Reading Time: ~3 Mins | Written By: Mackenzie Bergman
It’s easy for brands, and really all of us, to get caught up in social media metrics and see them as the only way measurement of success. While it’s great to keep an eye on metrics such as followers and number of engagements, it’s also important to consider the sentiment of comments and the community you’re fostering on your social platforms. This can’t always be summed up onto a neat box or represented by a numerical value. Creating community within your social media space is such an important and invaluable tool that is crucial for brands today.
We’ve broken down some of the benefits that come along with online community building as well as examples and tips on how you or your brand can accomplish this through your channels!
Increased Brand Visibility
Building a strong social media community helps increase your brand's visibility. Engaging with followers and sharing valuable content regularly can lead to more exposure and reach for your brand.
Here’s an example of how Cheekbone Beauty takes the opportunity to engage back with all comments on their new Reel.
Audience Engagement
Social media platforms provide a direct line of communication with your audience. By fostering a community, you can engage with your audience in meaningful ways, such as responding to comments, conducting polls, and hosting live Q&A sessions.
Tip: As much as these actions help to boost your content with engagements, it’s also a great way to genuinely learn things about your audience, how you can cater your content or offerings going forward, or just get their thoughts!
Brand Loyalty and Trust
A strong social media community can foster brand loyalty and trust among your followers. When people feel like they are part of a community, they are more likely to trust and remain loyal to the brand.
When people become brand advocates of a brand, they naturally want to engage with the brand’s content and share their excitement - like in this Starbucks Canada example below.
Feedback and Insights
Your social media community can provide valuable feedback and insights into your products or services. By listening to your audience's comments, suggestions, and concerns, you can gain valuable information to improve your offerings.
While it may be difficult for massive brands such as Spotify to act on every request or concern voices in their comment sections, it is a valuable place their customers turn to when they’re looking to have their voice heard:
Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Building a social media community can amplify word-of-mouth marketing. When your followers engage with your content and share it with their networks, it can lead to increased exposure and new followers.
Take a look at this example by Vessi, where they share a video that directly correlates with their brand and mission without pushing any product too hard. This creates a lot of space for their customers to relate to the video and be more apt to share it on their socials if they agree with the sentiment.
This blog has broken down why social media is so much more than vanity metrics and how it can separate the brands that ‘get it’ from the ones that are just looking for a quick follow. Would you add anything to this list? Let us know if you have any best tricks for building community within your social channels - we’d love to hear them!
