Social media branding and marketing require more than just keeping up with the latest trends and challenges. While it’s essential to incorporate some of these elements into your strategy, they shouldn’t be the sole focus.
Recently, I had an intriguing conversation about the importance of hiring someone who stays updated on social media’s latest trends and challenges to elevate brand name recognition. The idea is to leverage trending topics to increase exposure.
While generating thousands or millions of likes may make a brand feel good, it doesn’t necessarily convert into loyal followers.
Building brand loyalty requires more than just going viral or getting millions of likes. Creating content that stops people from scrolling and piques their interest in your brand is crucial. The ultimate goal of any social media campaign should be to create brand fanatics and loyal followers who visit your website and engage with your brand.
Rather than being a follower, it’s better to be a trendsetter and leader, like Apple. Working with a diverse group of social media talents to create and build trends is a more interesting approach for brand marketers than solely focusing on following trends.
It’s okay to have some fun with trends that align with your brand’s needs, but it’s essential to remain true to your brand, message, and growth. It’s much more valuable to gain a thousand loyal followers who purchase your products and spread the word than to get ten million likes without any follow-up action.
Here are some real-world examples of companies that have succeeded in building brand loyalty by creating engaging content and leading trends:
- Wendy’s: The fast-food chain Wendy’s is known for its snarky social media presence. They have gained millions of followers by creating funny and engaging content that pokes fun at their competitors while remaining true to their brand identity.
- Dollar Shave Club: Dollar Shave Club has built a massive following by creating humorous and relatable content that resonates with their target audience. Their “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” viral video campaign helped them stand out in a crowded market.
- Nike: Nike has been leading trends for decades. They consistently release innovative products that push the boundaries of what’s possible, and their marketing campaigns focus on inspiring their customers to achieve greatness.
- Red Bull: Red Bull has built a massive following by sponsoring extreme sports events and creating engaging content around them. They have built a reputation as a brand that supports and celebrates extreme sports, and their marketing campaigns reflect that.
- Glossier: Glossier is a beauty brand that has built a massive following on social media by creating a community around their products. They encourage their customers to share their experiences using their products, and they feature user-generated content in their marketing campaigns.
All of these brands have been successful in building brand loyalty by creating engaging content, leading trends, and staying true to their brand identities.
