How To Make Your Brand Show Up Authentically On Social Media

Whether you work at an agency or are on the brand side, there is always an ask to connect better with one's target audience. Easier said than done, right? The latest data from Social Media Week states that the attention span of consumers is roughly 2.5 seconds. How can we as digital marketers connect authentically with a consumer when you have the same time it takes for a human to take a breath? 

Ensuring your brand's content fits authentically within the platform and providing an engaging experience for your target audience. This blog post will dive deeper into what that means and provide you with actionable steps. 

Understanding The Platforms 

There's a saying I believe in that goes, "Every season serves its purpose." Applying it to social media, it's "Every platform serves its purpose." Before you can create authentic and engaging content, you need to understand why consumers are on that platform in the first place. 

When looking at the most popular social media platforms, there are a few key trends, including: 

• On Facebook, consumers use the app to stay connected to the people in their lives. When everyone and their mother have a Facebook, it's easier to feel close to those we care about. 

• On Instagram, consumers use the app to seek inspiration, be entertained, and get educated on various topics. Many users consider the platform a place for their "best of" moments. Think of moments like engagements or wedding photos, or a big vacation. 

• On TikTok, consumers want to be entertained. TikTok's algorithm works hard to keep you on the feed for as long as possible.

• And on Twitter, consumers look to stay informed as the platform is often the home for breaking news compared to other platforms. 

Whether creating organic or paid content, ensure that the creative matches users' motivations on each platform. If you create content that doesn't align with a specific platform, your brand will disrupt their user experience and, in turn, create a negative association with your brand. 

Just ask David Kavanaugh, VP of Marketing Operations & Planning at Hootsuite, who stated, "The key to social ads is aligning them with the reason people are on the network in the first place. So your brand can enhance that experience instead of being a jarring disruption within it." 

What Are Consumers Looking For in Their Content?

We discussed how brands could show up authentically on social media at the 30,000 ft. level. We now need to understand more of the tactical approaches brands can implement:

We understand that consumers are looking to be educated, entertained, or informed through their social content. Through social content, brands can fulfill that need through immersive and engaging creative. 

From a tactical perspective, look for ways to leverage platform-specific assets or features. On Instagram, utilize Stories and their features, like Link Stickers or Polls. For Pinterest, use shoppable pins to make it easier for consumers to duplicate a recipe. On Twitter, leverage the Thread feature to tell a more cohesive story. 

How Does That Translate to Paid Ads? 

I'll speak about it from a thematic standpoint on the paid front. If you're looking for more tactical approaches, check out one of my blog posts.

Just because you're serving ads with a specific goal doesn't mean you can disregard the above notions. As an advertiser, brands are essentially paying to interrupt the feed of consumers' daily feeds. We as marketers need to help shape those ads so that when we do interrupt their feed, we're creating content that truly resonates with them.

When you try to cut corners, like leveraging a 15-second TV spot as an Instagram Story ad, consumers pick up on that quickly. They'll tap, swipe, skip or close their app. And as such, an advertiser's Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) goes down. Do the hard work upfront and earn the attention you're seeking on social.  

Thanks for taking the time to read through my latest blog post! What were your biggest takeaways?