In today’s digital age, a lot of companies now incorporate anything tech-related to marketing strategies, business processes, models, and approaches, among others. JSMM Tech is one of the many established digital marketing companies today that integrates business processes, marketing, and promotions with technology, and, according to them, one of the most effective ways on how to sell a product or service is by coming up with marketing plans and strategies.
A marketing strategy refers to any business’ overall, long-term gameplan and approach in reaching out to prospects, with the intent of turning them into customers of the goods, products, or services that specific business provides. Any company’s marketing strategy is broken down into the following:
● value proposition ● key brand messaging ● data and demographics ● other relevant, high-level elements
A marketing strategy is different from a marketing plan. A marketing plan consists of the company’s policies, objectives, and goals toward promoting and selling products or services. On the other hand, marketing strategies are implemented marketing plans or policies, which include action plans, logistics details, and campaigns, to name a few. An effective marketing strategy also means a compelling and authentic social [media] engagement. But, before knowing how or why your marketing strategy must focus on authentic social engagement, here’s a brief definition of what authentic social engagement really is:
What is Authentic Social Engagement?
Basically, social [media] engagement is likened to that of a long-term relationship. Committed and long-term relationships take much dedication, adaptation, adjustments, and the ability to think ahead of the future while ensuring that your partner is happy and secured for the years to come.
Social [media] engagement is just like this. It’s more than just a single and one-time interaction with customers (or prospects), but rather a long-term commitment and engagement. Over time, you tend to create a line of communication and establish a relationship with both your prospects and customers. It takes dedication, adaptation, adjustment, and the ability to think of the bigger picture, just like in relationships.
Now, the word “authentic” is placed just right before the word social, which only means you have to be authentic and transparent as much as possible. Nowadays, customers can easily distinguish whether or not brands are being honest or not. Sometimes, brands tend to sugarcoat on social media and promise more than what they can deliver, and this turns off a lot of customers (and, not to mention, prospects).
After knowing what an authentic social engagement is, it’s time to jump right into distinguishing why your company’s marketing strategy must focus on such.
Builds Customer Trust
As mentioned, both prospects and customers can easily identify whether or not a brand is being transparent with product or service details or not. If prospects and customers find out you're true to what you claim to be or claim to deliver, then you're starting to build customer trust, and even establish a relationship with the customer.
Building customer trust only means you also get higher chances of converting mere, one-time or first time customers into repeat customers, and this says a lot about your brand. More than that, gaining your prospects and customers' trust also enables you to establish consistency all throughout your marketing, promotions, and selling.
Provides Better Customer Support
Let’s say you’re the customer, and you send in feedback or concern regarding a company’s product or service, would you be so happy and excited about a bot notifying you with:
"We value our customers so much, and you’re one of those! Let us serve you better. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can."
Well, generally, no, you wouldn’t be. Authenticity starts with you. Instead of integrating chatbots or automated messages, why not actually allow human interaction? Customers want fast replies and immediate solutions should there be any problem. No amount of bots will ever suffice to address such concerns. Letting a customer service agent take over your socials can help provide better customer support, which makes customers happy!
Exceeds Customer Expectations
It’s so easy to think that customers don’t expect a lot, especially on social media, so you might wonder why should there be a need to invest time, effort, and money on social engagement.
However, this isn’t entirely true. So much of today’s prospects and customers expect an answer or engagement from brands on different social media platforms.
Being authentic, genuine, real, and human-y on social media definitely meets and even exceeds most customers’ expectations. In turn, you’re guaranteed a much higher profit and a possible increase in your conversion rate.
Wrapping Up
Social engagement authenticity is an important marketing strategy in order to gain more prospects and possibly convert them into [repeat] customers. Help your audience the same way you help your company establish a stronger online presence by sharing only the most informative, valuable, and authentic content. On top of that, try to act more genuinely and less robot-like when addressing customer feedback, concerns, and the like. Try to keep everything as consistent as possible because as mentioned, clients love some good brand consistency!
Author’s Bio: Edwin Deponte is a motivational writer who is also passionate about Social Marketing. He believes in others’ abilities and tends to bring out people’s hidden potentials through his words of inspirations and motivational articles.
