If your brand isn’t always-on, it could be missing out

Always on…

What does this even mean? 

Well, think about the last time you bought something online. What influenced you to make that purchase?

You may have seen a creator promoting the product, researched the reviews, or maybe bought from a brand that you feel connected to. Chances are you bought it because that brand is probably at the top of your mind in some way. If brands adopt an always-on approach, they can be at the top of consumers’ minds consistently. Not just when they release a new product. 

Building a community is more important than ever with so much social noise out there. Studies show that 76% of consumers will choose a brand that connects with them over a competitor that doesn’t.

But how do brands achieve this crucial customer connection?

Charlotte Littlewood, Account Director at Brainlabs, explains the importance of building and maintaining a social media presence and why brands should approach it with an always-on strategy. 

Always on is essential

We see many brands neglect their social media until they’re ready to sell something and then push paid influencer campaigns to promote a new product launch. Or, brands will repurpose content across channels but only create original material when it’s time to sell.

Of course, pushing during a launch is important, and repurposing content can be a fast and easy way of building out content. But in reality this is no longer enough. TikTok and Instagram are very different platforms (despite what you might think) and what an Instagram audience wants to see differs from a TikTok audience. Content made for one will not always directly translate to the other, and likely won’t do as well on both platforms.

Brands should post year-round to develop and maintain an online presence. By posting content that doesn’t focus on product promotion, brands will build organic engagement. And, most importantly, connect and build trust with their audience, which will, in turn, drive better revenue and profit for your paid activations.

Building trust gets results

We all know the rule of seven – a consumer needs to hear or see an advert seven times before they’ll take action to buy a product.

Now, let’s say it’s the same for brand visibility. Customers need to see brands seven times on social media before committing to a purchase. This could be through organic brand or influencer content, or a comment on a viral video.

By creating an always-on approach, brands build trust, increase visibility, and foster community. And arguably, that’s more powerful than any advert.

And yes we know, “building trust” may feel like old news. But here’s why it matters more than ever. 

The age of “underconsumption core” is upon us. People are tired of constant product pushing, and many Gen Z and Millenials are promoting underconsumption on social, going against mass consumerism. This means it’s even more competitive to get people to purchase.. 

Brands need to rely on the fact that they are at the forefront of their consumer’s minds. So when it comes around to a product launch, customers will feel connected and be more likely to engage and spend.

But what type of content should brands be creating? 

Charlotte says, “Always on content doesn’t always have to be product-focused. Content can just be based on brand awareness. Behind-the-scenes footage works really well on TikTok. People want to see the bakers making the cakes in the kitchen or learn more about the team.”

How to implement an always-on strategy 

Many brands focus on the top and bottom funnel customers. And while this is crucial, the middle of the funnel should not be forgotten. An always-on strategy nurtures the customers in the middle of the funnel, meaning brands who adopt this approach will maximize their bottom line.

Let’s look at three ways brands can set themselves up for success.

1. Consistent influencer activations
   
   While you might typically associate influencer-made content with paid campaigns, it’s actually effective in an always-on approach to increasing sales (see the above examples). Crucially, it builds trust. Consumers simply do not trust influencers anymore. They are used to seeing influencer activations when a brand is trying to sell. But if you work with influencers as brand advocates on a longer-term basis, you’ll build a more trusted influencer voice for your brand. Plus, if an influencer loves your product long-term, their audience will, too. 

Organic influencer activations can also help you measure content success so that when it comes to doubling down on paid promotion, you know what works and what doesn’t.

2. Community management
   

We keep talking about building community, but how do you actually do it? Engagement and involvement are key – brands should be part of trending conversations. 

It’s rare to see brands respond to comments, but the ones that do foster that sense of community. Feeling seen is feeling valued, and people will be more likely to buy from companies that recognize and care for their customers. Duolingo is an excellent example of this. The brand, known for iconic TikToks and not taking themselves seriously, frequently posts mocking or witty replies to comments on their videos.

The comment section on viral videos has become its own strategy to increase brand engagement. Even if the post isn’t directly related to them, brands are showing up and starting conversations. The recent ‘demure’ trend has seen brands like Max Factor and Palmers flocking to the comments on Jools Lebron’s TikToks, the creator of this viral trend.

3. Join conversations early

But this doesn’t mean that brands should join just any conversation. The right conversation at the right time is crucial for success. TikTok Creator Insights gives users a look into trending topics, but it’s limited to each individual’s feed and niche. It’s also slow. And no one wants to hop onto trends after they’ve happened. If you’re late to the party, there isn’t much point in showing up at all when it comes to social.

So, how do you find the trends before they happen? Answer – social listening tools. At Brainlabs, we use our Bytesights 2.0 tool to find the popular conversations around smaller niches and creators, before they blow up. So brands can get onto a trend while it’s still a ripple, ride it through the wave, and be part of a cultural tide.

4. Test and learn

The time in between promotional launches can be used for testing and learning. Not just for influencer activations (as we mentioned before) but also for underutilized platforms. You may have widespread communities on Reddit and Snapchat, but putting all your eggs into the Meta or TikTok basket might not be the most effective way forward. 

Use an always-on approach to assess different, lesser-used channels and learn from your results. 

Influencer activations to sell are no longer enough. If brands want to truly cut through the noise on social, they will have to adopt an always-on approach. But this doesn’t mean just posting anything. Building out the right content with the right influencers around the right topics (and doing this consistently) will be crucial.

Sound a little overwhelming? That’s where we come in. It’s our job to get brands to achieve significant cut-through with influencer marketing all the time, not just during product launches (although we do that remarkably well too). Have a chat with us– we have the tools and the knowledge to make these strategies simple.