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Social media has revolutionized the way businesses interact with their customers and followers. Nowadays, it’s not just about selling products or services, but also about building relationships and establishing trust with your audience.
This is where an effective social media plan comes in. By implementing the right strategies, businesses can engage with their customers and followers on a deeper level, which can lead to increased brand loyalty and advocacy. Below, 10 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the different social media strategies any business can use to build better relationships with their customers and why they are so effective at doing so.
Post Regularly
Being in the small mountain town of Red River, New Mexico (population: 450), we post pictures on a regular basis to our local community hub and for the followers (tourists) to keep them excited about what’s going on in our area. We have 500,000 tourists annually for skiing, fishing, hiking and ATV riding, so it’s effective in engaging the tourists so they can see what’s new, how the weather is, where live music is and when and more. – Mike Parham, Bearly Awake Coffee and Adventure
Be Genuine
While we look to social media trends for inspiration, we work very hard to always be nothing more than ourselves as employees, owners and as a brand. People are becoming fatigued and turned off by portrayals of perfection in social media. When we are real and genuine, our connections with our followers are real and genuine — and more lasting. Those lasting, loyal relationships build our success. – Buck Wimberly, ULAH, LLC / ULAH Interiors + Design, LLC
Inspire Through Value
Consistently provide valuable information that helps followers answer a question or solve a problem. Mix it up by using video, graphics, blog posts, audio and any other creative visual means. Inspire and followers will return for more. – Mark Paulda, Mark Paulda & Co
Connect With Your Followers
Connecting with everyone, including your most recent followers, is always important. If someone shows love to one of your posts, you should never shy away from showing love back. They followed you or your business for a reason. Sometimes it’s important to find out why, and that can lead to more fruitful business and consumer relationships in the future. – Christian Anderson (Trust’N), Lost Boy Entertainment LLC
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
Share Your Passion
Over time, I realized people just wanted to genuinely know us, so being authentic on social media and sharing our “unedited” passion for what we do has become a habit. People feel connected and they feel like they are connecting with people, not a brand. This translates to authentic interactions and then to the dedicated brand following. – Michael Kennedy, Component Wine Company
Use Interactive Content
I use interactive content. This could be polls, quizzes, surveys or live Q&A sessions. This allows me to understand my audience better and gives them a platform to interact with me directly and ask questions or provide feedback. It also allows me to build trust, loyalty and credibility with my audience, which helps build strong relationships. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
Cultivate User-Generated Content
If you want people to literally and figuratively buy what you’re selling, believe it yourself. People gravitate toward honesty and authenticity; social media is no different. Share and reshare real stories. Real people represented online are preferred, so cultivate user-generated content and, if applicable, offer exclusive looks behind the scenes, showing transparency and confidence in your brand. – Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy
Balance Aesthetics, Humor and Compelling Content
Understand the balance between aesthetics, humor and compelling content, which encourages engagement and healthy dialogue. A term I often use for creating success in social media is “ecosystem.” Find what allows your ecosystem to thrive and nourish it whenever possible. – Jennifer Sodini, Evolve and Ascend
Use Social Listening
Use social listening to build customer relationships. Make customers choose the brand’s social media channels to address their concerns and seek solutions. This is where brands can level up and improve their service. Resolving customers’ grievances online through Instagram or Twitter will not only help you build strong relationships, but it will also increase your audience’s trust in your brand. – Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day
Take the Time to Simply Respond
So often we overthink this when it’s really quite simple. As with most things, it comes down to communication. Simply respond. People want to feel heard, and they don’t take the time to interact with your content to be ignored. If they post a problem, respond immediately with a solution. – Cate Rubenstein
