Social media is being used by virtually everyone these days, and marketers from around the world are scrambling to determine how to best take advantage of everything that it has to offer. One of the primary points that seems to have obtained universal approval is that the key to success with social media is empathy.
This is because social media is different from other methods of communicating with consumers as the power belongs to the audience as opposed to the speaker. You need to provide the consumer with a reason to care. Social media must be used to provide the audience with just what it wants by connecting with them.
There are some important steps that can be followed in order to accomplish this goal:
• Form an identity – you need to know who you are in order to communicate with consumers. Your business or brand should have its own personality. Be consistent with your language, perception, offerings, and recommendations. The audience should feel that your social media identity is a “person” to whom they can relate.
• Know your target market – it is important to understand precisely who falls into your target market group. This way, you will be able to speak directly to the type of person who is most likely to become a first time or repeat customer. By addressing these individuals more specifically, they will be able to feel a stronger connection with you.
• Pay attention to your audience – learn how to “listen” when you receive responses to your posts or other social media content. This will help your audience to feel that you are paying attention to their needs, and that they are forming a relationship with your company and not just reading one-sided announcements.
