Today, social media feeds are full of ads, sponsored posts, and videos from influencers promoting the latest finds. The amount of content in feeds is increasing, to more than what customers can consume, leaving organic posts to become invisible and inundated by sponsored content. The more content is published, the more organic reach falls naturally. Because of this, social platforms are becoming a less viable channel for driving traffic.
Social media is a vital marketing tool for every company, but some brands have already cut back on their social engagement, emphasizing their outlook for building meaningful connections with their customers. With 90% of the U.S. population on social media, brands can’t “just leave.” Although social media presence is important, it is also equally important to be engaged with a targeted audience, which is where social media falls short. Social media is great for touchpoints and one-way interactions, but to really connect with customers and open up the door for long-term loyalty, brands must turn to channels that allow them to collect higher-quality data and build two-way, meaningful relationships.
Harnessing the Power of Data
With the inundation of paid ads and influencers, it’s almost impossible for consumers to decipher between what is organic versus what is sponsored. In addition, typical social media channels only give brands access to third-party data. While this data is helpful for targeting ads, the most valuable data — first-party data — that could help understand preferences, the customer journey, and what offers might resonate best, remains elusive. As it stands, brands can’t see what is collected from clicks, browsing habits, and what posts catch the users’ eye – all of which could be used to create more personalized and meaningful experiences for the shopper.
As brands look for ways to overcome this data barrier, an alternative could be beginning to use a brand-owned customer network. This brand-owned channel can serve as an extension of a company’s e-commerce site and gathers first- and zero-party data via polls and surveys, user-generated content like review posts, and interactive communication via chats. Brands gain a powerful tool to help keep them stay relevant and top of mind for customers with access to this data. From there, they have everything they need to craft personalized offers, exclusive content, and special promotions based on engagements and purchase history – creating a more compelling journey for the consumer that ultimately ends with them purchasing products.
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