Make your content marketing a social consumer engagement experience
Oh hey friends! I hope you’re enjoying my 5-part blog series linking EAST behavioural insight theory to content marketing campaigns. This is number 4 – all about making sure your content marketing campaign is social by focussing on consumer engagement! If you’re just joining us, feel free to start from the beginning – take a look at an overview of EAST, check out some ways to make engaging with your brand easy, look at how to make an attractive content marketing campaign, and meet me back here. I can wait 🙂
Up to speed? Excellent.
So, let’s get started on today’s topic – making your content marketing campaign more engaging by making it social! The social element to consumer behaviour is really interesting, and can be a really powerful factor in a strategic marketing plan. What ‘social’ is all about, in this context, is influencing behaviour by positioning your brand as something that the elusive ‘everyone’ is talking about, buying, using, and loving.
The idea is this: people like to feel included. Most people – most consumers – want to feel as though they are part of a larger group of like-minded people. Nobody likes to feel like they are missing out on something that everyone else is involved in. There’s a reason #FOMO was/is such a big deal – it’s because it is a big deal for the majority of people.
One of the aims of any brand that wants to be popular and successful should be to become that thing that everyone is talking about. Using a targeted content marketing campaign is a fantastic way to do this.
How, you ask? Right this way, friend…
Show and tell
Just like in preschool! Except, you know, not necessarily talking about what you did on the weekend (although, that can actually work). Show your potential customers when other people are interacting with your brand. A prime example of this is the not-so-humble Facebook page. Facebook makes it easy to see who else is interested in whatever or whoever it is you’re casually stalking, which influences you to make that a permanent connection. When 27 of your friends already like this / follow her / are friends with him, you are much more likely to like, follow or friend as well. It’s way more socially acceptable to like something that everyone else likes. That’s why there’s a counter with pictures of mutual connections at the top of each page. People want to know that they’re doing ‘the thing’ that everyone else is doing.
So how can you utilise this? Social media helps. Most of the platforms that we are all familiar with will pretty much do this for you – but you have to be present! I can’t stress this enough – there is no point having social media if you aren’t going to use it! Make your social media presence a priority, include it in your marketing plan, and actively participate. There is a lot to be said for engaging in dialogue with the people who interact with your brand in a public forum. It makes your brand appear more human, friendly, and customer-focussed. Utilise your comments! They are pure consumer engagement gold.
Network, network, network
I’ve talked about networking before. I know all the stigmas around it, because I’ve thought them all myself at one time or another. But let’s be realistic – humans are social beings. We crave connection; we want to be part of things. A good content marketing strategy will include consumer engagement as a key indicator of success. What’s an easy way to increase engagement? Make your brand, and your online content, relevant to what your target audience is talking about. Then give them something else to talk about – you. Relevant, shareable content will move more easily through an existing network. Sound like common sense? That’s because it is 😉
Another way to use networks to increase the social element of your content marketing is to be the one that creates and maintains that network. On the scary-giant-difficult end, that might look like creating a whole new social media platform. Over here in content marketing land, it’s about consumer engagement. Remember that even the little things are still an important part of a content marketing strategy. Responding to comments. Inviting people to be part of your email marketing campaign. Creating an online group, where like-minded people can share ideas and talk about your product or service. Finding people who are interested in what you do, and then talking to them.
To be honest, this could be as simple as creating a hashtag and asking people to use it to discuss a certain topic. That, in itself, is you creating a network. Jimmy Fallon does it every single week on the Tonight Show – the simple stuff works. Facilitate that conversation – it is most definitely worth your while.
Ask people to commit
Ah, commitment. It’s a wondrous and terrifying concept. It’s also a great way of getting people to actively participate, talk about it, and ask their friends to come along. The thing about commitment, however, is that it has to be voluntary. Commitment is a choice. Otherwise it’s not commitment – it’s force.
So let’s get this out of the way first. There can be slightly negative connotations to commitment. It is a concept that can be associated heavily with guilt and obligation. For example – think of gym memberships. You’ve bought the frickin’ thing, it lasts forever and is impossible to get out of, you probably did an Instagram post about your newfound #fitspo #gains #goalsfordayz in your activewear. You’re basically committed to #shredlyfe. Forever. If you don’t stick with it, you’re letting everyone down; you’re letting the team down. At least, that’s what it feels like.
Well, that’s what I feel like #epicfail
But you want your brand to be positive! Just because I am a gym-failure, doesn’t mean that everyone has that experience. So let’s be positive about commitment, because it can work for you as part of your content marketing strategy. Publicly committing to something and asking for the support of others can be a great motivator.
So – give people something to commit to! It can be as easy as asking them to be a part of a campaign by sharing a post. If you have a service offering that includes programs of classes or products, create an online joining list and ask everyone who signs up to share it in their networks.
Commitment is also about relationships – so make a long-term relationship more appealing. Give people something back when they commit to your brand. That’s what store reward cards are; a reward for spending a certain amount of money over a certain period of time, based on the implicit understanding that this person has committed to purchasing from your brand.
Consumer engagement is the cornerstone of social
This is kind of an obvious statement, but it’s worth making. Even though ‘social’ in this context is more about making something socially acceptable, utilising networks and normalising behaviour – none of this is possible without engaging with people in an effective way.
I’m a consumer engagement cheerleader.
You should be, too.
Whoomp, there it is!
So that’s my take on the social element of EAST, and how it can be applied to content marketing (and, let’s be honest, just brand engagement in general). For my next and final installment in this series, I’m going to cover the last element of EAST theory: timely. It’s an important one, so don’t give up on me now!
Like it? Lump it? Something in between? Let’s hear it! Leave me a comment, sling me a line, or throw me a pity-like 😉
Image credits:
Giphly: How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Universal Pictures (2000)
Skit Box and Van Vuuren Bros: Activewear (still, 2015)
