You want to stay connected with your customers online, but is your brand’s social media community thriving? Here are some important building blocks to keep in mind as you create an active online presence and loyal following.
Find your advocates and reach out to them. Those fans that jump out at you, those constantly sharing, liking, commenting, and tweeting, are your biggest helpers. Reach out and reply to these advocates and let them know they are valued. Ask them to invite friends to check out your social pages–a little encouragement goes a long way.
Provide incentives to those who truly go above and beyond. Your top 10% of community contributors provide 90% of the engagement on your page, and it’s important you show some appreciation. A personal touch is one of the biggest relationship builders–so respond quickly to posts and questions, consider creating contests for your top users, and don’t be afraid to feature user-generated content. Your fans want to feel like they are a part of the bigger the picture.
Be consistent with your words and actions. All members of your brand’s team need to be cognoscente of the brand’s message and the offers available. Often times, fans are connected through more than one communication device and discontinuity and disorganization can downgrade your credibility and make fans lose confidence in your company as a whole. You can’t have your Facebook page say an offer is available while your e-blast campaign claims the offer has expired. Consistency breeds trust which can lead to a more solid relationship.
If you can, track everything. Quantifiable records will help support future decisions and give a solid idea as to how well a campaign or promotion was received by your fans.
When you genuinely care about your brand and its fans, it shows. Tracking, staying consistent, engaging the community, and reaching out will keep customers coming back and your social media community thriving.
Sources:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/build-a-social-community-4-tips/
http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2226177/5-steps-to-building-an-active-social-media-community
