Your company has a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page that seem to be humming along with systematic posting — good content, lots of followers, but zero comments, reviews and sales.
If you are looking for something more than a simple thumbs up, then you have to stir something in the audience to take action. I’m assuming you already use call to actions, but if not, I’ll make it #6 on my list below.
It’s emotion that moves us to act. The goal is not necessarily to get your followers to feel, but rather to want — and to act on that want. Use these five tips to guide your strategy:
1. Vivid storytelling (our Brand Poets backbone): Use humor, compassion, and empathy. For those of you who read the Facebook posts from Pant Suit Nation, those are the kind of stories that appeal to the core values of the readers.
2. Show, don’t tell: Tell your brand story through images and videos. Put your products and services in context so that with one glance the reader relates.
3. Incentivize: Everyone loves a deal. Set up a campaign that has a finish date and clear goal in mind. Whether it’s to add followers or sell product, keep it simple. For example, Nordstrom did a “Like it to lower the price” campaign. For every 10,000 likes they’d lower the price 10 percent up to 30 percent off.
4. Appeal to many but speak to one — your buyer persona: I’m sure you have wonderful customers that you interact with often. They provide valuable feedback regarding your company’s products and services. Think about them as you’re writing your next blog article. Talk to them like you’re sitting across the dinner table from one another. One-on-one communication is much more intimate and engaging than a mega-horn.
5. Ask the right question: Sounds easy right? Is there a hot topic your audience wants to hear your opinion about? Give it to them with a solid perspective and ask them if they agree why/why not. Encourage a healthy debate.
6. Clear call to action (otherwise know as CTA’s): Always have a next step in mind when speaking to your audience — do you want them to go to the website? If so, a “click here to visit the website” is okay, but a better CTA would be a button with the words “Get Your Free Month Now.”
Do you have any other unique tips or tricks that you’ve used in the past to connect with your audience emotionally? I’d love to hear about them and if they were effective or not. Thanks for your comments!
About Brand Poets
Brand Poets, founded by Tana M. Llinas, is a collective of strategists, storytellers and digital artisans, crafting smart, poignant campaigns that command attention. www.BrandPoets.com
