In today’s digital landscape, social media presents invaluable opportunities for brands to engage with target audiences and build meaningful connections. With over 4 billion active social media users worldwide, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more allow companies to interact with customers where they already spend much of their time online.
However, simply having a social network account is insufficient.Brands must employ inventive and strategic techniques specifically catered to forging authentic relationships that foster brand loyalty and drive business growth. This article will explore 7 outside-the-box ways to connect with customers on social media.
Offer Exclusive Content and Discount Codes
One creative strategy is to provide fans and followers access to exclusive content and promotional offers not available elsewhere. For example, brands can share special discount codes, flash sales, giveaways, contests, early access to new products, and more via social channels.
Go Behind-the-Scenes with Interactive Video Content
Interactive video content, such as behind-the-scenes footage documenting processes like product manufacturing and employee workshops, allows brands to intimately involve audiences in company culture and operations.
Videos with strong educational components also perform well. Software company HubSpot shares instructional films on YouTube guiding viewers on topics from improving website loading speeds to writing effective subject lines. These useful videos with clear takeaways help strengthen HubSpot’s industry authority.
Launch Social Media Giveaways and Contests
Giveaways and contests present golden opportunities to build buzz while collecting valuable user-generated content. Brands can offer free products, gift cards, or other desirable prizes in exchange for social engagements like account follows, post shares, photo uploads, and more.
Jump on Viral Trends with Relevant Content
Staying on top of the latest viral memes, news stories, challenges, and hashtag movements circulating social media allows brands riding these trends to exponentially expand visibility. However, genuinely integrating brand messaging into trends without appearing forceful takes thoughtfulness and precision.
Collaborate with Influencers and Brand Ambassadors
In the influencer age, collaborating with prominent social media creators, bloggers, and other trusted personalities boasting devoted followings enables brands to tap into expanded, receptive networks thirsty for recommendations.
When identifying potential partners, prioritize influencers exuding authenticity and displaying clear overlays between their own brand image and audiences and the collaborating company’s target demographics and messaging. Sponsoring content resonating as genuine and relevant, not overly promotional, performs best at converting newcomers into paying customers.
Curate User-Generated Content Galleries
User-generated content or UGC – authentic photos, videos, testimonials, and reviews created by customers themselves hold tremendous sway due to their unbiased natures compared to brand-produced media. Prominently displaying UGC across owned media channels boosts credibility and provides invaluable social proof.
Respond Directly to All Social Media Engagement
Perhaps the most fundamental yet commonly overlooked tactic brands miss when devising social strategies is simply responding to all customer engagers across owned channels, from likes to shares to comments. Directly reacting and answering questions conveys brands highly value each customer, strengthening emotional connections vital for enduring loyalty.
Also Read:10 ways social media can help you to build your brand online
Conclusion
While social media holds tremendous potential for brands to forge lasting customer bonds, genuinely connecting requires constant creativity and empathy. Companies must devise multifaceted social strategies including exclusive access experiences, interactive content, gamified participation mechanisms through giveaways and contests, viral trend adaptations, strategic influencer collaborations, impactful user-generated content curation, and prompt audience engagement cultivation.
Brands authentically embracing these seven inventive social media customer relationship building techniques will earn amplified visibility, credibility, and loyalty converting directly into measurable business growth. Ultimately, creatively humanizing brands behind the scenes breeds affinitive communities eager to share organizations they believe in with their personal networks, launching brands into the future.
