not only.
There is an interesting theme, taken from the Sprout Social Index 2018, that reveals the disparity between marketers' posts and what consumers actually want to see on social media.
What do consumers want from brands' social media?
1. Discounts and sales (72%)
2. Learn about new products or services (60%)
3. Posts that teach something (59%)
What about posts by marketing guys, what do they usually look like?
1. Posts that teach something (61%)
2. Posts that tell a story (58%)
3. Publications that inspire (53%)
There is a misalignment, right? Not that it's wrong to inspire, but consumers often want more from the brand than abstract themes, and at the end of the day, what's behind that relationship is the purchase of products or services.
Telling a story is always a good solution, as it is a way to say who we are, what drives us, what we want, and what we have to offer. There, we can also show who is on this side, working for those consumers, and this generates empathy and trust.
A good story always allows us to get away from hard selling and show how we can change the life of that customer or potential customer. They want to know more about the products and services, they want to learn, and this is wonderful, a great opportunity.
The above-mentioned Index also shows another factor that is important to keep in mind: not to confuse sharing with engagement, or at least to refine expectations: ROI (Return on Investment) is one of the greatest challenges for marketers.
For example, consumers in that study say they are 31% more likely to be engaged with a storytelling content than to share it, just as they are 50% more likely to be engaged with content about new products and offers than to then share that same post. The examples continue: consumers are 24% more likely to feel more engaged with promotions than they are to share that information. Finally, consumers are 150% more likely to engage with worker advocacy posts than to share those types of posts. This data makes it possible to try to anticipate consumer behavior and, in essence, understand them.
In short, social media is the best tool today to win customers, create a connection, make it real and reliable, a two-way relationship with questions and answers. Some want to be heard and understood, others want to satisfy. Making known the people and values that dress the brand can be important. A face, an action, a vision can always help strengthen that desired trust.
Then, it's adding tact to strategy: what do we want from our publications on social media?
