One of the most common questions we get
asked by our clients is ‘how can we build our followers online?’. You could be
busy creating the best content on your Facebook page for example, but no-one’s
finding it. The solution isn’t straightforward, but there are a few basic
principles you can follow to build the community around your brand. The most
important thing you must remember is not to get dazzled by the numbers or to
start a race to the top with your competitors. It’s about the quality of the
community you’re building, and how engaged they are with your brand.
You find that many brands have set up a
Twitter account, Facebook page or business blog, and these die a slow and very
public death. They’ve made a few updates and haven’t continued with it because
they’re not seeing the immediate return. It’s easy to fall into this trap and
it’s certainly frustrating when you start out, as it feels like you’re talking
and no-one’s listening. It’s tough, but you have to keep it up!
Use your assets
One of the biggest advantages FMCG
brands have when it comes to social media, is the amount of people that are out
there consuming your product every day. Make the most of this, and make it work
for your social media channels. Many brands are now starting to optimise their
existing packaging to drive through online. Where once the consumer journey may
have ended at the point of consumption, you now have the ability to drive that
consumer through to social media and keep the conversation going. The beauty of
it is that if they like what they see, they start to tell their friends and you
find your community growing organically. One of the first examples of a
high-profile FMCG brand doing this was Pepsi, when they added their Twitter url
to the side of their Pepsi Raw cans
They experimented with this back in
2009 and many companies are now following suit. There’s much more potential
here than just sticking on a Facebook or Twitter url for the sake of it. Think
about what would really drive your consumers through to your social media
channels, for example offering them a discount or advertising a competition. If
you do this smartly, you’ll find it’s a lot more beneficial and may become a
talking point in itself.
When thinking about your assets you
should also consider what you have online, that can be used to build the
community through social media. If you have a regular newsletter for example,
then why not add your social profiles on there? Add your Facebook page or
Twitter account to your website and show people the latest conversation about
your brand. Again give people a reason to click through - offer them something
extra that incentivises them to connect with your brand.
Social Advertising
This is an area that’s growing in
popularity for many brands, and again it comes down to the idea of using what
you’ve already got but getting an extra bang for your buck by driving it
through to social media. We’re not just talking about putting a Facebook logo
at the end of your TV ad, but making social media an integrated part of the ad
itself. This is something that Uni ball experimented with earlier this year,
when they ran an ad campaign that directed people to their Facebook page, where
they were giving away 10,000 pens.
When thinking about social advertising,
remember what you want to prioritise. Many people criticised Uni ball at the
time because everything was directed to Facebook as opposed to their website.
If their aim was to drive up Facebook fans though, then the campaign worked!
Think about how big a part you want your social media to play and this will
help to focus your efforts.
It’s important to remember that you
can’t expect social media to run by itself. It should function as part of an
integrated marketing strategy, where it can be supported by - or enhance -
other vehicles such as your website, direct marketing, billboards etc. You
can’t expect people to go out of their way to find you, so give them a little
helping hand.
For more information please contact Simply Zesty or email hello@simplyzesty.com or phone +353 (0) 1 210 8127 or +44 (0) 20 8133 8127
