3 Ways Going Dark on Social Can Affect Your Brand

In this highly digitalized world, brands compete for attention with social media platforms functioning as the premier front where this plays out. It may seem easy to get lost in internet space or difficult to foster a digital presence, but  “going dark” means many missed opportunities for brands. Read below for three benefits of maintaining a strong social presence.

 

1. Going dark reduces brand identity and customer trust

Social media fosters a neighborhood in your pocket, providing the unique opportunity to strike a connection with people you’ve never met. And more importantly in the marketing world, it informs loyalties and shapes spending choices. One study showed that 61% of consumers trust recommendations made to them by influencers on social media¹. Frequent posts keep brands afloat in this competitive industry, communicating competency and trustworthiness.

Media algorithms favor consistency and post variety, so strive for both as a minimum. Consider the type of message you want to promote and align content with those objectives. Sprout recommends studying the industry average to know how often to post, which translates to at least one post a day and often more depending on the platform².  Through consistent posting, brands encourage more interaction and this boosts the algorithm and increases visibility and website traffic.

 

2. Going dark forfeits helpful market analysis

Maintaining a social media presence gives you access to different metrics that help gauge the vitality of your brand and its market. Targeted posts enable a brand to hone in on a specific market, while post impressions quickly relay the popularity of different products and their usages. Social media management platforms like Sprout provide generated reports that identify successful strategies and help brands monitor their competition. Combined, these tools give brands a critical view of the market and its emerging potential.

 

3. Going dark misses out on strategy opportunities to strengthen connections

Media creation directs conversation surrounding your brand and guides user interest towards your products or services. A full-funnel media strategy reaches customers at all points of the spectrum in their buying journey, from curious potential to committed partner. A study revealed that 60% of customers alone used Facebook to access customer service, demonstrating the vast potential that social media provides to meet customer needs³. 

In order to reach an expanded base, consider several options. Seasonal content (advertising for specific goals) and sustained content (overall approach) both touch on different marketing goals. Cross-platform integration ensures that you’re reaching the widest customer base possible. By responding to comments and maintaining private message inquiries, brands boost their exposure while demonstrating awareness of customer needs.

 

How We Can Help

Implementing a strong social media strategy builds customer rapport and tailors your service or products to the industry you compete in. At ColinKurtis, we use forward-thinking applications to help our clients create, maintain and grow a strong digital presence. Contact Mitch Robinson at Mitch@colinkurtis.com or call 815-965-6657 EXT. 1 to learn how we can build a strong plan with your future business goals in mind.

 

Blog post from:

Matt Hensler
Chief Marketing Officer

 

Sources

¹https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/consistent-posting-creators

²https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-often-to-post-on-social-media/

³https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-often-to-post-on-social-media/