But what Sprout points out is that the real value of social is not based on marketers, but on what consumers say. What do they want, and when do they take action? So consumers want content that helps them in the awareness and consideration stages.
So the value is in increased awareness and 'improved consideration'. That way you build stronger long-term relationships with your audience. These go beyond the click-buy relationship you would have with a sales-focused strategy alone. Because a strategy that is all about promoting your products or services may lead to conversions, but not to long-term relationships with your audience.
The value of your work
Do you ever have conversations with colleagues or managers about social media and ROI? If not, you're certainly not alone. According to Sprout, 60 percent of social marketers say so. And yet it can be so important to get everyone on the same page about what social media contributes to the business. Then everyone understands the value of the channels (and your work).
It goes beyond social media
It makes sense that Sprout, as a social media monitoring tool, focuses on social media. But the focus on brand awareness instead of sales is an interesting consideration for all your marketing efforts. In Effectiveness in Context, Les Binet and Peter Field advocate a budget split of 75 percent for brand awareness and 25 percent for sales activation .
This content helps increase ROI
To build strong, long-term relationships on social that go beyond click-buy, you need to connect people with your brand in a visually compelling way. Remember, consumers are on social media primarily to connect with family and friends. And guess what: what consumers want to see from brands on social channels is different than what marketers post (based on data from 1,251 consumers)
Marketers post on social media:
Storytelling (58%)
Inspiration (53%)
Consumers want to see the following from brands on social media:
Discount promotions (73%)
New products and services (60%)
Posts that teach them something (59%)
sprout social index content types
Image: Sprout Social Index 2018
Of course, the lists from the research are longer, this is the top 3. Striking: the only overlap in this top is the educational buy phone number list post. This sweet spot is in the consideration phase. That means that you should not only let your audience know who you are, but also what you do and what you are an expert in.
You can tell them literally, but you might be better off posting content that makes that clear – claiming thought leadership . So you don’t always have to give your product or service a starring role on social media. You can also provide valuable educational value in other ways. Think of how to’s. Just make sure the content is related to your industry and expertise.
Opening the door with entertainment and inspiration, then carrying audiences across the threshold with education, information about new product offerings and discounts and sales. – Sprout Social Index 2018
Engagement vs. shares
Consumers are more likely to engage with your social content than share it. But there is one exception: inspiring content. If brand awareness and reach are a goal of your content, where you want more engagement than just from your existing followers, then post inspiring and entertaining content. Branded content is best received by consumers when they see it from
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