A recent article by eMarketer.com reported that a December 2009 survey by MarketingSherpa found that while brands use social media marketing to engage and build a following, those followers are expecting something in return for their friendship. Nearly 64% said they followed a specific brand to learn about sales and specials, while 62% said they want to be in the know about new products, services or features.
How can your brand utilize this information in your own social media marketing campaigns? Let’s look at some possibilities.
- Offer insider or follower-only discounts. Reward those people who have taken the extra step of finding and following your brand on social media sites by offering them special discounts.
- Send out early alerts. Turn your fans and followers into true brand evangelizers by giving them a preview of new services or products before word of those things hit the street.
- Create a brand panel of especially active and engaged fans or followers and offer them the opportunity to test drive new products or services pre-release. Ask them for candid feedback on any improvements you could make. When that feedback is valid and insightful, take their advice and make changes. Thank them. Treat this elite group as the very special brand ambassadors that they can be.
- Hold special events for fans and followers. These can be virtual or live or a combination of both. The point is to reward those who have invested time in your brand and make sure they know you value their loyalty. Give respect to get loyalty.
- Check in with your followers regularly to monitor your brand reputation and address any concerns immediately. Make sure that these important people are heard whenever they speak directly to you.
What is your brand doing to reward your fans or followers? Are you helping them create conversations about you? We’d like to hear your story.
