Do Your Posts Scream “Buy! Buy! Buy!”
As a marketing major, I spend most of my spare time looking at blogs and browsing Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to catch up on the latest marketing news.
Overtime, I’ve started to notice most companies use their social media accounts to sell their products or services. I know you’re thinking of course they do, why else would they be using social media? I agree, companies should use social media to create brand awareness and recognition. However, the problem comes when companies only post content trying to sell their products.
Promotional messages and advertisements try to reach consumers 24/7. As a society, we cannot watch television, browse the internet, or even check Twitter without seeing an advertisement. Advertisers are also trying to come up with even more inconspicuous ways to advertise products because the old methods aren’t working anymore.
Consumers have become annoyed with the constant promotional messages and they have begun to tune them out. Think about it, when you’re watching TV and a commercial comes on, most people get on their phones or run out of the room to get a snack. People drive by billboards barely looking at them and when commercials come on the radio they just switch the station. People do pay attention to ads but they use social media as an escape.
Consumers primarily use social media to connect with friends and catch up on the latest news. People tend to divert from posts using hard sales tactics to get them to buy a product. For example, I used to follow a local hair salon on Instagram. They would always post photos showing haircuts they did with a caption about calling them for an appointment. I eventually unfollowed them because I felt like I wasn’t getting anything out of their posts.
I’ve also been following a beauty company called Birchbox on Instagram (see below). Their posts are informative and interactive. They’ll post pictures of products and ask their followers what other products they would suggest. Their posts range from tips and tricks, to contests, to different hairstyles they think their followers should try out. Some of their posts promote products they sell in their shop and most of the time I’m more inclined buy them because I trust the company. This trust comes from feeling that instead of just trying to sell me a product, the company has my best interest at heart.
Since consumers are turned off by blogs and social media accounts that scream “buy buy buy”, how can you use social media to your advantage?
Users want to feel like they are getting something out of your posts and businesses need to focus their content on interacting with users. Posting consistently and interacting can make a world of difference. So if one of your followers comments or replies to your post, respond to them or ‘favorite’ the post. Most companies make the mistake of being a pusher instead of engaging with users and creating brand loyalty.
How do you keep your posts from screaming “buy! buy! buy!”?
