One question I constantly hear from my clients is;
“How do I find where my customers are most actively discussing my brands online?”
The brand has gotten involved with Facebook and they monitor Twitter on a regular basis, but they are searching for more. Who can blame them? How many times can we see these people on Twitter talking about #WhenIwasYounger or on Facebook updating their profile picture with yet another duck face? There is value in every post, this we know to be true. But where do people talk about the brands in the most affective way?
The problem is that we are not looking for conversations in the right places. The biggest fans are publishing videos, adding reviews and stars, checking in, and showing how the brand works for them on many different Social Networks. We have spread beyond the walls of Facebook and Twitter and are now YouTube Producers and Flickr photographers. We have so many DailyBooth updates and check-in so many times that we should be Governors, not just Mayors.
Searching Social Networks
The answer is to dig deep. Shovel down into the depths of all the niche sites where your customers could be. This is where we will find the best insight. There are so many Social Networking Sites that should be evaluated for branded content and conversations
For example; my favorite running shoes are Asics. Not because they are cool or pretty but because they are the most comfortable to run in. I have loved running in these shoes for so long that I have even documented every time I have bought a new pair in pictures on my DailyBooth account.
New Brand Opportunities
People love running in these shoes so much that they take pictures of all of the pairs they own on Flickr. People love this brand so much, they have discovered new ways to appreciate them and they post about new uses for the shoes on YouTube, with demonstrations! Findings like this are priceless. It opens up channels of new opportunity and offers a new target market that has already been established on a Social Network.
In five minutes of research we are able to determine four main aspects of successful Social Media research. We can identify those advocates who have Conversations, Images, Video, and Location with our brand. These are the true fans of our brand. They might not buy twenty pairs of sneakers a year but they are they voice of the brand online, within niche Social Networks. Our new goal is to not project marketing messages to the general public but to pay special attention to these Evangelists and keep them on a continuous path of Broadcasting their love for the product.
Voice of the Brand
These will be the new ringleaders of the brand circus on these networks. They are very important people and should be treated as the Voice of the Brand. Most people don’t want to see a brand update their FourSquare account or take DailyBooth pictures of their products, therefore this is the only way the brand can be present in these spaces. When doing research, the brand needs to think like their fans and no longer like a marketing department. How does an Asics shoe lover update his or her network? He or she might use words like ”Joggers” or “Trainers“.
It is important to seek out the people who LOVE the brand first and pay attention to their wants and needs for them to carry the message. Making them a Role model for brand advocates to follow. This is true “Word Of Mouth” within Social Media. The brand can only participate so much before it becomes awkward. Let the fans do the talking and sit back and enjoy the show!
BTW – be sure to follow BlueGlass on Twitter and join us on Facebook!
Great post and spot on – the true believers / brand advocates arent the ones “Like’ing” you on facebook or retweeting you on Twitter – they are the conversation starters and the ones other people look to for info.
The real challenge is not finding these people – it is creating them.
Kieran,
Thanks so much for the comment!
I agree creating advocates on social networks takes a lot of trial and effort. Dedicating a set number of hours to researching how people are most comfortable speaking about your brand is probably the most affective way to promote and create more people to follow in their footsteps.
Finding, identifying and creating advocates (and even evangelists) for a brand is hard work. Your blog makes good points about ‘digging deeper’. Many of our clients are simply struggling with keeping up with all their fans and they miss out on energizing their brand advocates. It is also easy to miss out on opportunities to create advocates by showing great customer service.
Using tools such as MutualMind helps these brands to intelligently analyze their existing customer base on social media and to monitor the web to find others.
Babar
Thanks Babar!
Definitely is no easy tasks and requires us to have Patience. Digging deeper is so important in uncovering the information we need to find and sometimes do not want to find!
Steph
Great Post, Creating advocates is no easy task. Persistence will open the road ahead.
Stephanie,
Excellent post and a must-read for anyone in the business. I definitely agree that ” the brand needs to think like their fans and no longer like a marketing department.”
There are also a number of analytic programs that help brands target and engage with customers that might be helpful in turning brand advocates into believers.
- Justin
hi sinulla suuri Sivusto . Kiitos! Kerron joku sinulle blogi . !