Why should you take this into account in your Social Media Strategy

Social networks have irreversibly transformed communication

One thing is certain: just scroll through our Instagram feed, read some comments on Facebook or "swipe" the videos on Tik Tok, to realize that we focus exclusively on something that entertains us, that is useful to us, that intrigues us or entertains us and simply allows us to "unplug".

At the marketing level this it means that we are no longer willing to accept content passively, as happens for example when we happen to see an advertising billboard in the car.

People want to interact with other non-branded people

Whether you are a restaurant, a fashion brand, a travel agency or a company that sells services, if you have decided to enter the world of social media marketing, this is a fact that you cannot ignore.

Just think that today more than 70% of consumers report that their purchases are influenced by photos, videos and reviews from previous buyers.

What this data tells us? We no longer trust what a brand offers us: however well he can tell us, it will never be as real and sincere as a photo or video shared by people like us!

Social media leaves more and more space to the user

So much is all this true that, for example, Instagram announced an update that will see a new "Favorites" section, which will include only the posts of a list of accounts selected by us.

Faced with all this, it seems increasingly difficult for companies aiming at Social Media Marketing to be able to reach new users and potential customers.

User generated content: the opportunity to ride the wave of change

There actually is a great potential behind all of this: be able to involve the public, building a community of users who talk about you through photos, video, articles, comments, reviews.

A very powerful weapon that, In short, viene definita User Generated Content (UGC), or User Generated Content.

How to incentivize users a create this type of media? For instance, rewarding followers who share content about a specific product / service, or by organizing contests asking them to create something!

Just post content, maybe even investing money to promote them, hoping the audience will respond, risks turning out to be a waste of time (and money!).

The UGCs make the user the protagonist, facilitating its large-scale dissemination…and what's more Free!

Example: the Starbucks white cup contest

In 2014 the famous Starbucks coffee chain has launched a contest in the United States, with which customers were invited to embellish their glasses with the typical white color with creative designs and post a photo on Twitter or Instagram.

The winning design among the over 4.000 Participants was released after three weeks as a limited edition.

Caution: UGCs are out of your control

You cannot decide what people will say about you or what they will do once they are invited to action.

For this reason it is fit is essential to take care of and moderate offers, make sure there are no legal implications, and so on.

In this, the figure of a Social Media Manager is essential, which helps to interpret the behavior of the public and understand in which direction to go.