Word of mouth is the most effective way of getting your brand out there.
Why? Here are 3 reasons:
- It’s quick
- Everyone does it
- It’s trusted.
It’s the same on social media. Brands get shared, mentioned, re-tweeted and liked all over the internet. But it’s not foolproof, this word of mouth stuff. Here’s a pretty telling statistic from BrandWatch;
Engagement with brands is 84 x higher on Instagram than on Twitter.
That’s huge. So what is it that we can take away from this fact?
Firstly, two reasons why engagement is an important insight to monitor:
- It helps foster strong relationships with customers based on trust and value
- It helps us to listen in to what our customers really want, so we can; solve problems before they have them, offer humour/distraction/value to their day.
According to Brandwatch, these conversations don’t stand alone; “driving the conversation means focusing on every customer touch point”, and they include in this list social media, website, POS experience, customer service and advertising.
I think we can go further than this by making sure that we’re not massing social media together as one monolithic asset to your business or brand, but as separate assets to be valued for what they bring to your social media presence.
So, on Twitter, word of beak (heh) is apparently not cutting it when it comes to social selling.
Think of this as a sign – Stop trying to sell on Twitter. They don’t like it.
Instead, consider using Twitter to provide light relief, humour, distraction and knowledge; use it to solve customer service problems by tracking mentions and utilising the speed of the platform. Let them know it’s you, your brand, with your own brandonality by using consistent profile images and tone in your tweets.
Then STEP AWAY! And go somewhere else where your adverts and brand related signposting will be appreciated. Instagram is one place, especially in the retail market where users are willing to share and mention brands and spending habits with their followers. It’s just more acceptable. How do I know this? I use Instagram; I listen to my followers; I look at who else they follow and what they like, re-gram, and share with their audiences. It’s work! But it’s worth it!
But the bottom line is – for real brand equity, it’s time to start seeing your social media as not just ONE asset to your business strategy, but as MULTIPLE ASSETS – platforms for specific focuses of social selling.
I suppose it’s a case of not putting all of your eggs in one basket, but it’s more than that – it’s about truly assessing what it is that you get out of an asset and making it do more work for you.
