In our last blog, we discussed the importance of integrity in any business. Now we want to focus on integrity in marketing. We can boil this idea down to three simple concepts: connection, communication, and measurement.
Connect with consideration. Aim to reach an optimized, targeted audience and connect with them in ways that bring value. Allow your audience to have a “say” in what you do; think about the members of your target audience: issues they need solved, things they should hear, or products to help them. Then, make a list of the different types of content you think will have the greatest impact. Pay attention to the analytics (more on this later) provided by the platforms, this will inform you of which posts and content are getting the most engagement.
Ensure that you are showcasing your culture, industry and expertise; this is how you will attract the audience that is looking for you.
Keep an eye out for new audiences; sometimes an entirely new audience may enter your orbit! For example, Tommy Hilfiger might not have set out to market to the hip hop audience, but they found him and he embraced them.
Open the lines of communication. Businesses market to many different types of consumers, including individuals, other companies, and different groups. This dynamic opens the door to feedback that will help further evolve an organization’s content. Be willing to listen to what your audience has to say, this includes any negative feedback.
Before you post anything ask if it will positively achieve what you wish for it to achieve and make sure there is not a chance of it coming off as negative or off-putting. Social media marketing isn’t a one-way street; test and retest to better understand what your audience is really looking for and how to best communicate to them.
Measure the impact. Checking each social media feed to analyze content reach and interactions can be tedious. Luckily, there are several platforms that offer tools that help measure audience impact. As time goes on, you’ll gather more data and gain greater insight regarding what is resonating with your audience and where any improvements can be made.
The more a company understands their audience, the more the audience knows that their voice is being heard. Consistently measuring, analyzing, and fine-tuning your online voice, then following what you learn, shows that you are keeping up with the desires of your audience.
When you market with integrity, everyone wins. By putting the relationship with your audience first, you establish trust, create lasting relationships, and increase your business capacity.