I know everyone talks about having large social media communities but how about building a real community instead? Building a community instead of just random likes/comments and followers has multiple benefits to you!
It will take time to develop relationships with people but if you persevere and if you manage the social media yourself it’s FREE! This strategy works on every online platform so can be used across your social media presence, so let’s get to no1!
1.Encourage New Customers.
When you have a solid foundation of followers you can more easily encourage traffic to your online platforms; social media, websites, blog posts, not to mention footfall in your brick and mortar stores. If you are engaging in a positive way with existing and prospective consumers you have more opportunity to encourage them into your stores or websites, offering exclusive discounts, competitions or prizes is another great way to engage and share the word.
2. Real Time Updates about Problems or Issues.
You might be wondering why this has made a list meant for developing a brand. The truth is every single business and organisation will run into problems and issues mostly out of their control. No matter what the issue is, it’s your response that makes the difference. If you decide to ignore or take hours to address an issue this can reflect poorly on you and severely damage your reputation which can take years to rebuild. You have to monitor your social media constantly, in this way you can react and solve issues in a timely way that will leave consumers coming back to your brand!
Positives can also arise, receiving positive feedback or reviews can boost you and your employees so it’s important to celebrate these as much as it is to handle the negatives.
3. Access to real reviews and trial products.
Instead of spending thousands on trial product surveys and reviews, you have access to your own resources at your fingertips. People who are following your brand and engaging with you can offer their ideas or comments on your latest product this is extremely useful for small businesses or those on limited budgets. By offering something to your real followers you can build positive salience with your consumers and develop longer relationships.
Be wary of fake accounts and scammers who may take advantage of you though.
4. Offer discounts and competitions.
In the same vain as no3, you can offer your community the chance to compete in competitions or have access to exclusive discounts. Don’t worry with the frequency and popularity of giveaways and discounts you can actually end up trending on platforms like; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and Make it FUN!
Ask followers for photos or videos as part of the competition as this content ranks higher within the results so you will trend faster than just asking for followers to retweet or comment on your posts. An added bonus of this method is you can then use those photos and videos in your next ad campaign whether that be online or offline. (Saving you money on content creation and harmonising your offline and online strategy. WIN/WIN)
5. Share yourself/ Brand Identity.
Social Media isn’t just a one way street, it’s important for brands to show their own views and opinions on key issues. We have seen in recent months the danger of remaining silent or ignoring issues arising within the world and culturally, though remember you are representing your organisation.
It’s not all negative, you can share personal stories about yourself, employees, charities you support the list is literally endless! People want to relate to you and want to learn something NEW about the brand that’s why they follow you! It doesn’t all have to be 100% new innovative ideas just be authentic and relatable and watch your community soar!
Having a community right there gives you the opportunity to learn something about your customers that you wouldn’t normally have access to, this can lead to a deeper connection to the brand which can encourage positive salience and WOM increase as people share positive stories about you!
With social media becoming the first choice in connecting with brands it’s crucial to have some strategy in place to really get full potential for yourself and grow your community!
What do you think about building a real community? Please leave a comment below!
Marketing Explained 
Emma, these tips really works, I have not tapped some of them yet but I will try those and I felt your techniques will surely workout.
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Thanks for your comment Suresh! I hope you see results it’s so important to engage and build a real community instead of random followers and likes!
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