Brands On Social Media: What Do Consumers Want?

We all know that social media has become a mainstay of our lives. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, most of us have at least one app on our smartphones and probably check it multiple times a day.

There’s also the expectation that brands will be on these platforms and will engage with their customers using these channels.

But what kind of content do consumers want to see from brands on social media platforms? Dealer Support recently shared the findings of analysis conducted by OnBuy.com, which explored exactly what people expect from brands on social media. The company delved into a report from Sprout Social, entitled ‘Consumers aren’t looking to buy from brands that are ‘cool’ on social’.

Talking politics, for instance, was one of the worst things a brand could do. However, the news provider pointed out that 71 per cent of people liked it when brands openly discussed world and cultural events.

However, the key is in getting the tone right. People want brands to have discussions about current affairs, but don’t want them to become overly political. When you’re looking at your social media PR , you may therefore want to choose your topics carefully to avoid getting dragged into discussions about politics that you’d prefer to avoid.

While talking politics was one of the most hated behaviours, at the top of the list of things to steer clear of was making fun of consumers, with 88 per cent stating that they dislike this. Using slang and making fun of competitors were also actions that two-thirds of people would prefer brands to avoid.

When it comes to what you should do though, 83 per cent said that they liked brands that used video clips and that responded to questions.

Joining conversations was also named as a good way to engage on social media by 68 per cent of those questioned. Meanwhile, 58 per cent said they liked it when brands shared gifts on social media.

But it’s not all about the content you share. It’s also about the traits your brand portrays in its social media persona. Honesty was the top trait that consumers were looking for, followed closely by friendliness. Helpfulness and humour were also named as good traits for brands to embody.

If you’re struggling with your social media presence, you may want to get some assistance from specialists. You could also try some of the tips offered by an article for Business 2 Community recently.

The news provider noted that posting useful and what it described as “value-rich” content is a better way to boost engagement that constant posts about your products and services.

There’s also nothing wrong with looking at what others are doing on social media, as well as looking back at your past posts and seeing which of these garnered the best response and engagement. Try to emulate those and you’ll have greater success with your social media marketing.

For more advice on perfecting your lead generation , contact Flourish PR today!