4 Tips to Make Your Consumer A Co-Author in Your Brand’s Story
A brand is defined by its consumer base; without a loyal audience, a brand simply cannot exist. With that in mind, it is probably in your best interest to keep those consumers happy.
When your audience plays an active role in your brand’s story, they are not only maintaining their initial interest in the brand, but also helping to forge its future. By engaging your consumer, you help to stimulate an emotional connection between them and your company, which makes them far more likely to continue to invest in your brand moving forward. Consumers are expressing their own priorities when engaging with your brand. Keep an open dialogue and listen to their thoughts and ideas – you will develop a working relationship with them while also learning more about which marketing strategies are most effective. And now for the million-dollar question – how do you keep your consumers engaged? Here are 4 tips to keep your audience involved in your brand.
1. Ask Them. (And Listen!)
By asking your consumer questions about your brand, you invite them into your brand’s identity. This strategy lends itself perfectly to social media, where raising an open-ended question about your brand can ignite conversation on user feeds and comment sections. Reaching out to your audience with clever questions will help generate social media impressions and keep your existing audience engaged in discussion. It also opens the door to new potential consumers who may never have heard of your company prior to being tagged by a friend’s post or comment. Here are a few questions to consider when engaging with your audience:
How often do you engage with your audience and how much is too much? You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with a barrage of content all at once; however, you do want to keep them consistently engaged in your brand’s growth and informed about future directions.
Where do you engage with your audience and which platforms are most effective? Find the best platform for your company. While social media may be the best way to reach certain audiences, some brands may find alternative marketing strategies more effective. Whatever the platform, it is essential to ask your consumer questions and listen to their stories about their experience with your brand.
2. Do it Live!
Hold or participate in an event to give your consumers a platform to express their ideas, concerns, and feelings towards your brand. This strategy is far more than a gambit to pull in new customers; think of it as a “down payment” on future revenue. An interactive live event will generate excitement, which will in turn cause your audience to associate their positive experience at the event with your brand. This gives people an opportunity to feel like they are part of your company through participating in various fun activities, purchasing memorabilia, and interacting with representatives associated with your brand. Using experiential marketing in your company’s efforts to connect with its consumers will pay off both in the short term and the long term. Showing appreciation for the loyal fan base that makes your success possible is a savvy investment in the future of your brand.
3. Choose an Influencer
It pays to choose an influencer or spokesperson whose image matches your brand’s ethos. Influencers are becoming more and more important in establishing a brand and reinforcing its vision. Choosing an influencer who can provide unique content that showcases their personality while still communicating your company’s brand message can be an extremely effective way to emphasize your brand’s personality to your audience. In some cases, an influencer can be given full creative expression, simply leveraging their star power and pre-existing fan base to spread your brand message and bring in new business for your company. But be sure to choose wisely! Set clear standards for your influencer’s behavior, as unwelcome controversy could potentially jeopardize your company’s reputation. Your company’s integrity must always be kept in mind when using an influencer for content.
4. Become Part of a Movement
Affiliate your company with a current concept that is relevant to your brand’s message. This shows your consumers that you are in tune with current trends and topics relating to your brand and encourages them to team up with you to do the same! A simple hashtag on social media or endorsement on your website for an issue or topic that your brand is passionate about can speak volumes as to what ethics your company values and reinforces what message you are trying to convey to your consumer and the public while simultaneously giving your audience a chance to be involved in the interaction. Why does consumer engagement matter?
Engaging more often and more effectively with your audience will both strengthen your relationship with your fan base and educate you on what marketing strategies are resonating with them. In the end, engaged consumers who feel appreciated will be more likely to feel an emotional connection to your brand and will remain loyal customers in the future.