20 – 05 – 2020
Words by Emma-Kate & Nica
one of four
A Social Media Series
Do you remember creating your first Facebook profile? Choosing your profile picture, and posting that first status that could have been along the lines of, “I Luv FaCeBoOk XD*”. It was truly the era for literary gold. Perhaps Myspace was your first dive into an online community. Whichever platform it was, social media has been around for a very long time.
Since creating our first Facebook profiles, the social media world has transformed from completely personal to a hub for marketing, networking, and brand awareness. In our day and age, it seems like social media is more of a necessity than a luxury. Of course, it’s an incredible mechanism to stay in touch with friends and family from afar, but why is it important for a business to utilise social media? Is it that essential?
Our short answer; yes.
But here is our longer answer.
There are 3 C’s that help us understand why social media is as important to businesses as it is.
Connection
Community
Collaboration
Connection ~ as in, connecting with customers on a relatable and down to earth way. We all have social media profiles, and it can be a super simple and easy way to curate authentic relationships with the very people who are helping keep your business alive. When we create an authentic and genuine connection, we are creating opportunities to have long-lasting relationships. Social media isn’t just about broadcasting what you want people to know about your business – it is about building relationships. Once you have done that you can save your business a lot of money by communicating to your target audience directly and asking the questions needed to take your brand to new heights. There is nothing better for growth than direct feedback from your target audience.
Community ~ social media can be the perfect tool to help you find your people and your authentic community of like-minded business people and creatives. You can interact with those who share the same industry as your brand. We understand how competitive it can be, however when used correctly, social media is an incredible hub to ask questions, learn, and gain access to free resources that will help take your business forward. Best of all, you might even get some free user-generated content for your brand which 90% of shoppers say influenced their decision to purchase. This is higher than any other type of advertising.
Collaboration ~ this is a great tool for brand awareness. Collaborating with brands who may not offer the same product or service as you, but are in the same sphere of influence as you, will help bring in some mutually beneficial marketing. It is a healthy, fun, and fresh way to create relationships with other brands, as well as to expand your horizons as a business. As with anything in life it is about quality and not quantity, so if you want to collab with another brand don’t just look at the numbers, but focus on how relatable they are to your brand ethos. If they have similar values than you, their followers will love you too.
Now looking at these 3 C’s and having a slightly deeper understanding of why social media is essential to any brand, here are 3 questions you can ask yourself to help you communicate what you are wanting to showcase through your social media account.
- What is the vision/mission of my brand? (ie. What is your product, what does it do, why do people need it?)
- What sets us apart in the industry? (i.e. Are you a mother-daughter duo sharing a mutual love for the service you provide? Eco friendly? Find your niche.)
- What is the language of our brand? (i.e. Friendly and conversational, or corporate and clear?)
Once you have taken the time to answer these 3 questions, you have some direction on how you can communicate what you are marketing. Who you are, what you do, how you do it, and why you do it should be communicated through your social platforms!
Over the next week, we will dive deep into social media giving you some tips and tricks to help you grow your social platforms.