The Reality Of Social Media

June 28, 2012

Happy Independence Day! Fourth of July celebrations vary from family picnics to community fireworks, but most involve being involved in your own way in a group or community. In the spirit of the holiday, the Fresh Creative social media team would like to introduce you to a new way of looking at your social media followers using some seasonally appropriate metaphors.

These simple analogies are a fun way to explore who interacts with your brand through social media and what they are seeking.

Life’s a Picnic! You know your top social media engagers, the ones who act like they’re at a family picnic. They’re the active posters, the ones who want to talk and interact with your brand. Active engagers want a connection to your brand and seek it out. They’re the ones who share your content and spread your brand. Encouraging and developing this core group can help your brand develop a sense of community in your social media channels.

I’m Here for the Parade! These followers are less interactive, watching the brand parade go on by in their newsfeeds or stream. They want to see what’s happening and more than likely are liking or following your brand for the ‘candy’ tossed out at the parade like discounts, coupons or special offers. Chances are you will never get this type of follower to do more than share a coupon with their friends. Depending on your brand’s business model, this type of follower could be exactly what you need.

When Do the Fireworks Start? These passive social media users are just passing time waiting for the fireworks. They want interesting content and filter out most marketing messages. Giving them too much “Blah!” and not enough “Wow!” will get your brand knocked off their radar pretty quickly.

Too many brands go into social media without a clear plan of what they want to achieve. The goal shouldn’t be amassing a specific number of followers or likes, but determining the value of followers and how you can maximize what you have to achieve your business goals.

Furthermore, to be truly successful in social media you need to understand not only your goals, but how your customers want to interact with you. Are they raving fans wanting to help you grow your community or are they just in it for the freebies? Neither is inherently wrong, but knowing the difference and having realistic expectations will allow you to develop a successful social media strategy.

 

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