It’s been just over a week since my Shake Social colleague Moya and I went north of the wall to attend the Big UK Social Media Conference. Dynamic Manchester was an apt setting for this informative gathering, which I quickly discovered was a hotpot of exciting ideas and inspiration. So, what are the take home messages from the Northern Powerhouse?

1. “Being authentic is key to having a connection with your audience” – Beth Hayden

We’ve all seen and rolled our eyes at generic, corporate spiel on social media.   You’re happily procrastinating, scrolling merrily down your Facebook timeline packed with exciting, funny, or inspiring content. Suddenly, the magic is punctuated by the jarring, bland, and unmistakably insincere content delivered by a brand that, well, just doesn’t get social media.

Uninvited insurance adverts, overly formal responses, and a total lack of personality jammed in to your Twitter feed: these are the cold calls of the social media domain. Nobody wants to see this material, no one will engage with it, and most people will find it frustrating, which is not the response you were looking for, right?

Your customers in the world of social media enjoy an individual response and a unique identity. Put simply, people want to know there is a human being behind a computer monitor. A great example of a brand that recently pulled off exactly this kind of customer service is Tesco. Responding with a conversational and jovial tone, the supermarket chain replied to a complaint from a customer who had written about his heart wrenching experience of purchasing a packet of Tesco’s smoked bacon – with a missing rasher.

Tesco’s response – which was both humorous and helpful – has since gone viral, being re-tweeted, shared, and published online by several local newspapers. Full details of this story and other similar tales can be found here: http://bit.ly/1ejc0aM.

The take home message? Don’t be afraid to give your brand a personality, and you might just get some free brand exposure in the process.

2. “Give your users a clear call to action” – Lilach Bullock

The world of social media is fast paced. An Instagram image can be expected to linger in the digital domain for only a couple of hours, and Tweets flutter for mere minutes before disappearing in to the digital ether. Getting your voice heard in this noisy digital world of hashtags, links, and memes is difficult, so it’s imperative that your message is clear and concise.

Be careful not to distract your audience with an overload of information. Instead, provide clear instruction with a call to action. This could be a link to a giveaway on your website, or a competition whereby your audience uploads a tagged selfie on Instagram. Ideas like these can be effective tools for boosting engagement with your account.

3. “Frame of mind marketing.” – Mari Smith

From search engines and blogs to digital mapping and cat appreciation sites, the public visit different internet platforms for different reasons, and at different times. Audience demographics fluctuate depending on where you are in the online domain, and as a brand you need to factor this in to your online behaviour. When using an internet search engine your audience is likely to be seeking a solution to a problem, or answer to a query. With social media these needs are likely to be different again, with most users seeking to connect and socialise.

It’s important, then, if you want to engage effectively and reach your maximum potential audience, to tailor your content accordingly. This is targeted advertising, which must be highly relevant, have great offers, and deliver effective landing pages. You should strive to provide exceptional customer care while aiming to “surprise and delight your audience”.

To summarise…

Be clear, concise, and don’t be afraid to show that your brand has its own distinct personality. Building a community on social media takes time and effort, but following these suggestions can strengthen your brand identity and build a stronger ethos.

– Georgina