Mon 03 Aug 2020
Whether we’re trying to build our networks, share information or just want an outlet for our new favourite gif, we all have our reasons for being on social media. When we’re creating a new campaign or post we decide what we want to achieve and who our audience is. We even dig deep into understanding them, what type of content they like, when they are active on social and even what pop culture topics they’re interested in.
One question that we need to bring to the top of our list (or ask in the first place!) is why should they care? We can spend months creating the most complex omni-channel strategy with the shiniest content, but we won’t connect with our audience if they don’t care about our opinion.
What do we do?
It’s all about trust. It seems relatively obvious to say that if your audience trusts you, they’re more likely to listen to you. But building trust, particularly on the internet, is no small feat. There’s a large variety of factors in being considered trustworthy that involve buy-in from across your organisation. For you, as a communicator, your strength is your voice. Use it to drive the voice of your organisation as open, human and authentic.
You can barely move without bumping into a course or seminar, teaching you how to communicate authentically. Before you lock the word away into your file of banned buzzwords, let’s look at what it means for your organisation. Unfortunately for some, communicating with a human voice starts and ends with an outing of the occasional emoji. The key to being authentic goes back to knowing how to make your audience care. They’ll care, when you show them you do.
Be bold. Create content that shows people why your organisation exists. Don’t tell them what you believe, show them you’re making it happen.
Show people that you are more than a logo, an account, an organisation. You are people with the same values as them, working for the same goals as them and you care about them. It’s when we do this consistently and without expecting a reward that we earn trust.
So why are we telling you?
With half the world’s population on a social media platform, it can feel like we are constantly fighting against a wall of noise to be heard. With an obstacle like that it’s easy to fall into chasing vanity metrics. Be brave to always push for meaningful engagement and create connections across every channel.
So, whatever you’re on social media for, be real, be relevant and remember that people will listen when you give them a reason to.
Unlock the full potential of your channels at the Social Media Conference on 15 October. Bringing together social media and communications leads from across the public sector; you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the latest insights in social media to take back to your organisation.
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