The suits have been talking a lot about target audience over at Deep Ad Thoughts. How to know your target audience, find your target audience, and how to get your target audience to act. What is there other than that? Well, a lot.
We WOMmers happen to know a lot about how to leverage the web to keep your target audience engaging with you and your brand, getting them to act over and over and spreading the word about you while they’re at it. Here’s six ways to do just that.
1. Campaigns and Promotions
Don’t be on social networks for the sake of being on social networks. Don’t just create online ads for the sake of creating online ads. Sure, there is some value in being present for brand exposure purposes, but at some point, it will get stale. Creating a campaign for your online efforts, just like you’d do in the traditional sense, can help break up the monotony of daily engagement. It will dictate tone and voice, new types of interaction, and creative media shared. The point is — you’ll always offering your audience stuff that’s fresh rather than recycling the same old messages. Bonus points if it goes hand in hand with some offline element.
2. Rewards, duh!
I love free stuff. You love free stuff. We all scream for free stuff. Reward your audience for paying attention. Maybe it is something as simple as a coupon, or maybe it’s a huge giveaway like an iPad or another free product. Your audience will be more apt to participate if they know they might get something they want out of it. But remember, don’t make participation too complicated. “Post your comment for a chance to win a free iPad” works much better than, “Click like, share with eight friends, retweet twice, and move to Alabama for the chance to win a free iPad.”
3. News and Resources
Use your online platforms as a way to help inform or educate your target audience. Bring new industry insights. Share insider news about your brand or things that interest them. Be generous with tips, tricks and best practices. If want you provide your audience with online are things they want and can actually use, they remember you, and keep coming back for more.
4. Fun
Mix it up. Humor goes a long way. On our Chicken Facebook page, we’ve found that people love recipes, but they love lighthearted posts even more. These posts tend to get more impressions, likes, and comments.
5. Customer Service
Part of keeping your target audience engaged is to help them out. Think ComcastCares. If you pay attention to your consumers’ issues and complaints, and then take steps to actually FIX the problem, your consumers will come back time and time again. Not only to have their questions answered, but just to interact and talk with the online face of your brand.
6. Reverse Interaction
Don’t just post every few days on your page. Your online presence isn’t a billboard. Ensure that you are responsive to people participating on your networks. Got a blog with comments? Answer them back. Someone posting on your Facebook page about how much they love you? A ‘thanks’ can go a heck of a long way. Showing some love on the regular is how you turn your target audience into brand enthusiasts.