Building a social media community is not like traditional advertising. Your audience is no longer a nameless mass.
They are a growing swell of real people who are invested in your brand. Online followers keep track of your brand, comment on the articles, and join in your discussions. They attend events, compete in contests, and they bring their friends and family into the fold. In other words, your audience is not a group of unknown strangers. They really are a part of your community.
Audience Relationship is a Two-Way Street
And one interesting development about this community is the value of ‘behind the scenes’ content. When you’re building an online community, it’s about more than just promotion and results. You’re building a relationship with each person and the group as a whole. And relationships are a two-way street. Just as you genuinely want to know the thoughts and motivations of your following, they actually want to know more about you as well. Today, we’re here to talk about how to enhance your connection with your audience by sharing insider details about your team, brand, and process. You might be surprised just how interested your audience will be.
Build The Connection
Ask yourself, what is the biggest difference between inbound marketing and traditional marketing? It’s the connection. Inbound and social media marketing invite your audience to learn on their own, reach out to you, and become a part of the brand experience. A major part of that is learning about your brand as more than just a logo and marketing style. They get into discussions with your social media team, join you in celebratory events, and get invested in interesting changes in the company.
Your audience isn’t just marketed to, they get invested. And part of that investment is an interest in what’s going on behind the curtain as well. You constantly invite your audience to share personal stories and get involved in discussions. By sharing something ‘personal’ about your brand or team, you are completing that connection loop and creating room for a deeper connection with your audience.
Share the Nitty-Gritty
The biggest question is what kind of behind-the-scenes information and updates your audience will be interested in. It might surprise you just how many things your audience will be happy to know. Just think about how popular shows like ‘How Its Made’ or ‘Dirty Jobs’ has become. People really want to know the nitty-gritty of your work, as long as you share the passion and intensity of the work as well.
Your audience is very likely to be fascinated by what goes into making your products or providing your service. Glimpses of factories at work have always been entrancing and handmade processes are equally interesting. Show them a time-lapsed video of 3D modeling with the designer narrating their process. Or show them the factory floor and interview engineers on how it all works.
Whatever your process, let your audience in behind the curtain to see how it works. This can become the fodder for dozens of articles, interesting pictures, and social video content.
Get Personal
Of course, your audience isn’t just interested in your brand’s technical details. They’re also getting invested in your team as people. No doubt, your social media manager is already building a rapport, but the rest of your team is equally welcoming. The best way to introduce your production team to the audience is to share little victories.
If one of your team members gets a new puppy, make a new social video or blog article about it. If there someone has a baby, gets married, is promoted or hired. Any good news in the office can become a reason for your audience to celebrate with you. And they will celebrate.
Share Your Expertise
Finally, don’t forget that inside your company are industry experts with loads of useful information to share. Even if your experts are not great content-creators. Interviewing your programmers, engineers, and service staff can be a great source of inbound marketing content your audience will love. Especially if your industry expert brings their passion for the subject.
Don’t just make it topical, focus on the human connection between the expert and the audience. Help your audience get to know your experts and feel invested in the work they create. The next time they use your product, they may think ‘I know the person who designed this. It has this handle because that person was thinking about my ease of use’.
Why Going Behind the Scenes Matters
When you build a relationship with your audience, they want to know about more than the next sale. Your following wants to connect with the team, understand your process, and get invested in your brand. Welcome them by opening up your campaign to show what it’s like ‘behind the scenes’. Take a camera around the office and show off your goofy lunch break routines. Interview everyone about their job in the company, share victories, and show off what production is like. Your audience will be fascinated and when they understand your team, they will be more invested than ever.
