Why Your Social Media Community Is Like a Bad Breakup?

Welcome to the world of social media, where your social media community is like a new relationship that you want to make work.

You want your customers to love you just as much as you love them, but sometimes things just don’t go as planned.

Just like any relationship, your brand’s online community requires effort, communication, and a little bit of finesse.

Unfortunately, not all brands have what it takes to make their social media community thrive.

Don’t let your brand be the one to mess up the love story.

What goes wrong?

They Won’t Commit if You Don’t

For a brand community, you need to do more strategic work upfront to get your customers to work with you and to go beyond the act of buying your products/services.

In this case, your brand is like those starry-eyed lovers eager to connect with their customers and create a lasting relationship.

But just like any relationship, it takes more than just showing up for the first date to make it work.

Examples of different brand community failures:

• EasyJet’s community which was actually a blog, and the link no longer works.
• BBC’s “Soup” – a community for aspiring comedians is no longer found.
• PBS Learning Media community for teachers. Today it features resources but doesn’t have a place for members to interact.
• Sony’s VAIO Nation (for new and established artists) community, but the link has vanished today.

So, basically, a brand community is impossible to succeed.

**** THE END****

Just kidding…

That’s where social media community management comes in. It’s the foundation for any successful brand-customer relationship.

Without it, your brand may find itself in a one-night stand of a social media relationship, where customers just like a couple of posts, make an occasional purchase, and then never look back.

But if you want to get your customers invested beyond the act of buying, you need to put in the effort and commitment.

Social Media Community Management Fails

• Tone-Deaf Posts

A tone-deaf post can ruin a good thing, just like a bad joke on a first date. Make sure you understand your customers and the tone that resonates with them before you hit that “post” button.

• Unanswered Messages

Ignoring messages is not only rude, but it can also impact your social media community engagement as well as the trust in your brand.

• Vague, Poorly Worded Replies

Responding with vague and poorly worded replies to comments or complaints is like sending a one-word response to an entire professional email. It’s not enough, and it won’t cut it. Take the time to craft thoughtful and genuine responses.

• Not Talking To Your Customers Like People

Treating your customers like numbers instead of individuals is another social media community management failure. It’s impersonal and unengaging. Make sure you’re talking to your customers like the real people they are. (?)

• Brand-Driven Advertising

Too much brand-driven advertising can be a turn-off for your customers, so mix it up and allow your customers to share their thoughts and opinions.

• Choosing the Wrong Platforms

Make sure you understand where your customers are and choose the platforms that resonate with them.

• No Clear Purpose

Without a clear and compelling purpose, your social media community management is without direction. Make sure you have a clear goal in mind and communicate it to your customers.

• No Incentives

Whether intrinsic or extrinsic, incentives are like the cherry on top of a great relationship. They keep things interesting and engaging. Make sure you’re providing incentives for your customers to stay involved.

• No Ongoing Strategic Energy

Relationships require effort and energy to grow and mature, and so does your community. Make sure you have an ongoing strategy in place to help your social media community engagement grow.

Bottom Line

What to remember from this blog?

Treat your customers like individuals instead of numbers; focus on them and not your brand, and you’ll be sure to succeed.

No more ghosting, no more vague replies, and definitely no more tone-deaf posts.

It’s time to build a social media community that’s worth committing to.