The adoption of social media has transferred the attention of consumers from our external world to the digital worlds they’ve created in their phones. Successful businesses acknowledged this shift of attention and curated communities that consumers will want to visit.
Advertising has become more about attracting potential customers through a digital experience and less about interrupting potential customers for a sale. How many times have you attempted to avoid a salesperson who has locked eyes with you? For some, the interaction isn’t the end of the world because saying,” I’m not interested, thank you,” stops the unwanted experience. But for others, an unwanted social interaction sends them into a spiral.
Author Keith Quesenberry shared in his book, Social Media Strategy, that we may prefer “virtual” communication through social media because it requires less emotional commitment, cognitive effort, and brain stimulation. Marketing research has also revealed that happier people spend more money. This finding is the reason why stores blast upbeat music and adorn their walls with colors associated with happiness. Successful sales exist in keeping customers in a calm, happy state. When crossing into the virtual world, consumers are given this state of mind through content that is authentic and relatable.
Brands introduce consumers to a business’s personality, and social media provides a stage where consumers can be drawn to. The best way for a business to capture the attention of its target audience is to provide content that is: informative, engaging, and visually appealing. This social media strategy can be executed by brands providing a mix of formats such as articles, videos, infographics, and interactive elements.
Besides, businesses are being given the freedom to introduce themselves to potential customers on their own terms. Social media has given them tools that build and protect their brands. The use of social media metrics allows businesses to see consumer interactions in real time. Being able to see genuine consumer interactions can help a business develop or edit its content strategy.
Authenticity is the highest form of currency in the realm of social media. Even with paid social media, marketers, advertisers, and public relations professionals only buy “reach” into social media channels—they can’t buy attention.
When you reflect on your prior experiences with salespeople, think of all the missed sales that have occurred because the representative came off as insincere. Compliments only land if the person giving them presents as having no alternative motives. During your consideration of a purchase, how many times did you back out because you did not trust the information given to you regarding the product or service?
Businesses may have ported over to the virtual world, but they have found the digital version of word of mouth. Brand ambassadors help businesses tear down potential customers’ apprehensions. Being able to showcase people who have bought into the brand is the best form of advertising. Anyone from anywhere can join in and support a brand by being a trusted representative who provides either entertainment or education.
One downside of social media is that misinformation spreads across platforms significantly farther, faster, more deeply, and more broadly than the truth.
Negativity exists as a product of the duality of life. Instead of running from negative interactions, successful brands are able to conquer them through providing structure and transparency. Spreading awareness and maintaining control of the discussions surrounding a negativity outbreak is the best cure.
If you own a business, you should want to have a stake in our current digital landscape. The cons of social media should not serve as a deterrent. They are just opportunities to show the world’s audience why they should believe and trust in a brand. How powerful it is for a business to show they’re different because, although they make sales, they are committed to positively affecting their consumers.